RESOURCES — SHORT ARTICLES

 

SHORT ARTICLES BY TOM ELSEROAD
	2020-08-07	Holy Living, Like Salt, Halts Corruption
		Romans soldiers were sometimes paid in salt. And if he was derelict in his duties he was not paid, and they said, “he was not worth his salt.” Even today in the Arab world if a man partakes of the salt of another man in a meal, it means he comes under that man's protection. God speaks of a “covenant of salt” with David (2Sa.7:11-16). A covenant of salt is an agreement between two or more parties that symbolizes it being perpetual (2Ch.13:5). 2Ch 13:5 Should you not know that the LORD God of Israel gave the dominion over Israel to David forever, to him and his sons, by a covenant of salt? Lev 2:13 And every offering of your grain offering you shall season with salt; you shall not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking from your grain offering. With all your offerings you shall offer salt. Remember Jesus said, we were the salt of the earth (Mt.5:13). Mat 5:13 "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. What is up with the use of salt in the Bible? Salt has been used through the centuries to preserve. The main reason salt is so valuable is because of its preservative element. It preserves something from corruption. We are in the world in the sense as salt. We are in the world to prevent corruption. And to restrain wickedness. We are the force for anti-decay. So the holy living of believers halts corruption. We hold it back to some degree. We check the rottenness of a decaying society by virtue of our lives. Our presence should restrain crime and evil, and even put a gag on vile words. We have to be rubbed into the world. That is, we have to mingle. We must influence the world, but not be influenced by it. Salt is somewhat hidden and works quietly. The power of a godly life is quiet, and sort of invisible. Though quiet it is powerful. The power of influence holds back the corruption to some degree. This power starts in the home. But know that salt cannot change evil into good. Only light can do that. And of course Jesus said believers were both salt and light. Sooner or later the light of the truth must shine. Your influence or example alone is not going to change the sinner. Salt in a sense is negative, it retards corruption. Light is positive, it displays the truth the sinner needs to hear. So we are salt in our character. And we are light in our message. There is a danger if the salt loses its saltiness. It becomes good for nothing. There is a danger if light is put under a basket. It is pointless and the truth is not heard. Pastor Tom Elseroad

 

An Evangelical Free Church of America

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