#3 The Ministry of the Disciples

Matthew 5:13-16

A. Introduction

1. There were previous instructions to Jesus’ disciples as they related to others.

a. They will be fishers of men (Matthew 4:19 says, “’Come, follow Me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’”

b. Men will persecute them. Matthew 5:10-12 says, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you.”

B. Matthew 5:13 says, “You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt becomes tasteless, with what will it be salted. For nothing is it potent any longer except, having been cast out, to be trampled upon by men.”

1. Interpretations of the meaning of salt

a. Salt is pure – We are to be pure.

b. Salt gives flavor to food. Colossians 4:6 says, “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone….” So, Mt. 5:13 & Colossians 4:6 = the same truth. Salt pictures grace.

c. Salt helps to purify the land as a fertilizing element. The decay must be arrested. Luke 14:34-35 says, Salt is good, but if the salt loses its savor, with what will it be seasoned? 35It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile, and it is thrown out.”

1) The Decay of which the Lord speaks may be either moral or spiritual.

2) God planned for Christians to be in the world and to salt it.

3) The Holy Spirit is the main salting influence.

4) Governments serve as salt (Romans 13:1-4.)

5) Parents are salt for the children.

6) Rulers are salt for the citizens.

7) Married people are salt for each other.

8) Church serves as salt for its members and for the community.

d. People use salt as a fertilizer for the land. John Gill says in his commentary on Luke 14:35, “It is neither fit for the land.... for the manuring of it, when it has lost its savor and spirit; otherwise, it makes land fruitful, if too much is not used, and especially fixed salts have this use;”

e. Chemists use the word salt differently. For them, a salt is any molecule that is made up of two or more ions. Sodium chloride (NaCl) is made up of two ions: sodium and chlorine. Ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) is also a salt and is made up of an ammonium ion (NH4) and a nitrogen ion (NO3). Potassium chloride (KCl) is common in fertilizer and is made up of a potassium ion (K) and a chlorine ion (Cl). There are hundreds of different salts.

f. As a solid, the ions bond together to form crystals. Chemists call these salts by both names, like ammonium nitrate. When salts are dissolved in water, the ions in the salt separate and are no longer joined together. They are now properly called ions, not salt. This may seem like silly semantics, but it is an important distinction for properly understanding the effect of salts on soil and plants. So, Christians, like salts, have a fertilizing effect on other Christians. And if there are two Christians with different gifts, there is a Church.

g. Applications

1) God’s world view is that the world is decaying. I must arrest the decay.

2) There are both moral and spiritual forms of decay.

3) God has planned for Christians to be in the world.

4) Christians are vital to this earth.

5) Other salting influences

a) The Holy Spirit (Genesis 6:3)

b) The prophets and what they said resist the decay of the world.

c) Isaiah 63:10-11 says, “But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit. So, He turned and became their enemy, and He Himself fought against them. 11Then His people remembered the days of old, the days of Moses. Where is He who brought them through the sea with the shepherds of His flock? Where is the One who set His Holy Spirit among them?

d) Governments salt the sins of the world. Romans 13:1-4 says, “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which is from God. The authorities that exist have been appointed by God. 2Consequently, whoever resists authority is opposing what God has set in place, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the one in authority? Then do what is right, and you will have his approval. 4For he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not carry the sword in vain. He is God’s servant, an agent of retribution to the wrongdoer.

e) Wives salt husbands and children. Husbands salt wives and children. When children come, it usually has a salting influence on parents.

6) Observations

a) An unsavory person is one who is like the earth, earthy.

b) “Earth” is used for the people of the earth.

c) Bible Doctrines are full of Christ. John 6:63 says, “The Spirit gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.” Both Bible truth and the lives of Christians, salt the world.

d) The Apostles were promoters of godliness. They were examples to the saints, and restrainers to wicked men.

e) Savor is the doctrine, the zeal, and the affection with which some preach the Gospel.

f) Judas was a devil who lost his usefulness.

g) Salt does not actually lose its savor unless it is combined with something else, like water. But, if it did, it would be worthless. It is only good to make things tasteful and preserve from rot.

h) The only good that Christians are to the world is the doctrine they live and preach.

i) Saltiness is the effect of the Word of God upon Christians and upon unsaved people. The understanding of God’s word retards the malignancy of sin.

j) When preachers drop the savory doctrines and blend in with the world, they become useless. Then they are put out of the Church and treated with contempt by everyone.

C. The following, under C. is from P. S. Davis in an article entitled “Christians Called Salt” on Matthew 5:13 in THE BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATOR: P.S. Davis says,

1. “The ideal of an active and efficient Christian character. It is like salt. How?

I. In its CONSTITUENT ELEMENTS. As salt is made up of chlorine and sodium chemically united, so a Christian character is composed of faith and works in union.

(a) As chlorine gas is a deadly poison by itself, so faith without works kills.
(b) As the metal sodium is destitute alone, of the saving quality of salt, so works without faith are destitute of merit to save the soul.
(c) As the chemical union of the two elements forms a third substance, with a new and useful quality, so faith and works, when united, give life and efficiency to Christian character.

II. In its EFFECTS.

(a) As salt prevents corruption and decay in animal and vegetable matter, so Christian character is the antidote of vice in the individual and in society. 
(b) As salt promotes digestion, and thus prevents deadly disease, so Christian character enables the soul to digest and profit by the various dispensations of Providence.
(c) As salt makes otherwise distasteful food palatable, it sweetens life's disappointments, and changes its crosses into crowns.”

D. You are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14-16). By William Randolph

1. Matthew 5:14 says, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.”

a. “You are the light of the world is a declarative sentence.” They are light because of regeneration. God changes the nature of a person by the new birth.

b. God builds the imperatives of the Bible on the declaratives. The point is: “You are light” “So, Shine!” If you are a Christian, you are light. Therefore, use your light for good.

c. There are three kinds of light, natural rays, like the sun; artificial light, like an electric bulb; and spiritual light, like we who believe the Word and live it.

1) 2 Corinthians 4:4 says, “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

2) 2 Corinthians 4:6 says, “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

3) Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

4) John 1:4 says, “In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.”

5) John 1:9 says, “The true Light who gives light to every man, was coming into the world.”

6) John 3:19 says, “And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil.”

7) Jesus says, “"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life" (John 8:12).

8) John 9:5 says, “While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

9) John 12:35-36 says, “Then Jesus told them, “For a little while longer, the Light will be among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 36While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of light.”

2. Jesus is the light, and He gives light. When He gives us light, we become sons of light.

3. God’s opinion of the world is that it is dark, ignorant, and blind.

4. Applications:

a. The world persecutes you; You preserve the world; You teach the world.

b. You are light, so shine!

c. The lesson in the city set on a hill is, if you are in a dark environment, it is because of God’s appointment. Wherever you are, you will be seen. God put you on the hill.

d. People always observe you.

e. Matthew 5:15 says, “Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they set it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.”

1) God will put us in very dark places. No place should be dark if we are there.

2) We must use privileges for the glory of God and the benefit of others.

f. Statements related to hidden things (darkness)”

1) God will reveal all hidden things. Mark 4:22 says, “For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be brought to light.”

2) God intends ministers to make everything known to the saints because He intends everything to be revealed. It is wrong to make people wait for Heaven where they can learn truth.

3) God has no other plan than that we should shine with the truth.

4) The world’s rule is to show light when safe and of self-benefit.

5) God’s rule is to show light when it will glorify Him and benefit man.

g. People do not let their light shine due to fear of unpleasant consequences to oneself. This is sinful.

h. We need to expose the world, men, women, children, and all Christians to the light of the Word of God.