salt & light: you are the salt of the earth

Matthew 5:13“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.”

First Point

How was salt used in biblical times?

Salt as Payment

Salt as a Preservative

Essential for health

In the Kitchen

Salt and Covenant

2 Chronicles 13:55 Ought you not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt?

Mark 9:50Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

Salted Sacrifices

Leviticus 2:13You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt.

Second Point

How does salt lose its saltiness?

Sodium and Chlorine2,8,1+1

2,8,7-1

Sodium Chloride Molecule

How does salt lose its saltiness?

Dilution

Sodium Chloride in Water

Diluted by Negatives

Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

Diluted by Positives

Proverbs 16:2All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the spirit.

Romans 12:1Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

How does salt lose its saltiness?

Contamination

Dead Sea Minerals

Dead Sea Salt

contains 21 minerals

Syncretism with World Religions

Syncretism with New Age Spirituality

Syncretism with Occultism/Paganism

Galatians 1:8But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.