Salted in Jesus

Mark 9:49-50 “Everyone will be salted with fire. 50 Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other.” 
 
SALT in Scripture is an image of commitment, value and purity. Ancient treaties were salted to preserve the promise. When Jesus said, “You are he salt of the earth.” (Matthew 5:13a), he spoke a significant distinction between those who follow him and those who do not. His disciples are people of promise to him and to the world. As salt is essential for life, a disciple is essential to teach the world of kingdom life.  
   Another reason Jesus connected discipleship to salt is that God had commanded salt to be part of a pure sacrifice: Leviticus 2:13 Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings. Disciples sacrificially offer their lives to Jesus. How, then, does one become salt of the earth – a pure, sacrificial person of promise for the Lord Jesus Christ?
   Jesus answered our question: “Everyone will be salted with fire.” Everyone refers to all disciples. All disciples will become salt when purified with fire.    
   Purifying fire impacts a disciple’s life in several forms. For one, your life changes when the Spirit’s fire redeems you into faith. Matthew 3:11 (John said) “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” The Spirit purifies you for service through a growing relationship with Jesus.
   Sometimes that relationship grows through trials: 1 Peter 1:6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. When things threaten you, look to God to see his Sovereign protecting and strengthening you.   
   Jesus commands you, “Have salt in yourselves.” He wants you to have pure, sacrificial lives, so you will, “Be at peace with each other.”
          Discipleship is a battle. The world threatens to pull you into its chaos. It’s easy to be discouraged, even as you understand God’s presence is with you. Be confident you will be good, refined and flavorful salt to reveal God’s love to the world.