Discover Your Spiritual Identity!
The Revelation of the Names and Titles God Has Given His People
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how shall it be made salty? It is from then on good for nothing but to be thrown out and to be trampled underfoot by men” (Matt. 5:13, MEV).
Salt is a substance purposefully used to change whatever it contacts. So when Jesus told His disciples, “You are the salt of the earth,” in essence, He was saying, “You are God’s chosen catalyst to bring change to this world.”
When the world changes the church — that’s apostasy. But when the church changes the world — that’s true revival — and it’s a clear indication that believers have truly fulfilled this calling. Jesus was a living example of someone who walked in the reality of this role because when He came to earth, major changes took place that transformed the world forever. Especially in this era, humanity aches for those who will boldly walk in this “salt-calling” to counteract the evil, the insanity and the deception that are abounding.
Unfortunately, many believers do not have a “salt” mindset; instead, they barely function in a “survival” mode — striving to implement enough biblical truth just to survive the battles of life. But God has called His people to be proactive, not just reactive.
Quite often the Bible defines its own symbols and such is the case with salt. Colossians 4:6 commands:
“Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you should answer everyone.”
So salt can represent the grace of God. First, the Mighty One salts needy people with grace, supernaturally changing their hearts and lives. Then He salts the world with them — sending them forth with the power to utter grace-filled words that change the lives of others.
Five Attributes of Salt
There are at least five primary attributes of salt that symbolize various ways believers should function in this world, including the following three:
– A flavor enhancer — Often we use salt to enhance the flavor of food, making bland or even bitter food enjoyable. So Christians who fulfill this salt-calling are used by God to “enhance the flavor of life” for those who are enduring a bland or bitter existence. The world is full of people who constantly face deep depression, anxiety, fear or despair. God sends His salty people into their lives to make an otherwise “inedible meal” a feast of hope, joy, peace, forgiveness and love.
– An antiseptic — Salt has germ-killing properties; it can halt the progress of infections. So those who fulfill the calling to be salt often put a stop to the contagious disease of sin in the environment around them. By introducing godly values and the knowledge of salvation into their world, they provide the antidote for souls made sick by the carnality and sensuality that prevails here.
– A preservative — Especially before the advent of refrigerators, salt was used to keep meat from rotting. It is still added to many types of foods as a preservative. So those who fulfill this calling are used of God to preserve biblical truth and godly values in a society that often rejects such standards.
And there’s much more to this wonderful revelation!
To explore this wonderful subject more deeply, listen to the titled episode of Mike Shreve’s weekly podcast called Discover Your Spiritual Identity:
Watch a TV presentation on our calling to be “the Salt of the Earth” on Mike Shreve’s YouTube channel. {eoa}
A product of the Jesus Movement Era, Mike Shreve has traveled evangelistically in the United States and overseas since 1970 with an emphasis on healing and the prophetic. His primary biblical teaching for over 35 years has been the spiritual identity of believers. This powerful insight is featured on his weekly podcast on cpnshows.com and his TV program — both titled Discover Your Spiritual Identity. It is also the theme of his Charisma House book titled WHO AM I? Dynamic Declarations of Who You Are in Christ. The first three categories on his YouTube website expand on this amazing revelation: YouTube.com/mikeshreveministries.
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