Chapter 5
THE SALT OF THE EARTH Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men (Matt. 5:13).
The theocentric focus of this passage is God's covenant: "And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt" (Lev. 2:13).
Salt and Sanctions Salt is an aspect of covenant sanctions. Salt is a two-fold sanction: positive (flavor) and negative (permanent destruction). The parallel passage in Mark is even more terrifyingly explicit: "And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another" (Mark 9:47-50).
Jesus here referred back to the offerings of the temple (Lev. 2:13). Salt confirmed the Old Covenant: "All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer unto the LORD, have I given thee, and thy sons and thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: it is a covenant of salt for ever before the LORD unto thee and to thy seed with thee" (Num. 18:19). How did salt confirm the Old Covenant? By being present in the burnt offerings, which were negative sanctions applied to dead animals rather than dead men. The salt provided savor; God then consumed these sacrifices. The imagery is that of a God who delights in the burning flesh of the damned. This is harsh imagery, which modern man rejects. Jesus did not reject it. To it He added the worm that refuses to die.
There is no question that salt in the Old Covenant was a testimony to God's covenant. It testified to the negative sanctions and the positive sanctions. The sanctions were positive for covenant-keepers, negative for covenant-breakers.
Jesus contrasted savory salt with tasteless salt. Tasteless salt is good for nothing but to be trodden down by men. It once was a source of savor; it becomes a means of destruction, just as it was in the ancient world. Salt was used to destroy the land's productivity: "And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that was therein, and beat down the city, and sowed it with salt" (Jud. 9:45). In this sense, salt was a negative sanction of a covenant.
A Nation at Risk Savorless salt: this is Jesus' description of covenant-keepers who cease doing God's work. They are fit for destruction as agents of destruction. They are cast out and walked over, driving them into the earth to destroy the earth's productivity. They become signs of God's wrath against hypocrisy. He uses them as a victorious ancient army used salt: to seal the cutting off of the enemy's future.
The context of Jesus' remarks was the nation of Israel. It was under negative sanctions: Roman rule. It had been under foreign rule since the captivity. He was speaking to residents of a defeated nation. Israel was the salt that had lost its savor. It was fit for grinding underfoot. This grinding had already begun. In A.D. 70, the process was completed, judicially speaking, although it took until the failure of Bar Kochba's two-year rebellion for the Romans to disperse the nation completely in A.D. 135.
Jesus was warning the nation that the day of judgment was coming. It was time to repent. The Sermon on the Mount was a call to repentance, to a new way of life. Those who were trodden down would rise up. Those who were being treated badly would see God: victory. There was hope available, but to claim it, men would have to become salt. They would have to add flavor to others' food. They would have to become a benefit to others.
Jesus was telling Jews that Israel was doomed. Their righteousness would have to exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. "For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:20). Unless they became positive sanctions among men, they would become negative sanctions among men. They would be trodden down as examples. This, the Romans did a generation after Jesus spoke these words.
Good Works in the Salt Shaker The heart of the matter was righteousness. The analogy was savor. Salt is good, Jesus said, but it must be salty. It must add flavor. When it ceases to be marked by flavor, it ceases to be useful as a positive force. It is then useful only as a negative force. The idea that the lives of covenant-keepers are no different from the lives of covenant-keepers is anti-covenantal. Jesus went on to use another analogy: the candle under a bushel. "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Matt. 5:14-16).(1) Salt without savor is analogous to a hidden light: useless.
The issue here is good works. Good works are the saltiness of holy salt, the brightness of light. Without these positive characteristics, salt and light are good for nothing, i.e., destructive. Good works by God's judicial representatives testify to His goodness. Bad works testify falsely to God. False witness is to be avoided. The negative sanction against false witness is the punishment that would have been applied to the victim. "One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established. If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong; Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days; And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother; Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you. And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you. And thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot" (Deut. 19:15-21). Therefore, the penalty for false witness against God is death, as Adam learned.(2)
Good works reflect God, who is the source of every good gift. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning" (James 1:17). Evil does not come out of good. Jesus said this repeatedly. "And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire" (Matt. 3:10). "Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire" (Matt. 7:17-19). (3) "Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit" (Matt. 12:33). Christian commentators identify the corrupt tree as Israel, but Israel itself was an example of a more inclusive phenomenon: God's destruction of the unrighteous.
The person who identifies himself as a covenant-keeper must keep the laws of God (Matt. 5:17-18).(4) Israel's problem was not sin in general. That problem was what the gentile nations represented. Israel's problem was the visible discrepancy between its covenant standards and its behavior. That is, Israel's problem was visible unrighteousness in the name of righteousness, evil works in the name of good works. Israel as a nation was like the unclean man who drew near to the temple: the closer he came, the more dangerous was his unclean legal status. Eventually, he had to be stopped from drawing closer, or else God would destroy him. "And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish. Whosoever cometh any thing near unto the tabernacle of the LORD shall die: shall we be consumed with dying?" (Num. 17:12-13). If many unclean people were allowed to draw near, God would depart from the temple. This was what took place a generation later, in A.D. 70.(5)
This is as true under the New Covenant as it was under the Mosaic Covenant. God brings negative sanctions against those who do evil in His name. But these verses indicate that more is required than merely avoiding evil. It is not sufficient to do no evil in God's name. Covenant-keepers must do good works. They must bring positive sanctions in history. To fail to do this is the judicial equivalent of doing evil. There is no neutrality. There are no neutral acts. This is the message of Matthew 25, which describes the final judgment. "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal" (Matt. 25:41-46).
Then do good works save men? Absolutely. Without good works, men cannot enter heaven. Then is salvation by good works? Absolutely. James was explicit in this regard. "Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only" (James 2:18-24).
The theological question is this: What is the source of these good works? The New Testament's answer is clear: the perfect humanity of Jesus Christ, who fulfilled the Mosaic law perfectly. God imputes -- declares judicially -- Christ's comprehensive and representative good works to covenant-keepers at the moment of their conversion. As surely as Adam's sin is imputed judicially by God to all men devoid of saving grace,(6) so is Christ's righteousness imputed to covenant-keepers.(7) This is the doctrine of definitive sanctification. Covenant-keepers are told to work out their salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12). This is the doctrine of progressive sanctification. The Sermon on the Mount is a guide to working out this salvation.
Saving faith in Christ is faith in the saving works of Christ. This is why theological liberalism cannot save. The liberal asserts his faith in Jesus, called the Christ, but this Christ is said to be an imperfect man who did not serve as man's judicial representative before God. He was a great moral teacher, we are told, but He was not fundamentally different from what we are. He was not perfect, just as we are not perfect. He was evolving, just as we are. Liberal faith is judicial nonsense. Faith in a Christ who was not a perfect sacrifice on God's altar does not save man from God's eternal wrath. Faith in a blemished sacrifice does not save anyone. It is faith without works -- Christ's perfect works.
Christ is the vine; His people are the branches (John 15). The perfection of the vine is the source of the branches' fruit. There is consistency between vine and fruit. The goodness of the fruit testifies publicly to the perfection of the vine. Bad fruit testifies to an imperfect vine, which is false testimony. This is why God the Father brings negative sanctions in history and eternity against those who testify falsely about His moral character and the moral character of His Son.
Good Words, Good Works "Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man" (Col. 4:6). The imagery of salt as something positive is retained in this passage. There must be consistency between word and deed. Good words must not be refuted by bad works. The issue of consistency is basic to the Sermon on the Mount. It is not logical consistency; it is ethical consistency. Verbal testimony is confirmed by visible testimony. This is why salt must not lose its savor and candles must not be hidden under baskets.
The works of Jesus confirmed His words. Consider the miracles of feeding and healing. He brought positive sanctions into the lives of those who could not buy them. Some of these sanctions were not available at any price. The magnitude of His words were confirmed by the magnitude of His works. "And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth. And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. And he arose, and departed to his house. But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men" (Matt. 9:2-8).
Covenant-keepers are to imitate Christ. While only rarely can they perform miracles of healing, they can offer acts of healing at no price to the recipients. Like Jesus, they can bring healing to those who cannot afford to pay. Again, Matthew 25 is the model: "And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me" (Matt. 25:33-40).
Jesus' works confirmed His words. His words alone could have condemned all mankind, but He offered saving words, and these required saving works. The covenant has sanctions. These sanctions are historical. Jesus brought positive sanctions and occasional negative sanctions to confirm His words. The negative sanction against the fig tree was representative of what would come upon Israel in a generation. "And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there. Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive" (Matt. 21:17-22).
There is a tendency among Protestants to separate good works from good words. This is partially the result of a deep and abiding antinomianism: Christianity as a covenant with neither law nor sanctions. It is partially the result of a doctrine of Christ's salvation that ignores the imputation of His perfect works to covenant-keepers. The result of such a truncated doctrine of the covenant is salt without savor, i.e., positive confession without positive sanctions. God brings comprehensive negative sanctions against hypocritical faith. "But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?" (James 2:20). Dead faith is publicly buried by a living God.
Good Works in Charity and Business Charity is a good work. When men give away their time or wealth in the name of Christ, they testify to their faith in God. They proclaim their confidence that "there's more where that came from." As covenant-keepers, they affirm the cause-and-effect nature of wealth in history: wealth as a public affirmation of the covenant. "But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day" (Deut. 8:18). He testifies to his faith in the linearity of growth: wealth, obedience, greater wealth, greater obedience.
Charitable giving lowers men's resistance to the gospel. It opens doors. Men begin to ask themselves why the person is showing such charity. His acts of charity impress them. They know that selfless giving is a good thing. They want to know why the individual is confident that his giving will not reduce him to poverty.
There is another factor: imitation. Men may begin to imitate the giver. They perceive that the world is better off because of charity. They may test the proposition with respect to their own lives. This is positive for society.
In business, charitable dealing is also beneficial. There is a phrase known to those who do repeat business: "Leave something on the table for the other guy." Business success is usually dependent on repeat business. The cost of generating a new customer is high. The cost of generating a repeat sale is much lower, but only if the buyer was happy with the first exchange. So, the wise businessman is careful to deliver more than he agreed to in the original contract. He adds an extra benefit. This impresses the buyer, who gets more than he paid for. He can afford to do business with this seller. His risks are reduced, meaning that his costs is reduced. When a seller decreases the buyer's price of doing business, he gains more business.
Jesus spoke of going the extra mile with the tyrant. The same principle applies to business. The buyer perceives that he can trust the seller. He is willing to send more business his way. In business, there is a procedure for reducing risk called tit for tat: repayment in kind. If a seller drives a hard bargain this time, the buyer will drive a hard bargain next time. The best way for both parties to secure a stream of benefits from each other is to give more in exchange.
Conclusion The top priority here is to become flavorful salt. This requires extra effort on the part of covenant-keepers. Later in this sermon, we read: "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matt. 6:19-21).(8) Jesus laid the groundwork for this conclusion in the earlier passages. This is one of those passages.
The issue here is salt as a positive or negative sanction in history. Salt can supply flavor or it can destroy growth. God wants it to supply flavor. His people are to allocate their assets of money and time to those kingdom-building works that have personal consequences in eternity because such works have social consequences in history. The salt of the earth must not become salt in the earth. God's people are to make the world a better place than it was before they arrived on the scene. This mandates progress in history.
God's covenant is a covenant of salt. Salt flavors and it also destroys its enemies. It brings positive and negative sanctions. As it extends through society, it satisfies the good and destroys the evil. God uses savorless salt to cut off rival kingdoms, but this is no comfort to the savorless salt.
Footnotes:
1. Chapter 6, below.
2. Gary North, The Dominion Covenant: Genesis (2nd ed.; Tyler, Texas: Institute for Christian Economics, 1987), Appendix E.
3. Chapter 18, below.
4. Greg L. Bahnsen, By This Standard: The Authority of God's Law Today (Tyler, Texas: Institute for Christian Economics, 1985).
5. David Chilton, The Great Tribulation (Tyler, Texas: Dominion Press, [1987] 1997).
6. John Murray, The Imputation of Adam's Sin (Phillipsburg, New Jersey: Presbyterian & Reformed, [1959] 1992).
7. John Murray, Redemption Accomplished and Applied (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 1955), pp. 124-25.
8. Chapter 13, below.
If this book helps you gain a new understanding of the Bible, please consider sending a small donation to the Institute for Christian Economics, P.O. Box 8000, Tyler, TX 75711. You may also want to buy a printed version of this book, if it is still in print. Contact ICE to find out. icetylertx@aol.com