Salt lost it's saltiness?

[OlsonAcoustic]

Mat 5:13 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.

I am troubled with the state of Mainstream Christianity. It seems that this uneasiness has developed from a clearer understanding of God’s Church in the early days compared to the church in general today. Scripture is replete with examples of wholly sold out individuals that gave to the grave every aspect of their flesh, and exchanged it for the truth God had to present. When I look at these examples in scripture, I am challenged by the fact that very few Christians I know live out their faith the way Christians did back then.

John the Baptist. What a guy.

Joh 1:22 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?
Joh 1:23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.

Joh 1:26 John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;
Joh 1:27 He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.

John the Baptist is an example of a man who had wholly given himself for a single purpose. John existed to prepare the way for the Lord. The men spoken of in John 1:22 are sent to John the Baptist by the Pharisees to discover just who this mad man was. What was he doing out there in the middle of nowhere? Was he the prophet Elias? John answers with some astonishing answers. What blows me away is that he does not point to himself, or explain how he came to be in the ministry which he had received, he simply says, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord…” What we see here is that John never even makes mention of himself, his own name, but only referees to himself as the “voice of one”. He tells the Pharisees that he is not worthy to untie the shoes of who comes after him.

When someone asks us who we are, we answer with our name. We know that scripture tells us…

Phi 1:20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.
Phi 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

…but do we truly take on that heart? Do we fully represent him who saved us?

1Co 2:1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
1Co 2:2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

I often wonder what it is that keeps Christianity from taking ultimate stands for truth. Is it persecution? Is it fear of death? We know that we have exchanged this life for eternity, and we know from God’s Word what we are to do with this life, but we only decide to act upon these truths maybe 10% of the time, or maybe even 20%. We claim with our mouth to be separated from the sin and death, but we fail to show ourselves separated from sin and death. We have these promises from scripture that we claim to believe, like…

1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

…but do we really live that way? Examine this statement…

2Co 11:10 As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia.

…and contemplate if this is even a remote possibility for Christianity? Is it even a remote possibility for me, that I might truly esteem that which is in me over the hate and ridicule that I may receive? Jesus told us something that we just don’t seem to realize at all. He said that if the world hates you, remember that the world hated me (Jesus) first. It is as if Jesus is saying, “You will be hated! Get over it!” Paul later says that he would rather boast in his sufferings than boast about his own accomplishments. He probably knew that Jesus said that Paul would be a sheep among wolves, as well as any believer that took on the name of Jesus Christ. These wolves would just assume eat us for lunch, let alone tolerate the message of the cross. Wolves find what we believe to be foolish! We deny the fleshly desires, (or so we should) and exchange it for a singular purpose, to testify to the Gospel of God’s grace.

I wonder if this is becoming a scarce topic in Mainstream Christianity today. Does the church in general prepare us to be hated, persecuted, and killed for the purpose of The Cross? Does the church teach us to present all the good, and skirt past all the bad? What that means to ask is do we present the truth of the 180 degree turn that is required in our lives, or do we just kick people through the kingdom doors, and fail to confront the sin? Do we show by the actions of our lives that salvation has only gained us eternal life, but otherwise has gained us nothing?

Yesterday, July 4th, I was at a BBQ being held at a church member’s house. This particular person proceeded to get rip roaring drunk and discuss deep theological matters on the porch of his house. He yelled about how he was saved, and God loved him just the way he was. Some new believers from our church came to visit and grill a few things, and what did they see? A 25 year Christian slobbering drunk talking about how God uses him to reach out to his coworkers. I was disgusted. I left the BBQ with my wife, totally discouraged and bewildered at what I had witnessed. Was this man saved? I can’t know, but I have no reason to believe otherwise. Does he truly make an impact on the world with this firm stand for Jesus in a drunken stupor? Is Christianity evolving into more of an everyday emulation of the world and its snares to be acceptable in the sight of man? What happened to the days when people would not even present their own first name before presenting the one who’s shoes we are not worthy to untie?

I have to say that over the course of the last few months, I have grown to severely dislike all these teaching I hear on the radio and from other pastors about grace, grace, grace. We have all the grace that we need, but I think what differentiates us as “modern Christians” from the early church is summed up in what James says…

Jam 1:21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
Jam 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
Jam 1:23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
Jam 1:24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

Jam 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Jam 2:18 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.
Jam 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
Jam 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
Jam 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
Jam 2:22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
Jam 2:23 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.
Jam 2:24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
Jam 2:25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
Jam 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Amen.

[Crunchyriff]

My first question would be was this man really "drunk" as you say, of just had a beer or two? If drunk, he certainly needs a "revelation" of sorts.

These are very delicate issues, however; because if God can use a 4 legged a$$ to save man's life by talking to him, He's certainly capable of doing the same with a two-legged version... If this guy was slobbering drunk, I'd be chagrined; ...but I wonder how alarmed God is with things He sees in the rest of OUR lives.

We as humans tend to grade on the curve so to speak, and award different demerit points for different sins- God sees it all as sin, and all equally lethal.

On the one hand, we desperately need grace. I need it daily. OTOH, I think most of us Christians in the Western Hemisphere need a Mt. Sinai revelation as a somber reminder of the holiness and justice of God. A booming voice that instills terror, fire on the mountain that makes it aglow, and an unwavering mandate from on High.

My humble diagnosis: Too much milk, and a lack of awe and respect for this being we call God. It's oh-so-convenient to fall back on "He's done it all", and we oft forget the dreadful price paid in doing so. That being said, it IS a mystery- this whole deal called life, the world, and eternity. God is in charge of it all, and He created it all.

If people think that God has got an "uncontrollable loose cannon" named Satan running around mucking it all up at his own whim, they've got another thing coming. God created Satan and Evil to accomplish all that He means to do in His heavenly purposes that are too grand and complex for us to grasp.

I'm also equally chagrined at all our self-proclaimed modern "Knowledge of The Holy". I am sickened by the "Christian Library Culture" of today's
bookstores, and every next teaching series, books, schwag, etc purveyed by pastors and evangelists. As Rick Godwin said about 10 years ago, we have become a complete subculture. And it's NOT what Christ had in mind.

We've strayed so far from what AW Tozer penned on this subject, (The Knowledge of The Holy") , as to actually think we have God all figured out- just merely by what He's written in His Word.

Quite frankly, I don't think we humans have a clue. And we've made The WAY a cheap item.

[kewlpack]

Olson -

In a word... Yes. :|

The church is far from the spotless bride she was called to be. True, Christ's blood covers a lot... but we aren't to continue living in sin (Rom 6) and make a mockery of the blood of Christ (like Crunchy points out).

I wrestle with this "falling away" frequently. Even the stout of faith are lulled into a sense of complacent bliss... I fear many of us will find ourselves with the rich man of Luke 16... God help us.

My heart is to help folks get closer to the Way by helping them mature - challenging them in encouraging ways; with the meat of the Word rather than coddle them with milk (again, like Crunchy brought out) and kid gloves.

Christ did ask, "When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" He didn't ask that for no reason... He knew the chaos that would keep trying to knock down the doors to the Church. He knew that false teachers would creep in and deceive even the elect. Paul reiterated the warnings over and over.

Our time is simply part of that domino effect; a skewing of the line that continues to drift farther and farther from the plumbline of Truth.

I'm not a doom-and-gloomer. But I have made the same observations that you bring up.

God forgive us - and help us be the Bride and Body we are meant to be.
~Amen~

[stephen]

The highway to destruction is wide and many travel upon it, but the pathway to righteousness is narrow, and few travel its path.

[seagullplayer]

Proverbs 14:12
There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but in the end thereof are the ways of death.

Pray that the Lord would open this mans eyes to the true light.
Perhaps when he sobered up someone spoke to him, perhaps you should?

[OlsonAcoustic]

Proverbs 14:12
There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but in the end thereof are the ways of death.

Pray that the Lord would open this mans eyes to the true light.
Perhaps when he sobered up someone spoke to him, perhaps you should?

Funny you should ask.

I have spoken with him before about the drinking. He does these binges and then regrets it afterwards. He has a 18 year old daughter, and I have pulled her from her home a few times when he gets drunk enough to start throwing furniture. This time, his wife called the cops, and had him arrested for domestic abuse/violence. He is in jail as we speak.

He is an extreme example for sure, but an example most folks can relate with.

Crunchy,

You are correct, we do tend to see sin in a different light than God. There is no secret level of sins, and all are equal except one. The issue is Christianity and its inability to die to flesh, and live in Spirit. Our culture has moved into Christianity to such profound degrees that we wash away the conviction of God's word with tollerance, cultural relevance, and Jesus the "profit prophet" rather than the 180 degree turn to newness of life.

[dmw]

Olson,

Bro, you know I agree with you nine times out of ten. But I can't go along with the comment about grace. There's nothing wrong with the grace message per se'; what's wrong is the understanding about what grace is. Grace is something extended to us by Almighty God through the finished work of Christ. Grace has nothing to do with anything we can do for ourselves, or of ourselves. Works should be motivated by our appreciation of God's grace. Grace is not a license to sin or to be slack in our faith, as it is sometimes portrayed.

During the first seven years of the church what was really practiced was a form of Judaic Christianity. Before Paul came onto the scene and revealed the mysteries of the Gospel and the message of grace, much of the requirements of the Law and rituals were kept in tact. Don't take my word for it, just read Acts 11:19. This describes how the Christian faith was taken to the Jews only up until the time Stephen was stoned to death. Stephen's ministry was until about seven years after Pentecost.

Why do I bring this up? Because when we read about the earliest events in the first century church, we'll read things that may not apply to the church under God's plan of grace. It took awhile for the church to get with the new program. We can read in Galations Chapter 2 where Paul got toe-to-toe with Peter and told him to stop his teaching of false doctrine. The early church was still requiring circumcision and baptisms for the remission of sins (not to start another baptism discussion). To support what I've said here, I'd have to post all of Paul's epistles, and Paul does a much better job of explaining God's program of grace than I can.

Your experiences may differ, but people I've commonly met through the years who didn't understand grace were bound by legalism; they were "dipped and done"; or they had become frustrated with the Christian faith as they felt they could never measure-up to God's standards. They were right, of course, except they didn't undertand that none of us measure-up short of God's grace and the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

[OlsonAcoustic]

dmw

I agree 100%, but what you may be misunderstanding is what I mean by grace, grace, grace teachings. From the exploding pulpit of grace, there is seemingly no teaching of responsibility to God's Word. This goes back to the driving purpose of our lives from the moment of grace onward. Jesus himself told us to go and do likewise. We saw his ministry, we understood his purpose, and now, like Paul, we extend that ministry to our own regions, communities and indeed the uttermost parts of the world.

I also understand the other side of the coin as well, legalism. If we even attempt to measure up to God’s original standards, we know that we will fail. This is not a legalistic push here, but rather a deep desire to see people shed the flesh, and actually LIVE in Christ daily, hourly, and so on. I find even in my own life that I tend to project the life according to God’s word, Acts 20:22-24 life, only when it won’t interfere with other things. I see myself using an on/off switch to the life in The Spirit when I feel the need to do so. I hate this about me and hope to see God iron this out.

The issue really is what James clearly explains. Christianity projects more and more every passing year a culturally relevant stance, a higher level of tolerance to things absolutely unacceptable before, and a general “I’m saved, but otherwise, I’m just like you…” stance. This projects nothing of value to the lost, and the salt looses its saltiness, the well produces fresh and salt water, the toung gives blessings and cursings. Thats my issue. I attempted to speculate on what causes this transition in Christianity and I may very well have failed, but the problem started somewhere.