Greetings in Jesus’ wonderful name!

Denise and I just returned from a fabulous trip to the United States where we ministered in many states and multiple churches, and we are so thrilled that we were able to see so many of our friends and partners in those meetings! When we see you, it just elates us, because our friends and partners are so important to us!

In my letter today, I am going to talk to you about why Jesus said we are to be the salt of the earth. I believe this letter will encourage you — but first, I want to say THANK YOU for all you have done, are doing, and will do, as we all march forward by faith to reach the world with the trusted teaching of the Word of God. Denise and I, our sons, our family, and our team are on the frontlines to do the work, but you are working alongside us to enable us with your gifts and prayers on our behalf. We are so thankful for you, and we genuinely value your much-needed partnership so we can keep doing what Jesus has commissioned us to do.

*[If you started reading this from your email, begin reading here.]

If there is any special way we can be praying for you, please reach out to us by calling 1-800-742-5593, or send us an email at prayer@renner.org. As soon as we hear from you, I promise that we will call out to God in faith, according to Jeremiah 33:3, which says, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee….” And we know that God will respond and do precisely what needs to be done! So please — let us know how we can pray for you!

But today, I want to speak to you from Matthew 5:13, where Jesus said, “Ye are the salt of the earth….” This is a very powerful statement, and today I want to explore it with you!

Considering the various uses of salt in the ancient world and how important salt was at that time, this statement carried great weight. When Jesus likened His followers to salt, all kinds of images flashed through their minds, and they understood the many connotations that salt carried with it.

By using this illustration of salt, Jesus was teaching about the influence that we are supposed to have upon the world in which we live. The word “salt” in Greek is the word halas, and it describes the same type of salt we use in our homes and kitchens today. In our current day, salt is so common that it can easily be purchased in any grocery store.

However, in early New Testament times, salt was an expensive and treasured commodity that was crucial and necessary in many spheres of life, but high-quality salt could only be found in a few places in Israel. One location was known at the time as the Hill of Salt, a several-mile stretch located on the southwest coast of the Dead Sea. Salt could also be collected from the marshes situated along the embankment there, or it could be gathered from salt pits nearby.

In each of these locations, the gathering of salt was an expensive process, which made salt a very costly commodity — so rare that it was seldom wasted, sparingly used, and highly valued.

Let’s explore the various ways salt was used in the ancient world.

#1: Salt was used as a preservative.

In biblical times, meat would quickly rot, spoil, and decay, especially in the warm temperatures of Israel. But when salt was added, it acted as a preservative. Because of this, salt was very important in the preservation of meats and other kinds of perishable foods.

Those who heard Jesus’ teaching that we are to be “the salt of the earth” therefore understood what He meant — that through our influence, we should be a preserving force in a world that is filled with rot, spoil, and decay.

When God’s Word is working in our lives, it causes us to be like salt, in that our very presence helps preserve the truth and abate the corruption that is eating away at the world.

#2: Salt was used as a flavor enhancer.

Salt is one of the most profound flavor enhancers that exist in the culinary world. A person quickly becomes aware of how powerful this additive is when he eats food that contains no salt. Unsalted food is often monotonous, bland, and uninteresting, but when salt is added, the flavor is ignited.

Just like today, salt was used in the ancient world to give food a stronger and richer flavor. It was considered essential for the long-term preservation of food and for the enhancement of taste. Therefore, it was vital in every kitchen.

This tells us that not only should our presence decrease the evil in the world, but our presence should also change the flavor of society as we bring the savor of Christ to our surroundings wherever we go (see 2 Corinthians 2:14).

In light of this, let me ask you: In what ways does your personal presence make a difference in your world? Are you doing your job as “the salt of the earth?”

#3: Salt was used as an antiseptic.

In the ancient world where dirt and disease were common enemies to health, salt was used as an antiseptic. It was believed that salt would work like a disinfectant — especially in areas considered unclean, tainted, or contaminated — areas so filthy that it could potentially become hazardous to one’s health. The effects of properly applied salt in heavy doses to those areas would make a location sanitized, hygienic, and relatively germ-free.

The application of salt in such circumstances was considered to be enormously advantageous because people believed such an application of salt sterilized non-sterile environments. If a rapidly spreading disease was known to exist in a village, the sick people were removed and relocated, and salt was immediately spread to disinfect the contaminated area and prevent further spread of the disease.

Salt was such a powerful cleansing force that the ancient world believed it would assist in freeing an environment of infection. As an antiseptic, salt was used in the fodder, or animal feed, of barns and barnyards — places where sickness and disease could swiftly spread among animals. A small dose of salt scattered on the fodder in a barn or barnyard served as a deterrent to the proliferation of sickness and disease among animals.

Thus, when Jesus said we are to be “the salt of the earth,” those who heard Him understood that through our influence, we are called to be a kind of spiritual antiseptic to a world that is diseased with sin. Even a small dose of the spiritual salt we carry within ourselves is such a powerful disinfecting agent that if scattered in society, it will help deter the spread of sin and moral decay.

You see friend, if you are doing your job as “the salt of the earth,” your very presence can hinder the proliferation of sin and its effects. When you look at your life and the things that surround you, do you see any evidence that your personal presence is making a difference and that you are helping to promote a more spiritually sanitized environment? Are you doing your job as the salt of the earth?

#4: Salt was used as a medicinal and healing agent.

Salt was also a very important ingredient as a healing agent, used by physicians and those employed in the field of medicine. For instance, if a person was severely wounded, salt was poured into their wound to sanitize it from germs, to stop the bleeding and the spread of infection, and to speed up the healing process.

It is a fact that salt has healing properties that cause wounds to heal more readily. That is why in the ancient world where medications were rare, salt was an indispensable product in every doctor’s medical bag, and it was especially valuable in incidents where there was an open wound. In every home, business, and public place, salt was kept close at hand in case it was needed for the treatment of a laceration and was always kept nearby for emergency situations.

When Jesus said that His people were to be “the salt of the earth,” those who heard Him understood that through our influence, we should be carriers of physical healing to a world that is suffering with all manner of sickness and ailments.

Through the preaching of God’s Word and personal ministry to those who are ill, we are supposed to be “the salt of the earth” that brings healing to those who are physically suffering. The fact is, the power of the Holy Spirit that we carry within ourselves is fully sufficient to administer healing to those afflicted with sickness and disease — always, of course, in the authority given to us in the name of Jesus!

As “the salt of the earth,” you are a vehicle God has chosen to carry healing power to those who are struggling. When you look around you, is there evidence to show that you are carrying this power to those who are ailing or physically challenged in some way, just as Jesus has asked you to do? Are you doing your job as the salt of the earth?

#5: Salt was used to give protection from and to drive away evil spirits.

In the ancient world, salt was also a very important ingredient used in pagan religious rituals to give protection from and to drive away evil spirits. At the time Jesus said we are to be “the salt of the earth,” Israel was under Roman rule, and because of this, they regularly witnessed the pagan practices of Roman religions.

One practice of those pagan religions of the time was rubbing salt all over a newborn baby to protect that child from evil spirits or to drive evil spirits away from that child. It was commonly believed in many pagan nations that salt contained magical powers for this to be accomplished.

The pagans believed so wholeheartedly in the magical, protective powers of salt that they regularly administered heavy quantities of it to the doorway of their homes and businesses, believing it would create a strong barrier that evil spirits could not cross. They also spread salt on their windowsills, believing that salt could keep evil spirits from entering their homes or places of business through the windows.

So those who heard Jesus say that Christians were to be “the salt of the earth” understood that through our influence, we are to be a source of spiritual protection, deliverance, safety, and freedom to people who have been assaulted by demonic powers. By spreading God’s Word and using the name of Jesus, we can create spiritual barriers so strong that Satan is unable to successfully attack those standing on God’s promises. We are to be carriers of protection, safety, and deliverance!

When you look at the people who are closely connected to you, do you see that they are spiritually protected — experiencing deliverance, safety, and freedom from the attacks of the enemy? Are their lives different, safer, and better because of your influence?

#6: Salt was used as a fertilizer.

Salt was also a very important ingredient used by farmers to enrich and fertilize their soil to produce larger crops of a higher quality. Even a small amount of salt scattered sparingly on the ground could improve the quality of the soil and result in bigger harvests and healthier crops. Therefore, it was viewed as an essential ingredient in the farming industry. The best salt nourished and stimulated the earth to produce better crops.

When Jesus said we were to be “the salt of the earth,” it could actually be translated “the salt of the soil.” The implication is that through our influence, we should affect the world in which we live. In other words, our very presence should enhance life and make this world a better place to live. The world we touch should become productive and the presence of God in our lives should positively impact the quality of life for those around us. That is how much power we have as believers!

As the salt of the earth, each of us are to enrich the atmosphere through our influence wherever we go, simply because we carry the life of God within us. As carriers of His presence, we have the ability to make life better for those around us. When we walk into a situation, the environment surrounding us should be filled with more peace, joy, and hope than it was before we arrived! As the salt of the earth, we have the power to make a difference everywhere we are scattered.

In Colossians 4:6, the apostle Paul also used the word “salt” to tell us that our conversation should be “seasoned with salt.” In light of what you have read today, this means that instead of speaking complaining, critical, negative words along with the rest of the world, you can exert a spiritually positive influence on your environment.

When you’re seasoned with salt, you will speak:

• Words that bring preservation.
• Words that flavor life and make it “taste” better.
• Words that “disinfect” and free those who once were contaminated.
• Words that bring healing to the sick.
• Words that are filled with protection, safety, and deliverance.
• Words that are so faith-filled, they create a blessed environment around us.

Jesus plainly taught that we are meant to be the salt of the earth! If you are doing your job as “the salt of the earth,” there should be fruit all around you to show that God’s “salt” in you is working in your surroundings. As you examine your life, can you see visible proof of your “salty” influence?

I am teaching on this subject in my TV program this month, so I wanted to share it with you. Why not take a few minutes to reflect on your life to see if you are having the kind of influence in your world that Jesus wants you to have? The Holy Spirit will help you honestly assess your fruit so you can see if you are doing your job as “the salt of the earth” the way God has called and equipped you to!

I realize this was a little longer than my usual letter, but I wanted to share all of it with you today. Thanks for taking time to read along with me — I pray that it has been a blessing to you.

Again, if there is any special way we can be praying for you, please let us know. Just call us at 1-800-742-5593 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CT every weekday or send us an email at prayer@renner.org. God will move mightily in response to faith-filled prayer, so please never hesitate to let us know how to pray with you. And please keep praying for us as well. We are so thankful for your faithful partnership. Together, we are impacting a lot of lives around the world!

We love you and thank God for you!

We are your brother and sister, friends, and partners in Jesus,

Rick and Denise Renner
along with Paul, Philip, and Joel Renner and our entire ministry team