Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Luke 14:34-35

When someone has experienced the grace of God in their lives and considers following more closely as a disciple of Jesus Christ, the cost of that discipleship should be counted before the walk begins and throughout the effort. But when a child of God looks at the possible difficulties and trials, he should consider that there is a much greater danger to him than what the world or Satan might throw at him.

Man exists to glorify God. Through the new birth God’s children are given the desire and the ability to fulfill this design. When a life is lived according to this design, it has meaning because it is living in truth. A life lived any other way has little to no meaning and is filled with disappointment.

This is the greatest danger to the disciple.

Salt is designed to have an effect where it is used. If it loses its power then it is useless. 

The child of God is designed to fight against the evil of this world and sin’s influence in his life and those around him. In this, he acts like salt that is placed on the ground of defeated enemy so that the enemy cannot grow crops and become powerful again. That is the job of the disciple in this world. It is his job to not let the enemy get a foothold again and get stronger.

Salt is also designed to be combined with animal dung to make fertilizer. The spiritual application of this is that the child of God should be sewing good seed and preparing good fields for righteousness. If he doesn’t do this, who will?

To be cast out does not mean that eternal salvation is lost, but it does mean that the assurance of that salvation and the hope that comes along with it can be forgotten. We are saved in this life by hope (Romans 8:24). We need hope to be able to carry on. 

As an end note, Jesus says, “He that hath ears…” This means that only those who have been given spiritual ears are able to answer the call to discipleship. Does this fit you?

Then, carry on! Be the salt you were designed to be.