Kingdom Influence Part 16

At Keys Vineyard Church, we are presenting a series called ‘Kingdom Influence,’ which we post here on Online Bible Institute.

Last week in our ‘Kingdom Influence’ series, Jesus spoke a deep truth over our lives: “You are the salt of the earth.” Not “try to be,” not “one day you will be,” but “you are.” It is a statement of identity. As His followers, we already carry influence in the world around us. Not because we are impressive, but because His life is at work within us. Wherever we go, His presence in us has the power to preserve, to bring flavor, to make a difference.

Matthew 5:13b (NIV)
13 …“But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.”

But then Jesus gently adds a warning. It is not harsh or condemning. It is loving and honest. “But if the salt loses its saltiness…” In other words, it is possible for something that is meant to carry influence to lose its effectiveness. That would have made immediate sense to His listeners. In the ancient world, salt was rarely pure. It was often mixed with other minerals, and over time, exposure could cause it to become diluted or contaminated. It might still look like salt, but it no longer functioned like salt. It had the appearance without the substance.

Jesus is saying that something similar can happen in us. It is possible to look like a follower of Jesus. To speak the language. To be present in the right places. And yet, over time, to slowly lose the distinctiveness of a life that is actually being shaped by Him. This is important. Jesus is not talking about losing salvation. He is talking about losing effectiveness. Losing influence. Becoming indistinguishable from the world around us. And the way this happens is not usually dramatic. It is subtle. Quiet. Gradual.

Hebrews 2:1 (NIV)
1 We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.

Drift is the key word. No one wakes up one day and decides to walk away from the shaping presence of Jesus. Instead, it happens slowly. We stop paying attention. We stop noticing what is forming us. And without realizing it, other voices begin to take His place. We begin to think like the world. We react like the world. We start to value what the world values. And little by little, the distinctiveness of Jesus in us becomes harder to see. That is why Paul writes in Romans:

Romans 12:2 (NIV)
2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Transformation does not happen accidentally. It requires attention. It requires intentionality. It requires a willingness to let Jesus shape how we think, how we respond, and how we live. So here is the invitation: Pay attention to what is shaping you. Notice the drift before it carries you too far. Return again to the simple rhythms of abiding with Him. Because when we remain close to Jesus, the salt does not lose its saltiness. And our lives continue to carry His influence into the world around us.

This weekend at Keys Vineyard Church, we will discuss all this and more, so be sure to join us in person or online.

Steve Lawes is a pastor at Keys Vineyard Church and also the founder of the Online Bible Institute Network.