Be the Preserver

The church: preserver or contaminator?  A tough question, but it must be answered.

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John 6:57 – As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.

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From the onset today, let us establish some very clear boundaries.  First, you and I are NOT the Bread of Life; that is Jesus, the Wordmade flesh.  You and I ARE the salt of the earth.  Bread is for nourishment; salt is for preservation and seasoning.  Jesus, the Word made flesh. is our salvation; we, the body, preserve it.  Jesus, the Word made flesh is our healing and health; we, the body, preserve it.  Jesus, the Word made flesh, is our provision; we, the body, preserve it.  I believe you see the pattern.  As to the seasoning element, your testimony from your mouth will impact the flavor of the Bread of Life, Milk of the Word, and Meat of the Word, that flows from your life’s experience as it aligns with God’s Word.

Now remember the Old Testament Law regarding meats, clean and unclean.  Meats that were clean came from animals that chewed the cud and had a cloven hoof.  That represents to us today the vessels through which the Word of God is given to us.  And we, the salt of the earth, are the preserving element.  We must learn to keep the message pure.  While one’s personal experience is generally considered valuable to the individual, we must NEVER allow experience to overrule the Word of God.  If one’s experi-ence is contrary to the Word of God, one’s experience becomes invalid.  When we allow our experience to overrule God’s Word, we, as salt, lose our savor.  Beware!  There is an end to that.  Think on that and be wise in the words you speak, teach, preach, and testify.

Now to the meat.  To receive the Word and then live a life not representative OF the Word is to lose one’s savor.  That is a dangerous place for any believer to be found.  As salt, your work is to preserve the integrity of God’s Word, thus making it safe and profitable for those who hear you (the consumer).  Oh that polluted messages could be pulled from the shelves of Gospel ministry as contaminated products can be pulled from the shelves of an American business, thus keeping the public safe.  The charge to you and me, as the salt of the earth, is to preserve.  If we’re not preserving, we should not be allowed to serve contaminated product to those who hear us.  How about you?  Is your message pure, accurate, and unpolluted?  Examine it to be sure, and by so doing, judge yourself, thus preserving yourself from judgment.  When you properly preserve the message you bring, you also bring preservation to help those to whom you speak.  When you don’t preserve the message, you fail to preserve the hearer.  Serve well; be a preserver in the kingdom of God. 

Manna for Today – John 6:22-59; Matthew 5:13

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