The Saltless Christian — E.A. Johnston

George Whitefield's Open-Air Preaching

There is a street corner in the town of Newburyport, Massachusetts. That is significant. It's significant lies in the fact that George Whitfield often stood at that intersection to preach in the open air before the white church, which now stands there was built for him in 1765.

That spot also is noteworthy because Whitfield's remains lie buried beneath the pulpit of that church there in the Old South First Presbyterian Church. One day before the church was built Whitfield was addressing his usual crowd on that street corner in 1740 and the following story captures the essence of his sermon that day.

An immense crowd is hurrying at five or six o 'clock in the morning to the corner of High End Federal Street and some of them men and women too young and old have come riding or afoot even from Raleigh.

For what strange thing of all other strange things to hear a sermon? But the preacher is George Whitfield. He gives out his text. Ye are the salt of the earth. Then his voice rolls over the assembly as he begins.

Jesus' Teaching on Salt in Luke 14

And whom? Does the Apostle mean when he says ye are? Why you ye saints of Newbury, but I much fear ye have lost your savor. I love that story friends about George Whitfield and we have an illustration here of the salt as spoken by our Lord Jesus and Luke's gospel in in chapter 14.

You can turn in your Bibles there now friends. We'll be in verses 34 and 35 in verse 34 we read. Salt is good. But if the salt hath lost its savor. Wherewith shall it be seasoned? Let me pause here friends to say.

Spiritual Vitality and the Danger of Backsliding

This is what Whitfield was referring to. Salt without savor represents the Christian without spiritual vitality and this deterioration in the spiritual life can lead to a dead formalism like that of the Deeply religious Pharisees and it can lead To a backslidden condition away from the heart of God.

I say away from the heart of God because if you are a backslider. Then you are full of yourself and do not know what is on God's heart because you have lost touch with him. In Proverbs it reads the backslider is filled with his own ways.

Making Others Thirsty for Christ

And so it is friends with the believer who has lost his savor, let me put it this way. Have you ever known someone who made you more thirsty for Christ and the things of eternal worth? Every time I was around Adrian Rogers.

He made me more thirsty for Jesus. That was because Jesus was prominent in Adrian Rogers. When you make Christ preeminent in your daily living friend, then Christ will be prominent in your life you will make Others thirsty for Christ because you are like salt that has not lost its saltiness.

The Ineffectiveness of Saltless Christians

Unfortunately, we have in our churches today some saltless Christians and that's the title of my message today friends the saltless Christian a Saltless Christian will take up space but be good for nothing nothing of any eternal worth.

And if a saltless Christian continues in a spiritual state of further Deterioration then he risks what we read in verse 35 of our chapter here dealing with salt. Listen to what Jesus says about the saltless Christian.

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 what Jesus is saying here is a warning to backsliders who remain in their condition of spiritual declension.

Churches on the Verge of Apostasy

Because there comes the danger of falling into apostasy. I reckon it is here where a good number of our churches rest right on the verge of apostasy. They have for years slowly deteriorated bit by bit.

By this compromise with the world and by that conformity to sin and slowly but surely They gradually lost their savor. The lost were no longer being impacted for eternity in their midst and the young people of the church.

Couldn't wait to get old enough to move away from those saltless Christians. I've known people in the church who will stop you in the hallway. And talk you ear off with the most unimportant nonsense because they have lost their savor.

Years ago and now they're just boars. Haven't helped the ones who end up in a Sunday school class under such a saltless Christian. Sitting in there is like eating cardboard. No flavor and no nourishment.

I'm afraid to say. There are some pastors like that as well who have lost their savor years ago and folks attend on Sunday out of duty and habit more than interest and spiritual nourishment. Along for the day friends where God and his mercy will send us a powerful Revival that makes us all salty again and we'd be so full of savor that we will have an effect on folks by Just spending time with them that they will leave our presence more thirsty for Jesus.

A Revival That Renews Spiritual Hunger

Just like the psalmist declared as the heart Paneth after the water brooks so paneth my soul after thee. Oh God. Oh great God come visit your vine by your presence and touch us Oh Lord with some of your power By your spirit and make us salty Christians who make this world thirsty for thee.

Amen.