Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1919-10-17


sweeten things, so knowing these uses
Of salt we understand in the first place
that disciples of Christ are to be the
worlds preservative.
Only today a man said to me: eff it
were not for you Christians 1 do not
know what would become of the
world; it would soon be an unlivable
place." This man was only expressing
in another way what Christ says his
disciples are to the earth If there are
any people on earth who keep it from
moral decay it is the Christians. They
are the salt of the earth.
Remove them from the earth and it
would not be long before the corrupt
ing influences that are in society would
overcome the world. No man VINO
loves decency and morality would
| choose to live in a community where
there are no Christians, no churches,
| no Bibles. Even real estate is worth
more in a Christian community than
in pagan one Life there is more
sacred, homes more secure, peace more
! certain. Civilization today owes all
| that is good and true in it to Chris
tianity, and wherever Christians have
not failed to perform their functions
as the preservative force of society,
there society is at its best morally.
But it is not for the Christian to
congratulate himself that he is the
moral preservative of society, but to
examine himself and see whether or
not he is fulfilling this function. If he
is not helping to keep the world from
moral decay then he is falling short of
his high privilege, as a disciple OF
Christ, to be the salt of the earth. Like
good for nothing but to be thrown
away and trodden under foot of men
he too is useless.
In the second place, we understand
from the uses of salt that the disciples
of Christ are to sweeten and purify so
ciety.
1t is one thing to preserve societ,
from decay; it is quite another thint
to purify and sweeten it. Christians
are to do both. The very fact tha
they live in a community should pre-
serve it from moral corruption. Thei
very presence is a preservative force
if they have not lost their moral infiu
ence. Men will not pull off in com
munity of Christians the ungodly an
unholy things they will do in anothe
community. Salty Christians alway
exercise upon evil a retarding infiu
ence. One strong, stalwart Christia
character has been known to save
community from moral corruption.
But the function of disciples as sal
does not end here. They are to be a
active, purifying and sweetening fore
in society. This is what Christ mean
when he says to his disciples: ~
are the salt of the earth" By thes
words he calls upon them to sweete
and cleanse society.
am aware that there are those VIII
believe that Christians ought to hav
nothing to do with organized societ,
They base this largely upon the teacl
ing that a Christians citizenship is
heaven. 1t is true that the Christia
has heavenly citizenship, but it
dlSU lIuG t11dL lit LIDS du 0dTt4Iy Cll
zenship. Paul. who has more to sa
: than anyone else of heavenly citizel
ship, claimed also to be Roman cit
zen, and appealed TO. his Roman cit
zenship for protection. At anothe
time, referring to Tarsus, he said h
was a citizen of no mean city. Pal
! recognized what some Christians ia
!, to recognize, namely, that the Chri
tian has dual citizenship and, as "
should expect, he was in this in ha
mony with the teaching of our Lor
who said: Render unto Caesar tt
: things that are Caesars and unto &c
: the things that are Gods" Failure |
recognize this fact of the Christian
; dual citizenship leads some Christian
. who see the truth of their heavenl
citizenship, but do not see the truth
: their earthly citizenship, to come sho
of their discipleship here on cart
= Christ plainly states that disciples al
: 'the salt of the EARTH" not the salt
: heaven. Here then on earth and n,
in heaven is the function of discipl,
:, as salt to be exercised.