Why You Salty, Bro?

Review:

¹⁶For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ¹⁷For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John‬ ‭3:16-17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
- If God loves the world and sent His son to save it, then what is worldliness and why are we warned about it?
¹⁵Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. ¹⁷And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. ‭‭I John‬ ‭2:15-17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
- LAW OF NONCONTRADICTION: two contradictory statements cannot both be true at the same time, in the same sense.
In John 3:16 the people are in view–Jesus died for people. God loves people who are born into a fallen world. Sin is bondage.
- The World: (Greek) “kosmos;” the present condition of human affairs, in alienation from and opposition to God.
Worldliness is a love of this fallen world’s system, which is under the control of Satan, the “god of the fallen world.”
Sinning people aren’t the enemy. They’re in bondage.
- You can’t save people from quicksand by jumping into it with them–but you also can’t be salt and be separate.
¹⁴Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? ¹⁵And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? ¹⁶And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.” ¹⁷Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” ¹⁸“I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 NKJV‬‬
- Don’t join them in worshipping things other than God.
- It means to be different, not separate.

³³Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.” ³⁴Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame. ‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭15:33-34‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
- Shame = entropy
  - The root idea is that your respect for yourself has allowed a lower quality of God’s design.
  - entropy: [ˈentrəpē] NOUN
    - (In physics  ) a thermodynamic quantity representing the unavailability of a system’s thermal energy for conversion into mechanical work, often interpreted as the degree of disorder or randomness in the system. ”the second law of thermodynamics says that entropy always increases with time”
    - Lack of order or predictability; gradual decline into disorder.  “a marketplace where entropy reigns supreme”
    - synonyms:  disorder, disarray
    - (In information theory) a logarithmic measure of the rate of transfer of information in a particular message or language
All that is in the World:

- Lust: a fondness for or indulgence in sensual pleasures outside of God’s ordained fulfillment of those desires
  - God’s way of the best way.
  - God gave us desires and healthy ways to fulfill them. Satan perverts the desire.
- At any given time the enemy is lying to you about your identity, God’s intentions for you, and the consequences of sin.
  - - Sin is fun for a season. But it costs you in the end.
    - Poison water will quench your thirst.

¹²But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast. ¹³For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. ¹⁴And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. ¹⁵Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. ‭‭II Corinthians‬ ‭11:12-15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
- Satan wanted something from them.
- God doesn’t want anything from you, He wants something for you.
  - He loves you for your sake–not for His sake.
In the Garden:
- Eve was tempted when she saw that the tree was good for food. God had given her all the other trees in the garden for her food. She did not need the forbidden one. Everything God had created was GOOD.
- Satan deceived her into believing that God was withholding something from her, that since it was a good tree it would do her no harm if she ate it.
The temptation of Jesus:
- We see it again: “if you are the son of God.”
  - Satan questions His identity and then tempts Him to step outside God’s intended purpose for His life.
- Jesus used the Word to overcome. He trusted His father and angels were sent to minister to him. God was faithful.
God’s ways are always superior.
¹³“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. ¹⁴“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. ¹⁶Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew‬ ‭5:13-16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
- - You are…the salt of the earth.
  - You are…the light of the world.
  - You are…a city set on a hill.
  - You are…to shine!
  - You are…to glorify God by good works.
- SALT = Sodium + Chloride (NaCl)
  - By nature, salt does three things:
    - 1. Adds flavor (food)
    - 2. Preserves (meat)
    - 3. Destroys (bacteria)
  - If any man (sodium) be in Christ (chloride) he is a new creation (salt)]
  - We by nature do three things:
    - 1. Add flavor to our otherwise meaningless life
      - ⁵Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. ⁶Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. ‭‭Colossians‬ ‭4:5-6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
    - 2. Preserve each other
      - ¹⁴For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. I Corinthians‬ ‭7:14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
    - 3. Destroy the works of Satan
      - ⁴⁵So Abimelech fought against the city all that day; he took the city and killed the people who were in it; and he demolished the city and sowed it with salt. Judges 9:45 NKJV
How to stay salty:
- ¹I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. ²And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans‬ ‭12:1-2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
  - Conformed: to conform one’s self (i.e. one’s mind and character) to another’s pattern, (fashion one’s self according to another)
  - Transformed: μεταμορφόω metamorphóō, met-am-or-fo’-o; from G3326 and G3445; to transform (literally or figuratively, “metamorphose”):—change, transfigure, transform
  - Renewing: ἀνακαίνωσις anakaínōsis, an-ak-ah’-ee-no-sis; from G341; renovation:—renewing
¹³No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV