INSALTED – Christianity inside out
INsalted
(Not to be confused with insulted or insulting – to speak to or treat with disrespect or scornful abuse.)
Matthew 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth.
- INSALTED: the blessing of having your inner self[1] filled[2] to the brim[3], and seasoned with virtues that reflect the beauty, the consciousness, and the character of Christ[4] – overflowing, abundantly, and life-giving[5].
- INSALTING: the action of selflessly overflowing[6] and being scattered[7] like salt[8] – making every effort to add[9] virtue to faith, seasoning our communities with hope[10], and reflecting the beauty of a God who redeems.
Being INSALTED is the Holy Spirit making us look good before God. Being INSALTING is us making God look good before man.
COVID-19
Let’s be honest, if COVID-19 was a meal, the Church – with some glorious exceptions – failed spectacularly in providing flavour. Some believers were more obsessed with going back to their churches (salt containers) than being scattered and providing flavour. Others were more concerned about conspiring than inspiring, adding hopelessness to a galaxy of uncertainty more than providing a glimmer of hope to a frail and fearful society. A largely flavourless religion was exposed to the core and many found the Church to be insulting rather than insalting.
SALT
Salt was never meant to be in containers. It is meant to be scattered. Salt is a useless commodity if it remains in a container. It still contains flavour, but it does not produce any flavour. Salt is only of value if it is scattered, absorbed, and dissolved. And it does so selflessly. The irony is that people don’t enjoy salt. They enjoy what is salted. We are the salt of the earth.
Religion in itself cannot provide flavour. Nor can theology. Not even truth can provide flavour unless it is seasoned with salt. In a sense, theology is the recipe, truth the ingredients and virtues the seasoning of our Christian faith.
INSALTED VIRTUES
So, how do we pursue an insalted life, leaving a beautiful flavour behind wherever we move? How do we continue to reflect and display the magnificence and beauty of Christ with a pure expression and in the truest form? Quite simple: We add virtues to our life – intentionally, purposefully and visibly.
This book explores salt as the flavour-giving source to 78 virtues that embody the Christianity that Christ proclaimed and leads us to an insalted life
TO ORDER THE BOOK
- Send an email to Mike at: thirdwayinfo@gmail.com with your name, address and telephone number. Bank details will then be provided
- Cost of book is R150.00 + postage. (Within South Africa we can make use of PAXI – PEP Store to PEP Store – at R60.00 for a 7-9 day delivery. Other options are also available – Counter to Counter at Postnet for overnight delivery at R100.00)
- If you order more than 5 books – R120.00 per book
- [1] 1 Peter 3:3-4 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment … Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.
- [2] Acts 4:31 After they prayed … they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
- [3] Luke 1:41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
- [4] Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus
- [5] Psalm 23:5 … You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
- [6] Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. and 1 Thessalonians 3:12 May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.
- [7] Acts_8:1 And Saul approved of their killing him. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered.
- [8] Matthew 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth.
- [9] 2 Peter 1:5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge
- [10] Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.