In this short verse we have two distinct classes of people and two solemn facts brought out. In the first place, we are told that “every one shall be salted with fire.” And, second, we are told that “every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.” It might seem like a rather difficult verse to understand, but it is simple when we see the context in which our Lord Jesus speaks these words.
First of all, we are told that “every one shall be salted with fire.” This means everyone, for it includes even our blessed Lord Jesus when He was in this world as a Man. Here salt is that which tests everything according to God’s holy standard and judges everything in that light. It brings the holy claims of God before us and reminds us that “every one of us shall give account of himself to God” (Rom. 14:1212So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. (Romans 14:12)). In that sense, our Lord Jesus went through testing in the wilderness, when He was tempted by the devil before He went out on His earthly ministry. Satan did everything possible to cause the Lord Jesus to sin, even to the point of quoting Scripture to Him. However, our Lord simply answered him with Scripture, and Satan was obliged to depart from Him for the moment, for he could not draw Him into sin.
Every Sacrifice Salted
It is for this reason that we read in Leviticus 2:1313And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt. (Leviticus 2:13) that “every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt.” Our blessed Lord must be proven to be perfectly spotless and sinless in His life down here before He could go to Calvary’s cross and suffer the penalty of sin. During His earthly ministry He could confidently say to the Jewish leaders and the people around Him, “Which of you convinceth Me of sin?” (John 8:4646Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? (John 8:46)). No one took up the challenge, for “in Him is no sin” (1 John 3:55And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. (1 John 3:5)).
For mankind, all must also be salted with fire. For those who reject Christ as Savior, that fire will abide for all eternity — God’s awful judgment for sin. The Lord Jesus could solemnly warn those who heard Him that in hell “the fire is not quenched.” This is repeated three times in this chapter (Mark 9). The judgment for sin will be eternal, and those who go on without Christ will indeed be “salted with fire” forever.
However, what about all this for you and me who are believers? Are not we salted with fire? Yes we are, and perhaps we could say that this happens in two ways. First of all, we can all be thankful that we have been salted with fire at the cross, although not in ourselves; it was all done for us in the Person of Christ. Since every true believer is now “in Christ,” we stand where the fire has already burned. There is nothing left for God’s fire to burn, for Christ has borne all the judgment for us. How precious it is to know that judgment is behind us and not ahead of us! God’s holy nature has been completely satisfied, and “there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:11There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Romans 8:1)).
The Proof of Reality
But then that same salt with fire does have an effect on you and me, for the Lord does test us from time to time, in order to prove the reality of our salvation. In no way does this mean that we can lose our salvation; rather, the Lord “salts us with fire” to prove that we are indeed truly saved. In 1 Peter 1:77That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: (1 Peter 1:7) we read that “the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” Later, in 1 Peter 4:1212Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: (1 Peter 4:12), Peter refers to the “fiery trial which is to try you.” These trials are circumstances through which the Lord passes us, in order to prove, on the one hand, the reality of our faith and, on the other hand, to purge out that which is not of Himself. In those who are real, the fire only burns up that which is not of God, while that which is of Himself remains. The Lord wants us to be holy, for He says, “I am holy,” and He often uses “salting with fire” to accomplish this in us. We can be thankful for this purging that the Lord does in us, although sometimes it is not pleasant at the time. We all know how salt can sometimes sting and irritate, yet it may be necessary.
Salted With Salt
But now we come to the second part of the verse: “Every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.” We have already pointed out how that the meat (meal) offering was always to be salted and how that the Lord Jesus, as the true meat offering, must be salted with fire. But here, in this second clause of our verse, the meaning is a little different. The Lord Jesus was indeed “salted with fire” before He began His earthly ministry, and this was necessary to prove who He was. But then, as He went out among men, we see His life as the perfect sacrifice in submission and service. For this reason, we notice that the phrase says, “Salted with salt,” not “salted with fire.” Every step of His pathway was a display of God in grace, but it was also “seasoned with salt” (Col. 4:66Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. (Colossians 4:6)). His words and His works all displayed God in grace, but God’s holiness was brought in too. This is why He was rejected, not for His grace, but rather because He could say, “I testify of it [the world], that the works thereof are evil” (John 7:77The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. (John 7:7)). The salt was never lacking in the daily sacrifice of the Lord Jesus, whether He was in the temple, with a crowd in the street, alone with an individual, with His disciples, or in a home. Wherever He was, that holy grace was there, and the proper mixture of grace seasoned with salt was brought out. How our hearts look on with wonder and praise as we see all this displayed in our blessed Master!
A Living Sacrifice
It should be the same for us. We too are to “present [our] bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God” (Rom. 12:11I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (Romans 12:1)), and in that sense, we too need to have every sacrifice salted with salt. It is easy not to take the trouble to do this, but rather simply to display grace and love to this world. The world will like this, for it appreciates those who are honest, upright, helpful, gracious and generous. The world likes those who seem to want to “make this world a better place” and, as the saying goes, who want to “make a difference.” Yes, we should wish to “make a difference,” but that difference, if it is to be according to God’s mind, must bring in salt — the energy of holiness along with God’s grace. The kind of difference God looks for is saving people out of this world, not improving that which is under judgment.
As we have seen, salt may tend sometimes to irritate and sting, and we will find that the world in general will not care for it. However, if Christ is before us and God’s claims have a grip on our souls, then we will want to honor Him before men, as well as warning them of coming judgment. If we neglect this, we are like salt that has “lost his saltness” (Mark 9:5050Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another. (Mark 9:50)), and then nothing can season it. We are really no use in this world if we neglect the salt in our sacrifice for the Lord. It is more and more important, as the world grows darker and our Lord’s coming draws nearer.
W. J. Prost