151 - Use a new bottle to hold salt, change the essence of life

151 - Putting New Wine in New Bottles, Changing the Essence of Life#

151 - Putting New Wine in New Bottles, Changing the Essence of Life

(JP Text Group - Guoguo Compilation)

160403 Putting New Wine in New Bottles, Changing the Essence of Life.mp3

2 Kings 2:19-22 from the Old Testament

Today we share a topic: Putting New Wine in New Bottles, Changing the Essence of Life.

19 The people of Jericho said to Elisha, "The city is good, as you can see, but the water is bad, and the land is unproductive." 20 Elisha said, "Bring me a new bowl and put salt in it." So they brought it to him. 21 Then he went out to the spring and threw the salt into it, saying, "This is what the Lord says: I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive." 22 And the water has remained pure to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken.

Let us pray together:

Heavenly Father, we thank and praise you for your grace! It is your love that draws us to your presence. We come before you once again to receive your provision and your abundant grace, for we know you are the source of all our blessings. Today, we lay down all our worries and burdens here, believing that you have provision for us in Jesus, that you have answers for us, and that through your word we will be renewed.

I desire to enjoy your provision and your abundance in your word. May the Holy Spirit personally guide each of our hearts among us, helping us to obey the guidance of the Spirit, renewing me through your word. Thank you and praise you, in the name of our Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen! Hallelujah!

Let’s look at our topic today, putting new wine in new bottles, changing the essence of life.

Today we talk about a very great Old Testament prophet named Elisha. Do you know Elijah? Elijah performed many miracles in the Old Testament and is considered one of the greatest prophets of Israel. But he had a disciple named Elisha, who studied under Elijah during that time when Elijah had already established a school of prophets, similar to today’s seminary.

When Elijah was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elisha asked Elijah for one thing, "Let your spirit come upon me in double portion." You know that later, the miracles Elisha performed were twice as many as those of Elijah. After Elisha received the power of the Holy Spirit, he began to heal the land.

At that time, someone told him that the land of Jericho was very beautiful, but the water quality was poor. Brothers and sisters, if a piece of land is very beautiful but the water is undrinkable, isn’t it a tough situation for the people there? This is actually the problem many people face in their lives today.

Many people, at the beginning of a new year, hope for a good start. They expect everything they do to go smoothly and abundantly, but when they try hard, problems arise. Many people start but do not finish. Many enter marriage with great expectations, only to find problems arise after a few years. They had a good start but no good ending.

Many people start many things with beautiful hopes, but they end without results, as if they have forgotten the beginning. This is where many people's problems lie.

Just like the city of Jericho today, the land is very beautiful, with mountains and rivers, but the water in the river is undrinkable because it is contaminated. So today, when we encounter this problem, what should we do? Just like in your life, when you face many problems, it is like the toxins in that water; drinking it will cause issues. The Bible says, "the land is unproductive."

There are actually two layers of meaning here. The first meaning is that the water, when used to irrigate fruit trees, causes them to drop their fruit before ripening, which is the situation I just mentioned—expecting a good result but not getting one, dropping prematurely, outside of your expectations.

The other meaning is that people also drop before ripening. Do you understand this meaning? Many people become pregnant, but midway through, the child dies before birth. This is a problem with the land's yield. The original text uses the term for the land's yield to indicate two aspects: one is the fruit trees that drop their fruit before ripening; the other refers to people who drink such water and lose their children. There is a curse involved. Brothers and sisters, do you know where this curse begins?

Point One: The People of Jericho Are Under a Curse, and Life Is Constantly Draining Away

Jericho was the first city that the Israelites were to conquer after leaving Egypt and entering Canaan, as recorded in Joshua 6. After Joshua captured Jericho, he made a vow saying,

Joshua 6:26, "Cursed before the Lord is the one who undertakes to rebuild this city, Jericho; at the cost of his firstborn son will he lay its foundations; at the cost of his youngest will he set up its gates."

After Jericho was conquered, Joshua pronounced a curse on the land, saying that anyone who dared to rebuild the city would lose their firstborn and youngest children on the day they built it. Five hundred years later, during the reign of Ahab, as we read today, a man from Bethel named Hiel rebuilt Jericho.

He saw that the land was beautiful with mountains and rivers and thought it was a shame for the city to be abandoned, so he began to rebuild Jericho. Indeed, both of his children died, fulfilling Joshua's curse. Therefore, this city is a cursed city, and after the Israelites disobeyed God's command to restore this city, although the land was beautiful and the environment changed, the water problem remained unsolved and continued to be cursed.

So, today, brothers and sisters, do you know that before we accept Jesus, we live under a curse? Where does the curse begin? It began with Adam. In the beginning, God created a very good world, but after Adam sinned, the land was cursed because of Adam's sin, causing thorns and thistles to grow, things that should not exist. Weeds should not exist, but now, because Adam sinned, the curse came upon the land.

Just like Jericho. The people in this city sinned, and the city, the land, and the water were all cursed. In such a situation, how can we escape this curse?

God created everything good, but because of sin, the land began to be cursed. Although the land is beautiful, it is not suitable for living; it is impossible to survive. This is the state we were in before we believed in Jesus, so look around you.

Many people are just like the situation in Jericho. Many people desperately want to have children, but they keep losing them; inexplicably, they die. Many people work hard to escape hereditary diseases in their families, but when they reach that point, it still appears, as if the curse continues to pass down from generation to generation. How can we escape such a curse?

So today, I share with you that there is only one way to escape these curses: believe in Jesus Christ. Because of the blood of Jesus, you become a child of God, and you escape all curses.

Point Two: Salt Heals the Water Source

You see, this problem has existed for five hundred years; the water has always been undrinkable, causing problems. The trees also have issues after being watered with this water, just like these curses, passed down from generation to generation. Many people say, "My grandfather had this disease; this curse exists in our family." What can we do? It seems there is no way to escape.

So today, you need to believe and see how to escape these problems. The city is like a cursed city; what can we do?

Then someone told Elisha, "My lord, look at the land of this city; it is very good, but the water is bad." An unbeliever is just like this city of Jericho, appearing strong and healthy, but without life, isn’t it the same? Even if you have everything in this world, if you lack life, isn’t it a pity? So what can we do?

At this moment, Elisha said, "Bring me a new bowl and put salt in it."

In the face of such a problem, if you have a friend who says, "Oh, Jericho is great, but the water is undrinkable, it’s toxic," what would you say? "Let’s move to another city; do we have to stay here?" Can we give such advice to others?

But if this person says, "I have a hereditary disease in my family, a curse; what should I do?" Can you say, "Change your family"? You can’t change that, so there are many things in life that cannot be changed. What can we do? Heal it! Amen? There must be a way to resolve such a curse, so Elisha said, "Bring me a new bowl and put salt in it."

Brothers and sisters, think rationally: can salt heal the water source? Some modernist scientists and archaeologists have discovered that according to the condition of Jericho at that time, the water quality was indeed polluted. Do you know how Jericho fell? We see that the Israelites marched around the city a few times, and it fell, right? In fact, there should have been a phenomenon where the geological structure of the entire city changed instantly, similar to a nuclear explosion today, causing the entire city to collapse.

Then the water quality began to be polluted. Think about it: our God can do this with just one word. When His people cry out, it is even more powerful than the most advanced weapons today.

At that time, the land was cursed, and the water source was destroyed. How to heal this water source? Elisha said, "Bring me salt." If salt has this effect, wouldn’t they have used salt to heal it long ago? From our perspective, can salt heal? No. If today, using the previous example, someone says, "I have a curse in my family," would you say, "Eat more salt"? Would that work? Even if they soaked themselves in salt, it wouldn’t work. The key is not what special function the salt has; the key is who is using it. It is not the salt's effect; it is who is using the salt. Hallelujah!

Starting this week, we will begin to share many healing miracles experienced by Elisha. You see, Elisha used common things from daily life to perform miracles. So, if you believe in the words of Jesus Christ today, it does not matter what you use; it matters who is using it. Hallelujah!

Just like the communion, when you take the bread of communion and say this is the body of Jesus Christ, a tremendous energy occurs within it, just like this salt. So finally, when Elisha said, "Don’t worry, I have already sprinkled the salt in," according to some molecular structure, salt has antibacterial, disinfecting, and preservative properties that can eliminate various diseases. Did Elisha introduce it this way?

Let’s look at verse 22, "So the water has been healed to this day."

In the second half of verse 21, "The Lord says, I have healed this water; never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive."

The key is the word spoken by the Lord, not what he used. In other words, if there were no salt, could the Lord heal the water source with His words? Yes, Hallelujah! He could! But salt actually has a very important representation in the Bible. So today, God wants us to know what salt represents through this event.

First, salt is something indispensable in our lives. Can you live your whole life without eating celery? Can you live without sugar? But can you live without salt? That would be a problem; people would start to swell and die quickly. So, salt is a necessity in our lives, something everyone cannot do without. This is the first aspect.

Secondly, did you know that in the Old Testament, salt was also a sacrificial offering? So, when offering sacrifices, God said, "You must not lack salt." Also, in the past, newborns were disinfected with salt. In the past, when there were no disinfectants like today, they would sprinkle salt on the child or use saltwater to disinfect.

Today we also have this common knowledge: if an area is infected and you can’t find anything else, washing it with saltwater can disinfect. So, salt has many functions and is also a preservative. You see, if food is left out, it spoils, but if it is soaked in saltwater, it won’t spoil.

So, Elisha healed the already corrupted and cursed water. Now let’s look at what he asked these people to do.

First, "You must take a new bowl." What does this new bowl represent? Why not just say, "Get me any bowl and put some salt in it"? Why say to bring a new bowl?

There are many representations in the Old Testament. We need to understand what this representation refers to. Unpacking it will greatly help our lives. The new bowl represents a new vessel that is completely cleansed by God. Amen?

Brothers and sisters, think about it: in the past, because of the existence of sin in our lives, wasn’t there filth? How can we escape such filth? In the letters to the Corinthians, it mentions that in a wealthy household, there are gold vessels, silver vessels, and also dishonorable vessels made of clay and wood. How can a person escape from being a dishonorable clay vessel to become honorable? How can one escape? If a person is made of clay, how can they become like a gold vessel? By breaking them? Then they would be completely worthless.

Remember, this is the essence of our past lives. A clay vessel is a clay vessel; how can your life become gold? Some say it can’t change. That’s right; it can’t change. But there is a way: when the gold vessel is placed inside the clay vessel, it possesses equal value. So, this is what that scripture is telling us. You need to escape from dishonorable things to become honorable. How do you escape dishonor and become honorable? By placing the treasure inside your clay vessel, you possess the same honorable value as the gold vessel. Hallelujah! So, this is the method.

We also know that in the past, we were such sinners; no matter how hard we tried, we could not become righteous. But there is a way: God places the Holy Spirit within us, and you possess equal value and honorable status with the Holy Spirit and the Son of God. This is the new bowl.

The Bible tells us in Matthew 17:19,

"No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the skins burst, and the wine spills, and the skins are ruined. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins."

Brothers and sisters, today before God, we are new bottles, Hallelujah! We are new bottles. So, what does God want to put in this new bottle? Salt, right? Because salt does not differentiate between new and old; remember, is there a difference between new salt and old salt? No. Because salt has a characteristic: it always retains that quality.

Paul tells us, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away; behold, the new has come." Amen. So, you must first think of one thing in your heart: I am a new bottle, Hallelujah! Are you a new bottle? You must remember that you are already a new bottle in Christ. Now, if a new bottle contains filthy things, doesn’t that also pollute it?

Similarly, if it contains salt, its shelf life is the same as that of salt, Amen! Its function is the characteristic of salt because when it is poured into the water, it can take effect. So, now it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. Remember, you are just a new bottle; who has life inside you? It is Jesus Christ, Amen!

So, Elisha had the salt placed in the new bottle poured where? Into the water source. Brothers and sisters, it wasn’t just poured anywhere to test which place was more polluted; he found the source, Amen!

Elisha commanded that the new bottle containing salt be poured into the water source, and then, in the name of the Lord God, he declared that the water source was healed. From then on, this water was completely healed. Wherever this water flowed, it bore fruit abundantly, and flowers bloomed. From then on, the water from this source became a source of blessing.

Isn’t that so? The source was resolved, and the water problems below were also resolved. So, in our lives, many times, we see the outward fruit, just like we often like to use trees to represent. When you see the leaves turning yellow, it is not about the leaves; it is about the roots, right? The problem is at the source. When you see a family with curses appearing generation after generation, it is not that their bodies have problems; it is that the problem is at the source, isn’t it? When you see some people who are always discouraged and do not know the purpose of life, it is because the problem is at the source. Those of us who do not know Jesus are all in sin, all under a curse, just like Jericho, where the source has problems. We must resolve the problem at the source.

Brothers and sisters, today, the diseases, accidents, and many things we do not want to see, where is the source? Because mankind has sinned, a series of sinful fruits have emerged, right? If today we heal the source, when you come into Jesus Christ, what flows out from Jesus Christ? Joy, peace, gentleness, self-control, right? These are the things that flow out from Jesus! What else? Life, Hallelujah! Because the source has changed, what flows out is also different.

Brothers and sisters, do you know what river you are in today? You are not living in a cursed river like Jericho; you are living beside the river of life, Hallelujah! Do you know what characteristics those living beside the river of life have? They are full of strength, full of life.

Someone might say, "Then, Teacher Ren, where is the biblical basis for what you are saying?" Good question. Have you read Ezekiel 47? Let me tell you, in Ezekiel 47, God showed Ezekiel a vision. What was the vision? Water flowing out from the temple, remember?

Water flowed out from the threshold of the temple, and this water grew larger and larger until it became a river. Later, something happened with this river. Let me read this passage for you: "Water flowed from the temple, and this water grew larger until it became a river." The later part records that this water flowed into the Dead Sea, healing the waters of the Dead Sea.

Do you know what the Dead Sea refers to? The Dead Sea, right? You all know about the Dead Sea from elementary or middle school history. Why is it called the Dead Sea? Because there are no living organisms in it. Why are there no living organisms? Some say it is because the salt content is too high.

So, it seems that if the source becomes all salt, it cannot heal the source; there is still no life. But you see, the Dead Sea is called the Dead Sea because its salinity is so high that living creatures cannot survive. Fish and shrimp cannot live in it; it is a dead sea. But from the temple, a river flowed, and this water kept flowing until it entered the Dead Sea, and the Dead Sea was healed. This is what God wants to tell us today.

You must believe that although your life may be withered, with curses and accidents appearing, you need to let the water of the Holy Spirit flow into you, and the dead will become alive. Although it is a dead sea, after the water of the Holy Spirit enters, the Dead Sea will be healed, Hallelujah! Thank you and praise the Lord!

And wherever this river flows, "every living creature will live." You see, creatures that could not live before, wherever this water flows, it brings life, and there will be many fish, and the seawater will become sweet.

Do you know what the taste of seawater is now? It actually has a bit of bitterness, a bitter taste; that is the taste of seawater, right? But you see, the Bible tells us that the vision Ezekiel saw was that the water flowing from the temple flowed into the sea, "even the seawater became sweet, and wherever it flowed, everything would live." Isn’t that a beautiful scene? Brothers and sisters, this is the life of Jesus Christ. The living water of Jesus Christ flows where it brings healing, and wherever it flows, it produces life.

Moreover, it also tells us that,

"On both banks of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food, their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. Every month they will bear fresh fruit, for the water for them flows from the sanctuary, and their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing."

Isn’t that good? Wow, wouldn’t it be great if there were more rivers like this in the city? If you have diseases in your body, you can jump into the river, wash off, and be completely clean. There is no way the land is cursed; wherever the river flows, the fish and shrimp, and the trees on both sides will all come to life. What does this refer to? The living water of Jesus Christ, Hallelujah!

Wherever this living water goes, life is produced. Isn’t this a good promise for us? God immediately speaks to you afterward, "You will inherit this land." Amen? Now tell the person next to you, "You will inherit this land."

Think about it: the beautiful, powerful, and life-filled river I just described. God says, "You will inherit such a land as your inheritance," Hallelujah! So, no matter what problems arise in your life, as long as you come to Jesus Christ, they can all be resolved.

When the source problem is resolved, the river water can bring you life. Hallelujah! So, whether it is hereditary issues or curses in your life, no matter what you do, you fail, come before Jesus, and He can turn your life around. He can remove all curses and all death issues in your life. You need to return to Jesus Christ, Hallelujah!

John 14:6, Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

Brothers and sisters, if you want to find the source of life, the living source, you must seek Jesus Christ. Apart from Him, everywhere else is a curse; only here is life. Amen. Why does the water flow from the temple? Because it represents the presence of God, the source of God. Amen.

So, brothers and sisters, what should a true church bring to people? Life, Hallelujah! So, as you are listening to the sermon, what should flow down from the pulpit? Just like the living water flowing from the sanctuary, after you hear it, you should be filled with hope, strength, and new hope for life.

Because the words of Jesus are meant to bring you such hope, Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." So, do not seek life, the way, or the truth elsewhere, outside of Jesus. Jesus is the only way, the only truth, the only life. Amen!

Some might say, "Then how can I obtain such life?" How to obtain it? Is it enough to just believe? That’s right. When our lives change, it is when you accept Jesus. Jesus said, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." How can you obtain this abundant life? If Jesus is salt, how do you let His life enter you? That’s right, eat Him! Is it simple? Eat Him.

Brothers and sisters, when salt enters you, can it still be found? No, it is everywhere in your body, Amen! So, brothers and sisters, no matter what diseases you have in your body, remember, first let God’s word enter your body, filling you completely, healing all your diseases.

How fast is this power? The moment it enters, you are healed. So, at such a moment, you meditate, and you are immediately healed. When Elisha poured the salt into the water source, the water was immediately healed. Elisha did not say, "Okay, wait a month, and the water will slowly get better." Isn’t that how we humans manage water? God is not like that. When He poured the salt in, the water was immediately healed and would never be polluted again.

Today, when you hear God’s word, at the moment you accept it and say, "Amen, I believe!" you are healed! Your curses are removed! At the moment you accept Jesus, all curses, no matter how many there are, are completely removed, Hallelujah!

So, Jesus uses this picture to describe the lives of His disciples, "You are the light." Amen, you are the light. What is the characteristic of light? Wherever it goes, it always brings brightness to others. So, do not hide the light under a bowl; it must shine, Hallelujah!

Then He also tells us, "You are the salt." What is the characteristic of salt? Didn’t we just talk about it? If salt is placed in that place, it is just a pile of salt; it has no effect on your life. If the salt in your kitchen is just sitting there, does it have any effect on your life? When does it take effect? That’s right, when you eat it.

So, brothers and sisters, what produces effect in your life? When you believe, Amen! If Jesus is Jesus and you are you, Jesus is great, that’s right; He speaks well, but if you do not believe in Him, it has no relation to your life, just like salt. Only when you eat it can it help change your life. Hallelujah!

The Lord Jesus sacrificed Himself for us. Remember, when you eat salt, the salt disappears, but your life grows. Amen! Similarly, Jesus changes the essence of our lives. Brothers and sisters, Jesus is salt; when the salt of Jesus enters your body, this salt disappears.

When you put salt in water, it will soon become invisible; it merges with the water. So, today, is there salt in your body? Yes, but you cannot see it. Why? It has already merged with your life.

So, wherever you go, He goes. Jesus Christ is now in your body; wherever you go, He is there. He has merged with your life and your body. Jesus sacrificed His life for us; He melted Himself into life. Let this life enter your life. Don’t forget what I just told you from Ezekiel. When this life enters you, wherever it goes, it will bring resurrection, health, and abundant life, changing the essence of your entire being.

Let’s look at another scripture; we need to read together from Numbers 18:19.

"All the holy offerings the Israelites give to the Lord I give to you and your sons and daughters as your perpetual share. It is an everlasting covenant of salt before the Lord for you and your offspring."

When the Israelites offered their offerings, they said, "Lord, I present this offering before you," and this is to be given to you and your children. God gives you this blessing again, Amen, and makes you and your offspring an everlasting covenant of salt before the Lord.

Brothers and sisters, salt represents a covenant. What can make salt ineffective? The food we make today has an expiration date. If milk is left out for a while, it cannot be consumed anymore; why? It has spoiled; its essence has changed, right? Can salt change?

Some might say, "No, but I found that the salt I bought also says it has an expiration date; after that date, it should not be eaten." Do you know why? The salt we eat now is iodized salt, which is to prevent goiter, so iodine is added to it. In fact, salt, no matter how many years you leave it, its essence will never change. If you put it in water, it will dissolve; if you leave it in the sun, it will come out; its essence will never change.

But iodine will react with air, right? So, it is iodine that changes, while salt itself does not change at all. So, we now know that salt has a characteristic: it does not spoil. Other things spoil and go bad, but salt does not go bad. So, this is the covenant God made with us; it is an unchanging covenant. Amen, that is why it is called a covenant of salt, an everlasting covenant of salt.

So, brothers and sisters, do you know that there are many promises in the Bible? Don’t say that one is for Abraham, that one is for Isaac, that one is for Jacob; have you forgotten what covenant it is? The covenant of salt. To this day, does this covenant still work? It still works.

When you see these beautiful promises in the Bible, you say, "Lord, I know this is for me." This proves that God’s word and blessing are always effective, Hallelujah! They do not spoil. Brothers and sisters, this is the second point we need to know: now salt has healed the water source, and it is closely related to our lives.

Point Three: Keep the New Covenant Established by Christ in Mind

Changing the essence of your life means putting salt in the new bottle. We ourselves are that new bottle, putting the salt of Jesus Christ inside us, and the essence of our lives has already changed, hasn’t it? As I just said, salt represents a covenant. Now what does this covenant refer to? What covenant should we keep in our hearts?

Let’s repeat, the new bottle represents a new heart given to you by God. Hallelujah! The Bible says, "In those days, I will remove the heart of stone from the people of Israel and give them a heart of flesh."

In the New Testament, it says, "I will give them a new heart." When you accept Jesus, God removes your old heart of stone and replaces it with a new heart, called a heart of flesh. Amen! This actually refers to a covenant. What covenant? As I just said, the bottle refers to your new heart, and the salt represents the new covenant established by Christ for you. Amen! Is it a new covenant? The covenant we have with God is not the old covenant, not the covenant of the law, but a new covenant, also called the covenant of grace.

When Jesus was on the cross, He shed His precious blood and established a covenant with us. Amen! So, in the past, salt was used to establish a covenant; now it is the blood of Jesus that establishes a covenant. The blood of Jesus is more accurate and longer-lasting than the covenant of salt, Hallelujah! So, how can you completely change the essence of your life? How can you escape a cursed life and live a victorious life?

At the beginning, we talked about how many people start but do not finish. What should you do today? Fill your heart with Jesus Christ. Remember, you are always victorious. Therefore, you need to put Christ in your heart and keep the new covenant in your heart, because when the truth of Christ enters your heart, it can eliminate sin, remove your condemnation, and God will give you holiness. Amen! So, it is God Himself who sanctifies you, giving you the power of His life to change our minds. Therefore, what comes from the Holy Spirit is all pure, and the Holy Spirit does not bring death but brings joy and light, Hallelujah!

Elisha understood this. The Israelites had turned away from God’s word to rebuild Jericho, but how could the water source of this city be healed? It was through salt, reminding them of the covenant God made with Abraham. Amen! Then the curse was removed. You know, brothers and sisters, some problems in your life, complaints, and bitterness—how can those things be removed? When you remember the new covenant Jesus established for you on the cross, those bitterness and curses will be removed; they can no longer affect you.

Religion and faith are different. Faith brings life to people; religion brings death. What is religion? It requires doing this, that, and the other... When praying, you must do this, that, and the other... various rules. If you fail to do so, God begins to discipline you, punish you, and correct you, leading to various one-on-one situations.

But faith is not like that. We do not believe in religion today; we believe in Jesus Christ. Amen! Jesus always brings life to people. So, if the source is bad, how can it be cleansed? You need to put Jesus in. You need to put Jesus in. So, in a church, when you see constant divisions, mutual attacks, and unforgiveness, what should you do? Put Jesus in, because the absence of Jesus is what causes the problem.

If there is disharmony in the family and a marital crisis, put Jesus in. Let them remember the covenant Jesus made with them, and the family will be restored. Hallelujah! Isn’t it the same with the body? If there is a certain disease in the body, put Jesus in; He can cleanse you and heal you. Therefore, we need Jesus to heal us; we need the breath of salt.

Now, let’s look at a scripture, Matthew 5:13, "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."

Let me ask you a common sense question: how can salt lose its flavor?

If you soak it in water, will it lose its flavor? Don’t forget, if it is a large block of salt, will it lose its flavor when you take it out? It still has a salty taste, right? So how should this verse be interpreted?

If the salt loses its flavor, what does it refer to? Many people say, "Oh, if the salt loses its flavor, it is like when a person has no good behavior; you see, it is like salt losing its flavor, and then it is trampled underfoot..." Is that the meaning?

I don’t know if you have heard this interpretation before. If you have no good behavior, it is like salt losing its flavor. If that is the case, we are often flavorless salt, right? Is that the meaning? How can salt lose its flavor?

So, when interpreting the Bible, we cannot interpret it casually; we must consider the biblical context. In ancient Jewish and Middle Eastern regions, the salt they consumed was mostly mineral salt or well salt. Do you know how salt is made? It is dug up from wells or mines, and the salt comes out in fist-sized chunks. Nowadays, because of technological advancements, you buy bags of fine salt, but in the past, it was large chunks of salt, like fist-sized blocks.

Then, do you know how the Jews ate at that time? They would hold a block of salt in one hand and eat with the other. For example, after eating vegetables, they would lick the salt block. This is how the Jews used to eat salt.

Now, you can immediately remember what this verse means. Whenever you see this verse again, you will think of this action, right? You will remember it forever. When would this situation occur? Because indeed, this is a stone block, and there is salt on the surface of the stone block. So, they lick it, and the surface salt is lost. At this point, it truly becomes just a stone block; what should be done? Throw it away. After throwing it away, there are still many such stone blocks in the kitchen, so they take another one and lick it.

It is not like the salt we eat today; no matter what, it cannot lose its salty taste; it always has a salty taste, right? So, it refers to the past salt block. After eating for a while, it loses its flavor and becomes what? A stone. This stone is not suitable to be placed anywhere; it cannot dissolve; it cannot melt, so it can only be thrown outside to be trampled.

So, brothers and sisters, salt represents the new covenant accomplished by Christ for us, which is the covenant of grace. If we lose the grace of God, what remains? A stone. When you have that stone in your hand, what do you want to do? You can’t just hit someone, can you?

In the land of Israel, do you know why there are so many stones? Now you understand, right? Many are salt blocks. They directly threw away the stones that lost their salty flavor. If someone committed a crime, for example, adultery, and was caught, everyone could easily pick up stones from the ground to stone him to death. A significant component of those stones was salt blocks that had lost their flavor, representing a stone that has lost grace. You cannot make it salty again; it has no other use; it can only be thrown outside, either to hit others or to be trampled. This is the function of that stone.

So, brothers and sisters, if we forget God’s grace and lose God’s grace, or fall from grace, you will have no salty flavor left; what remains is only a stone, just like the law. When you have that stone, what do you want to do? You will judge others, attack others, and condemn others. The result will produce bitterness, condemnation, anger, and discord. This is losing the flavor of salt, Amen?

Brothers and sisters, can you understand what I mean today? After losing the characteristics of salt, you lose the grace of God. What you bring to others is anger, discord, and condemnation.

To be trampled underfoot means that either everyone looks down on you, and you self-condemn, or you become a stone that constantly attacks others. This is a characteristic of the law because it has lost the component of salt and can only do such things. There is no grace upon them, so they walk according to the flesh, living according to the ways of the world. This does not mean they are not saved, brothers and sisters; it means they have lost God’s grace and returned to the law, Amen. At that time, their lives begin to live like the law, just like worldly people. So, what characteristics do such people have? They do what the world does because they have no grace from God; they cannot see God’s grace.

As the Qingming Festival approaches, many people ask me, "Teacher Ren, I run a store; can I sell paper, incense, and things like that for the dead?" Can I sell it? Some say no, some say yes. Actually, it is very simple. If you say, "I do not need to rely on the world’s ways to make money; God will still supply me abundantly," then you will not be interested in doing that because you are filled with God’s grace.

If you do not see God’s grace and say, "Oh, others are making money doing this," then you look at others and do it too. This is not seeing God’s grace. Of course, both ways are fine; it just depends on which way you choose based on your current faith, Amen?

So, I do not want to condemn you; I want you to choose a way to live in God’s grace, Amen. That is, at any time, when you pick up that salt block and lick it, it always has a salty flavor. No matter who comes to your face and licks it, what flavor does it have? Don’t say sweat; say it has the flavor of grace, Amen! No matter who walks into your presence, what flavor do they smell? The flavor of grace, Hallelujah!

So, you are that salt, and you must let others smell the flavor of salt. Here, salt refers to the new covenant, right? The covenant of grace of Jesus Christ. Therefore, what you bring to others is a manifestation of grace. Well, you all go sell that paper; I won’t sell it. I want you to see how God blesses me, Hallelujah!

If you have such assurance, God will let you emit this grace. Some might say, "Teacher Ren, your interpretation of the scripture is a bit forced." That’s okay; I will quickly show you where the scripture is.

First, let’s read Mark 9:50, "Salt is good, but if it loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another." Amen!

So, regarding whether it is okay to sell incense and paper for the dead, some say yes, some say no. If you argue about it, I would say stop arguing. If you think it is okay, then go do it. If you think it is not okay, you will rely on God’s grace, right? How should you do it? You should have salt in yourselves. If you think it is okay, do you have salt inside? Yes, you think you are salt, so what should happen? Be at peace with one another.

So, in a church, what is important? You must have salt inside. You need to remember the covenant of grace Jesus Christ made with you, Hallelujah! If we remember the grace covenant established by Jesus with His blood, you know that Jesus’ grace is upon you, and you can bring forth grace. You can bring forth peace, Amen!

Now, let’s look at the next verse. Colossians 4:5-6, let’s read together, "Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." Amen!

Well, you see how to interact with those who do not believe in Jesus; God has told us. You should make the most of every opportunity, acting wisely toward what kind of people? Those who do not believe in Jesus, right? They do not have salt inside, do they? When you smell them, what do you smell? The smell of gunpowder, the smell of condemnation. What should you do at this time? Put salt in; your flavor will be in there. Amen!

Brothers and sisters, do you know? In a pot of food, if you add other flavors, a bit of sugar, and a bit of vinegar, and then "pop" a handful of salt in, will there be any other flavors left?

You can only taste the flavor of salt. So, what I mean is this: you are salt; your destructive power is very great. If there is a vinegar flavor in them, you can smell it. What should you do? Put salt in, and only grace will remain. So, we say grace has great destructive power. Wherever grace goes, it brings life; the dead can become alive, Amen!

So, when interacting with outsiders, use wisdom. What kind of wisdom? It tells us afterward that your conversation should always be full of grace. Brothers and sisters, do you know what grace means? What is grace? You see, I have written it in parentheses for you; it is grace. The original Greek means your conversation should always be full of grace, Hallelujah!

We translated it as "gracious," but I don’t know how to define graciousness. Is it gentleness? Self-control? Or what is graciousness? But using grace makes it clearer. When you interact with outsiders, you should use wisdom, meaning your words should always be full of grace, letting others smell what? The flavor of grace!

Wherever you go, remember you are salt. This is the new covenant Jesus established with His precious blood, the flavor of grace. Therefore, you bring to others a manifestation of grace. Well, you all go sell that paper; I won’t sell it. I want you to see how God blesses me, Hallelujah!