Why Jesus Apologetics

“You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.”

— Matthew 5:13 (ESV)

In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, He declared that His followers, the Church, are the salt of the earth. Salt in ancient times was not only a flavoring but also a preservative, a purifier, and even a symbol of covenant and faithfulness. To be called “the salt of the earth” is to be identified as God’s tool to preserve truth, resist corruption, and bring healing to a dying world.

For generations, beginning from the Apostolic Age, the early Church fulfilled this calling with power and purity. The apostles and the early Church Fathers upheld sound doctrine, confronted sin, and preached the gospel fearlessly, often at the cost of their lives.

“These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also…”

— Acts 17:6 (ESV)

Yes, the early Church was so salty that it turned the world upside down for Jesus. But today, the taste of salt is fading. The Church has allowed the world to enter her more than she has entered the world to change it. Lukewarmness is no longer an exception; it is becoming the norm.

From Apostolic Fire to Modern Lukewarmness

The early believers:

• Preached Christ crucified and risen, not for entertainment but for repentance and transformation.
• Loved not their lives unto death (Revelation 12:11).
• Endured persecution, yet grew stronger in holiness and unity.

But something has changed.

In many modern churches today:

• Sin is excused or even normalized; fornication, adultery, lies, bitterness, gossip, hatred, and pride are thriving inside the Church, not just outside.
• The choir that ushers in the pastor sings with anointing on Sunday but dances to ungodly songs all week.
• Ushers and protocols wear holiness like a uniform only on Sundays.
• Pastors preach the Word but secretly compromise behind the pulpit.
• And members, once burning with love for Christ, now serve grudgingly or harbor resentment, division, or secret sin.

We appear as angels on Sunday but behave like the devil’s agents from Monday to Saturday.

“Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”

— 2 Timothy 3:5 (KJV)

Jesus warned us, if the salt loses its saltiness, it is good for nothing. That’s where we’re heading unless we wake up.

The Salt Has Been Tampered With

Why has the Church lost its saltiness? Because compromise has crept in quietly, and we’ve allowed it.

• Entertainment has replaced edification.
• Popularity has replaced power.
• Feel-good messages have replaced conviction.
• Convenience has replaced consecration.

When was the last time many church workers fasted and prayed with tears for lost souls? When last did pastors preach about hell, judgment, and repentance without fearing to lose the crowd?

“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions…”

— 2 Timothy 4:3

That time has come. The Church is in crisis. The salt is no longer healing; it is blending with the infection.

A Lesson from the Seven Churches

In Revelation 2–3, Jesus sent personal letters to seven churches. Each letter is a spiritual diagnostic, a mirror for the modern Church.

Let the pastors read these letters and ask, “Does my church reflect Ephesus, who lost her first love? Or Sardis, who had a reputation for being alive but was dead? Or Laodicea, lukewarm and proud?”

Let the members read them and reflect: “Am I faithful like Philadelphia? Or compromising like Pergamum? Have I tolerated sin like Thyatira?”

Let church workers read and ask, “Have I allowed the devil to use me as a tool of gossip, division, adultery, or resentment, while still serving on Sundays?”

Jesus’ words were not mild:

• “I will remove your lampstand…” (Revelation 2:5)
• “I have this against you…” (Revelation 2:4)
• “Because you are lukewarm… I will spit you out of my mouth.” (Revelation 3:16)

These are not words to be ignored. They are divine warnings. And they are still relevant today.

It’s Time to Return—Let the Church Be the Church Again

We must repent and return to our calling, to be salt and light in this dark world.

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven…”

— 2 Chronicles 7:14

Let pastors return to the altar of fire, preaching the full counsel of God.
Let choirs and worship teams cleanse their lips and live holy lives.
Let ushers and workers stop wearing religion and start carrying revival.
Let every church member burn again with the fire of first love.

It’s time for the Church to be salty again.

From Lukewarm to On Fire

We are not called to be “Popular“. We are called to be “Pure“.
We are not called to “Blend in“. We are called to “Stand Out“.
We are not called to “Entertain“. We are called to “Evangelize“.

Let us return to our first love. Let us learn from the seven churches in Revelation. Let us stop being Sunday Christians and start being living sacrifices (Romans 12:1) daily.

The world doesn’t need another church program.
The world needs a Church that is salty again.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.”

— Matthew 5:14

Let us shine. Let us be salty.
Let us turn the world upside down again, not by our might, but by our holiness, our truth, and our faithfulness to Jesus Christ.