The rise and fall of nations has been documented throughout history and is directly related to the values they possess. The Salt Factor brings a fresh perspective on the original mission and purpose of the church and her mandate to transform culture. No nation can be sustained without a value system, and there is no value system apart from Christ that is not faulty and subject to decay. This book expresses the mind of God for the 21st century church and causes the reader to revisit the mandate of the Great Commission, which is given to all Christians. Every nation is built upon seven structures and each of these structures must be built on the principles and values of the kingdom of Christ. Comparing the modern church to salt, as Jesus did in Scripture, this book examines its characteristics and presents a clear picture of the transformation the church should bring to the world. The Salt Factor will help you discover your place in society and demonstrate how to be an agent of change in the world around you.
The Salt Factor
influence your environment with the values and character of ChristBy Sino AguezeAuthorHouse
Copyright © 2010 Sino Agueze
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-1-4490-8051-8Contents
FOREWORD.....................................................................................................xiINTRODUCTION.................................................................................................xiiiCHAPTER 1: SALT IN A SALT SHAKER "SAVIORS IN ZION" "SAVIORS IN ZION"........................................1CHAPTER 2: HOW SALT WORKS IN A SOUP "KINGDOM PRINCIPLES FOR TRANSFORMING WORLD-SYSTEMS".....................15CHAPTER 3: THE TWO MAIN FUNCTIONS OF SALT "KINGDOM RESPONSIBILITIES OF A BELIEVER"..........................41CHAPTER 4: HINDRANCES TO A SALTED LIFE "KINGDOM CHARACTER AND KINGDOM VALUES"...............................74CHAPTER 5: SEASONING THE WORLD WITH LOVE "THE NATURE OF THE KING AND HIS KINGDOM"...........................119CHAPTER 6: THE ESSENCE OF THE SALT LIFE "KINGDOM KEYS TO THE DISCIPLESHIP OF NATIONS".......................139CONCLUSION...................................................................................................148
Chapter One
SALT IN A SALT SHAKER "SAVIORS IN ZION"
"Pastors are the wardens; and their members are the prisoners." - Dr. Sunday Adelaja
It is time to re-define the reason why the body of Christ exists on planet earth. God's intent for establishing the church must not only be understood, but her purpose must be clearly defined in order to appreciate her value and her responsibility in discipling nations, and restoring the earth back to God. The church, as the body of Christ, is the only living, active presence of Jesus Christ in the earth. Without her, God has no voice, no presence and no authority in the world around us. This is why the church must regain her God-given influence and become a meaningful force in the earth.
"Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?" (Haggai 2:3 KJV)
The church is God's visible presence in the world and the only means of mirroring the visibility of God to people in the world. Every Christian should desire to see the church restored to her original glory, to see Christ glorified, lifted up and represented well. Each and every believer has gifts, talents and abilities that are placed inside of them in order to fulfill God's assignment for their life, and ultimately, His kingdom.
The entire world is waiting for God's children to rise up and become saviors and deliverers in the earth (Romans 8:19-22). Christians have been commissioned to deliver mankind and release them from suffering. Everyone living without God is suffering, and only the children of God possess the power that can destroy evil in the world. As long as people remain in bondage to sin and futility, their sorrow and suffering will remain. There are people waiting to be delivered, waiting to be set free from the humiliation and shame of sin. Whether people recognize it or not, everyone is trying to find God, and everyone needs God and His life-giving power. This is where Christians come in. No one has ever seen God, but the body of Christ, the church, is His visible presence in the earth. Even as Jesus came to reveal the Father, believers are to reveal Christ to a world that desperately needs Him. People need the freedom that comes from God, true spiritual freedom, and as citizens of the Kingdom of God, ambassadors for Christ, believers are the saviors to the world. Now is the time to become jealous for Zion and the glory of her King, and to finish the assignment that Jesus Christ has given to the church.
"That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." (Ephesians 5:27 KJV)
"The king's daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold." (Psalms 45:13 KJV)
Too many Christians have been locked up within the four walls of the church and limited in their ability to become true saviors in the world today. The church of Jesus Christ is not meant to be a place where people attend, render service or financial assistance and then go back to their own lives. The church today has become an amoeba church. An amoeba is a one celled organism that lives for itself; it does not have the capacity to reproduce. They are shapeless and formless, and this explains why the church is not the pillar she was designed to be. The church has become one dimensional, and withdrawn herself from the world she was intended to penetrate. The church is currently the least influential organization, because it abides alone, when she was designed to be the greatest.
This is not the picture or blueprint of the church that was left by Jesus Christ. God is building a glorious church. This glory starts from within and shines out with the sole intent of revealing who the Savior really is. This church is to be living and vibrant, full of beauty and purity, full of power and authority, with a heart to serve humanity. She is made up of men and women, of all ages and ethnicities, who carry the mandate of revealing Christ to the world by taking on His character and values and living them out in everyday life as the salt of the earth.
THE GLORY AND INFLUENCE OF THE CHURCH
"And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem." (Isaiah 2:2-3 KJV)
The above passage is a clear blueprint of God's intent for His church. Here the church is compared to a mountain that is established above all other mountains, which means that nothing in this world should compare to the influence of the church. Her influence is to exceed far beyond any other institution or organization in the world. Mountains and hills represent these institutions, but the church is designed to exceed them all in glory. She is to be a shining light to all the nations of the earth, a city set on a hill for all to see. Her influence is to be known and felt throughout the four corners of the earth.
If this is the intent and plan of God, why is this not the present condition of the church? Why are other organizations seemingly more reputable and relied upon by the world? God has not been unfaithful in doing His part; it is because the church has not captured the deeper meaning of the Great Commission, which is, that saviors and deliverers are to be raised as the salt of the earth, in the church, and released into the world to preserve society from decay. This is the only way not to be trampled under the feet of men. The church's impact in transforming people and culture should be second to none. Zion, in the scriptures, speaks of the church, and she will once again regain her God-given responsibility of teaching nations the principles of God's kingdom, which will cause them to be primarily concerned with walking in His ways.
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