It was a historical moment as
we approached the fortress of Louisbourg in Nova Scotia, Canada. In its day,
this 18th century French fortress had been a centre of civilization. Sadly, it
fell to the British in 1758, and what we saw before us today was but a
reconstruction.
As we came up to the gate, a guard turned upon us,
demanding in a menacing voice: "Mot de Passe (Password)?"
She had no idea that I was from the old country, that
the country where I was born still held a monarchy, and she was surprised when I
looked her in the eye and answered "Vive le Roi (Long live the king)!"
She had no choice but to let me enter. I knew the
password.
Why was this used as a password for entering French
fortifications? Because the worst enemy of the French in the 18th century was
the British Empire. Having a king of their own, no British spy would ever utter
"Vive le Roi". It would have constituted an act of treason to their own king! It
was, indeed, a great password for keeping the undesirables out!
I seriously doubt that such a password would work in
our society now-a-days,
where loyalties are easily broken and revolutions can begin at the spur of the
moment. But it did make me think: Are we even still loyal to the One true King?
The King of heaven?
Jesus was aware of the true condition of our hearts
and He warned us:
"No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate
the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the
other." (Luke 16:13 NIV)
In other words, just like the British in the 18th
century couldn't utter "vive le Roi!"
while
serving the king of Great Britain, we cannot serve the King of Kings and the
world at the same time!
A good comparison to this is found in the illustration
of salt: "Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty
again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown
out." (Luke 14:34-35 NIV)
Let us try to understand this illustration. Jesus is
talking about ordinary salt. Pure table salt has a chemical composition of NaCl
(Sodium Chloride). When you mix Sodium Chloride with another compound, it does
not form a new substance. The two atoms (Na and Cl; Sodium and Chlorine) can be
momentarily split apart by water, yet once the water (H2O) is removed, they
return to their initial structure. NaCl particles are incapable of bonding
(sharing their electrons) with H2O molecules, or any other chemical substance,
for that matter.
But if this is the case, how can salt lose its
saltiness?
It's only possible if a chemical reaction occurs. NaCl
is a very stable compound. It is part of a group of substances chemists call
"ionic", which makes it one of the strongest substances in the world. This is
because the chemical bond between the sodium and chlorine is very strong, and
very hard to break apart. Sodium and chlorine have a happy marriage, as sodium
gave its one "valence electron" (valence electrons are the only electrons that
atoms can give) to chlorine, making them both "happy". Because of this, they are
extremely attracted to one another (since chlorine has one more electron than it
should, and sodium has one fewer than it should). It makes their bond almost
unbreakable.
To lose its saltiness, enough energy would have to be
provided (which is usually massive quantities of energy, provided only by forces
like electricity) to force the sodium and chlorine to bond with other atoms.
So back to Jesus' explanation, a Christian can lose
his or her "saltiness" by allowing some outside force - addictions, pet sins,
distracting pastimes, etc., to cause them to "divide" from the King of Kings,
and "bond" with another master. In essence, the gospel message, portrayed in the
Word of God, becomes "diluted", mixed up with other messages. And although the
message may retain some traces of the original, it isn't God's message any
longer.
What is God's gospel message?
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith
- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no
one can boast." (Eph 2:8-9 NIV)
So many acknowledge that the cross is indeed the
bridge that covers the divide between us and God. However how many of us try to
reach the other side by different means? Have we lost our saltiness or can we
still declare boldly "Vive le roi!", our King is the king of Universe and we
will follow His Word no matter what.
It is true, many heresies have infiltrated His
message. It's up to us to filter these under the Light given to us from the Most
High Himself: His Word, the Bible.
"Mot de passé (Password)?"
What will be your answer?
Rob and Donovan Chaffart
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
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