God's fertilizing work during this final season of grace

Wonderful SALT Praise and Encouragement this morning. Karo talked how good SALT is for the manure pile, reminding me about the barren fig tree parable and Not outward reformation but inward transformation

The Barren Fig Tree Context (Luke 13:6-9)

• Israel/humanity has been given time to bear fruit but hasn't
• The gardener (Jesus as intercessor) pleads for "one more chance" Among the weeds of my heart with the Master Gardener
• He promises to "give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer"
• This represents the season of grace before judgment

The Salt Teaching (Luke 14:34-35)

• "Salt is good for seasoning" Tasteful, sunny disposition brings glory to God (Psalm 34:8, Matthew 5:13-16)
• "But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again?"
• "Flavorless salt is good neither for the soil nor for the manure pile"

The gardener needs fertilizer (manure) to enrich the soil so the fig tree can produce fruit. But what makes fertilizer effective? Salt! Good salt enriches the soil and makes fertilizer potent.

So believers who maintain their "saltiness" (authenticity, holiness, witness, repentance) become part of the enriching environment that helps others bear fruit during this season of grace. We're the salt mixed into the fertilizer that the Master Gardener uses to cultivate fruit in barren lives.

But if we lose our saltiness through:

• Hypocrisy (the yeast of Pharisees - Luke 12:1)
• Greed and materialism (the rich fool - Luke 12:16-21)
• Unrepentant hearts (Luke 13:3, 5)
• Self-exaltation instead of humility (Luke 14:7-11)

Then we become "good neither for the soil nor for the manure pile" - useless for the very mission of helping others bear fruit before time runs out.

This ties the warning passages together: Be genuine salt, not tasteless pretenders, because you're meant to be part of God's fertilizing work during this final season of grace.