Jesus is not claiming that salt will lose its salty qualities, but rather that salt is useless if it does not have the qualities of salt. Likewise, those who claim to follow him but do not live out the ideals of the kingdom are ineffective and unfruitful servants (see 2 Peter 1:8–9) and they do not truly belong. 1 Just as faith without works is impossible (James 2:26), so it is with salt without that has no saltiness.
13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if 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.