Salted with fire.

Mark 9:49

49 For everyone will be salted with fire.

This is one of the more enigmatic passages of scriptures in the four gospel.  Seven little words, these particular seven, uttered by Jesus turns Christendom on it's head.  In order to proceed with understanding this verse we MUST begin by defining each of the words:

For Everyone; this is the Greek word 'PAS'  which means ALL, EVERYBODY

Will be salted; this is the Greek word 'halizō' which means TO MAKE SALTY, it's literal meaning is to CAUSE something to taste salty

With fire; this is the Greek word 'pur' which means to BURN, BURNING

Jesus is telling us that EVERYONE is made SALTY with fire.  Now what is most important to our understanding is what Jesus says in very next verse:

Salt is GOOD...

With seven words Jesus tells us that everyone will me MADE salty with fire and then says to us SALT is good.  So if everyone will be made salty with fire and SALT is GOOD then EVERYONE will be MADE GOOD.  This may not seem outrageous to many UNTIL we realize who is this EVERYBODY he is talking about.

Identifying the EVERYBODY.

The everybody that Jesus is speaking of in the above verse represents 2 groups of people.  Those who come to God through Jesus and everybody else; so in effect this everybody that Jesus is talking about is EVERYBODY.  Consider the verses that precede verse 49:

Mark 9:43
 If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire,

Mark 9:45
45 If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame, than, having your two feet, to be cast into hell,

Mark 9:47
47 If your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into hell,

We can see the division of the two groups of everybody in these preceding verse:

Verse 43- those who enter life and those who go to the unquenchable fire
Verse 45- those who enter life and those who are cast into hell (Gehenna)
Verse 47- those who enter the kingdom of God and those who are cast into hell (Gehenna)

Now Jesus says to us that EVERYONE is made GOOD (salty) by fire.  FIRE therefore has a purpose of making EVERYONE good even the believer!  That may come as a shock to you until you realize what Jesus says.

WHAT IS THIS FIRE.

In verse 43 Jesus describes a scenario; he says that if your hand cause you to stumble CUT IT OFF.  In verse 45 he says if your foot causes you to stumble CUT IT OFF.  In verse 47 he says if your eye causes you to stumble THROW IT OUT.  This is parabolic language that Jesus uses to convey to us the harshness that we who are believers must undertake in order to be fit for the kingdom of God.  Each of these scenarios, if one were to do them literally, would involve immense pain and suffering.  To the believer we understand then that Jesus is telling us that our path is filled with pain, suffering and tribulation.  To the believer THIS IS YOUR FIRE.  This is the fire that God uses to salt us.  But Jesus did not just say that ONLY the believers are salted but EVERYONE.  

So what is the fire to the world?  Everybody else receives their 'salting with fire' after death.  It is the salting the believer receives in life that makes us obedient to God.  To those who do not receive him now they too will be salted ( made good) by fire.  And when their purification is complete then will be fulfilled the scripture:

Isaiah 45:23
I have sworn by Myself, The word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness And will not turn back, That to Me EVERY knee will bow, EVERY tongue will swear allegiance. 

AND

Philippians 2:10-11
That at the name of Jesus EVERY knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that EVERY tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

So we see that BECAUSE everyone will be MADE good by FIRE then EVERY tongue will swear allegiance to GOD and EVERY knee shall bow to JESUS and EVERY tongue will confess JESUS is Lord.

SALT IS GOOD.

MEAT NOT MILK.