Bible League: Living His Word Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. — Colossians 4:5-6 ESV Time is valuable. Time is valuable because we have a limited amount of it at our disposal. If you act as if you have all the time in the world, you will find out soon enough that you're wrong. It's important that we make the best use of the time we have. Christians should understand this better than anyone else. This is because we know that the quality of the life to come depends upon what we do with the time we have now. For Christians, making the best use of the time is more than a pragmatic principle for a decent life. It is the key to the life to come. So, what should Christians do with their time? No doubt, there are many things. The Apostle Paul, however, singles out two of the most important ones in our verses for today. First, he gives us a general principle. We should "Walk in wisdom toward outsiders." Outsiders, of course, are those outside the church, those outside the fellowship of believers. Before His ascension to heaven, Jesus said that His disciples should be witnesses to outsiders (Acts 1:8). It is important that we walk in wisdom toward them so that we don't compromise our witness. Our walk should be a witness to the redemptive and transformative power of the Gospel. Second, Paul gives us a more specific example of the general principle. We should walk in wisdom toward outsiders by making sure that our speech is always "gracious, seasoned with salt." It should be gracious in the sense that it should reflect the fact that we are Christians, that we are under the influence of the Spirit of Christ Jesus. It should be seasoned with salt in the sense that it should make things better. Just as salt is beneficial for food, so our speech should be beneficial for those around us. It should be helpful and not hurtful. If you walk in wisdom and if your speech is gracious and seasoned with salt, then you will "know how you ought to answer each person." Your life and your words will be a witness that leads outsiders to become insiders. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingJeremiah 27, 28 Jeremiah 27 -- Judah Will Submit to Nebuchadnezzar NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Jeremiah 28 -- Hananiah Falsely Prophesies the Return of the Vessels NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading 2 Timothy 4 2 Timothy 4 -- Timothy Encouraged to Preach the Word; Final Remarks NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done.Insight When Paul spoke of “these things,” he was referring to his credentials, credits, and successes. After showing that he could beat the Judaizers at their own game—being proud of who they were and what they had done—Paul showed that it was the wrong game. Challenge Be careful of considering past achievements so important that they get in the way of your relationship with Christ. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Songs 8:13 Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear it.My sweet Lord Jesus remembers well the garden of Gethsemane, and although he has left that garden, he now dwells in the garden of his church: there he unbosoms himself to those who keep his blessed company. That voice of love with which he speaks to his beloved is more musical than the harps of heaven. There is a depth of melodious love within it which leaves all human music far behind. Ten of thousands on earth, and millions above, are indulged with its harmonious accents. Some whom I well know, and whom I greatly envy, are at this moment hearkening to the beloved voice. O that I were a partaker of their joys! It is true some of these are poor, others bedridden, and some near the gates of death, but O my Lord, I would cheerfully starve with them, pine with them, or die with them, if I might but hear thy voice. Once I did hear it often, but I have grieved thy Spirit. Return unto me in compassion, and once again say unto me, "I am thy salvation." No other voice can content me; I know thy voice, and cannot be deceived by another, let me hear it, I pray thee. I know not what thou wilt say, neither do I make any condition, O my Beloved, do but let me hear thee speak, and if it be a rebuke I will bless thee for it. Perhaps to cleanse my dull ear may need an operation very grievous to the flesh, but let it cost what it may I turn not from the one consuming desire, cause me to hear thy voice. Bore my ear afresh; pierce my ear with thy harshest notes, only do not permit me to continue deaf to thy calls. Tonight, Lord, grant thine unworthy one his desire, for I am thine, and thou hast bought me with thy blood. Thou hast opened mine eye to see thee, and the sight has saved me. Lord, open thou mine ear. I have read thy heart, now let me hear thy lips. Daily Light on the Daily Path Psalm 19:12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.Hebrews 12:15 See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled; Galatians 5:7 You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth? Philippians 1:6,27 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. • Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; James 3:5,6 So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! • And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. Colossians 4:6 Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
    |