BE A PURIFYING INFLUENCE IN A DECAYING WORLD

Proclamation:

"Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.  Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."  Colossians 4:5-6 (NIV)

Explanation:

In this passage of his letter to the believers in The Church at Colosse, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, the Apostle Paul told them to be careful in the way in which they act towards and speak to outsiders.  He told them that they should make every effort to interact with others in a Christ-like manner, displaying the grace of Christ, so that their behavior and their words were helpful and reflected positively on Christians.

Application:

As believers, we should speak with grace.  Our words should be spiritual and wholesome (Godly), fitting and sensitive (appropriate), purposeful and complimentary (helpful), kind and gentle (considerate), truthful and thoughtful (filtered by our mind before being spoken).  Our words should also be seasoned with salt.  Salt adds flavor to food, but it also prevents corruption.  It was used to prevent the bacterial contamination of meat before refrigeration in days of old.  Salt has a purifying influence by preventing decay.  By their being like salt they would have a purifying influence in a decaying world.  Jesus said that His disciples are the salt of the earth. (Matthew 5:13)  As believers, we should also know how to, and be ready to, answer people when they question us.  To do this we must read and study The Word of God. (2 Timothy 2:15)  Then, after we hear and read The Word of God, we must be doers of The Word. (James 1:22)  We must live in such a way that our Christian beliefs and our behavior are consistent.  Let us pray that God will use us to add a Christ-like flavor to this sin-sick world, and that He will use us to be a purifying influence in this decaying world.

Christian Conversation Seasoned With Salt

"Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.  Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."  Colossians 4:5-6 (NIV)

In his letter to the believers in Colossi, the Apostle Paul told them to be very careful in the way that they speak and act towards those who are unsaved.  He encouraged them to act and speak in such a way so as to be an example of how one ought to speak and act.  That was they could make the most of every opportunity to win others to Christ.  He told them to let the grace of God guide their tongues, and let all that they say be helpful.  They should know exactly what to say to anyone who wants to know why they believe as they do.

Our behavior should always be Christ-like, and so should our speech.  The tongue is a very powerful organ, but it can do a lot of damage.  It can cut someone, it can crush someone, and it can tear someone to shreds. (James 3:5-8)  We should be very careful with what we say, and how we say it.  Non-believers will judge all believers by what they see in us, and what they hear from us.  We should think, and pray, before we speak, so that our words will be helpful and not harmful.  Our words should be seasoned with salt.  Salt adds flavor, but it also has a purifying effect.  Bacteria do not grow in a salty environment.  Jesus said that we are the salt of the earth. (Matthew 5:13)  We should add a Christ-like flavor to the world, and we should be a purifying influence in sinful world.  Jesus said that salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, it is good for nothing. (Mark 9:50 and Luke 14:34)  We should be able to respond appropriately, and in a Christ-like manner, to all who we converse with.  Our conversation should always be full of grace and seasoned with salt.