In our communications with
other people, are we being led of the flesh or of the Spirit, or is it
sometimes one and sometimes the other? Or, can we be speaking in the power of
the Spirit, and then can we switch gears, and speak out of our flesh? How do we
know if it is one or the other? What are the determining factors to reveal if
our conversations are fleshly and self-driven or if they are of the Spirit,
empowered by the Spirit, and are Spirit-driven?
The Lord Jesus led me to read
Colossians 4:2-6 (ESV; BLB).
Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it
with thanksgiving. V. 2 (ESV)
Before we decide to speak
out, especially publicly, or to write anything on any particular subject, especially
with regard to God’s Word and what we believe it teaches us, we must bathe it
in prayer, seeking God’s face, asking for the Spirit to guide us into all
truth. Then we should ask for our Lord to put his words in our minds so that it
will be his words that come out through our mouths and through our finger tips
(in writing).
But, in our prayers, we must
be watchful to make certain we are hearing God’s voice clearly, and that we are
not being influenced by our traditions, prejudices, religious upbringing, and denominational
stances, etc. We must go into God’s Word with fresh minds, receptive hearts,
and willing spirits to hear God speak HIS truths to our hearts. We must be
willing, too, to lay aside all hindrances which might keep us from hearing God
clearly.
We must also be watchful that
we don’t let our own flesh enter into our prayers or keep us from hearing the
Lord clearly on any subject matter which he may want to address in our lives or
in the life of the church. If our hearts are filled with pride, rage,
unforgiveness, bitterness, self-righteousness, or justification for willful and
continued sins against God, these will be hindrances to our prayers and to
hearing God’s voice rightly.
At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open
to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of
which I am in prison— that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. Vv.
3-4 (ESV)
I believe we should pray for
divine opportunities to share the love of Christ with others, and for openings
in our conversations with people to share about his grace and mercy to us,
which was provided for us by him dying on a cross for our sins, that we might
die to sin and live to righteousness.
Also, we should pray for
ourselves and for one another that, when we do share the Word with others, that
we would have clarity of mind, purpose, heart, wisdom and speech, so that others
can hear what we are saying, and so they can receive and apply those truths to
their own hearts and lives.
Yet, this is not to say that,
just because we are filled with the Spirit, have bathed what we are about to
say in prayer, have received the truth from God which we are to communicate,
and even if we have done so with clarity, that all will receive what we have to
share, and that some will not oppose us. Not everyone received Jesus’ sermons
with acceptance, though some did, but he had many who fought against his words,
too.
But, this is also not to say
that, even if our hearts are in the right place, and even if we have prayed,
and even if what we are speaking is truth, and we are being led of the Spirit,
that we will always communicate what we know is truth with complete clarity or
without prejudice or in, perhaps, the best way possible. This is because we are
still human beings, and because, hopefully, we are still learning and growing
in this area, and, thus, we still need work.
Walk in wisdom toward those outside, redeeming the
time. V. 5 (BLB)
Our walk is our lifestyle. It
is how we live, think, are, speak and do, day in and day out. It is our
attitudes, our prejudices, our values and our behaviors. It is the ultimate
summation of who we are, what we are about, and of how we are living our lives,
either by the Spirit or by the flesh, or perhaps a mixture of both, over a
period of time. What shines out?
Wisdom, to me, is applied
knowledge. We can know something in our heads, but unless it gets down deep
into our hearts, and we actually do what we know, then it is just information,
for it has no bearing on how we live. So, to walk in wisdom is to not just look
in the mirror and see who we are, but it is to follow through with God
regarding what he revealed to us when we looked in that mirror, and then to do
what God has instructed us in his Word that we must do. This may mean to repent
of sin, forgive someone, apologize to someone, correct wrong thinking, or do a
kind deed for someone, etc.
Although we should be living
like this all the time, specifically here we are instructed to live like this
toward outsiders, i.e. towards those who are not of the faith. And, this has to
do with redeeming the time. Could it be here, that the time we are to redeem is
for their lives, to buy it back for them, in a sense, by sharing with them the
gospel of our salvation? But, not just in words, but by exemplifying to them
how that is to be lived out in our lives?
Let your speech be always in grace, having been
seasoned with salt, to know how it behooves you to answer each one. V. 6 (BLB)
What is grace? Grace is
kindness. It is favor toward someone. And, it is for their benefit, i.e. it is considering
what is best for them, to meet their legitimate needs. It is Jesus Christ
freely giving himself up for us on a cross that we might die to sin and live to
righteousness, which is what we need. And, it is us giving ourselves to others
to meet in them what they really need, too, being willing to sacrifice our very
lives for their freedom in Christ.
Grace is not telling people
what they want to hear, and what will make them feel good about themselves in
their sins. Grace does not placate or entertain sin, nor does it lie to people
or dilute the truth so as not to offend others. God’s grace, which brings
salvation, teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions and to
live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we await Christ’s return.
And, this is the kind of grace we should demonstrate to others, too, but with
gentleness and with respect.
Regarding salt, from a
spiritual perspective, since salt is used as a preservative to slow decay, salt
is thus an element we add in our conversations with people to help preserve
their lives from corruption and destruction; and from the evils of our society.
“Salty” words should be pure (virtuous) and wholesome, and that which can be
penetrating to the heart, as they should have God’s unique individual characteristic
within them. In other words, they should reveal his divine character.
Salt creates a thirst, so the
goal of our conversations with people (in speech or in writing) should be to
create within them a thirst for God and for his word. Too much salt can ruin
food, and too much salt can also ruin the effectiveness of our conversations.
In the same respect, no salt or little salt can make spiritual food bland and
tasteless, rendering it ineffective in penetrating to the heart and in
preserving lives from sin’s deceitfulness.
So, our conversations with
others, and especially our presentations of the gospel, must have both elements
of God’s grace and his justice, speaking the truth in love to others so that
they can be rescued from darkness and brought into God’s wonderful light, and
so that they can see the error of their ways and turn to the Lord or back to
him in full surrender and obedience.
Sometimes these conversations
will call for more grace and less salt, and other times they will call for more
salt and less grace, depending upon the circumstances. This is modeled for us
in Jesus’ and the apostles’ interactions and conversations with the people in
the world, and with people of faith. Yet, in our communications with others, we
should always keep in mind to say what is necessary, proper, or advantageous
for them with regards to their salvation and their eternal life with God.
Lord, Move Me
An Original Work / October 16, 2011
Be my desire, my heart set on fire,
Lord, move me to worship You only, I
pray.
Fill with Your Spirit, my heart
overflow.
Lord, may I long for You; Your word to
know.
Teach me to walk with You, Lord, in
Your power,
And may I serve You, Lord, right now in
this hour.
Lord, how I want to obey You forever.
Help me to hear You, Lord, so I will
not stray.
Teach me to love You; adore You always.
Envelope me, Lord, with Your grace
today.
Meet me in my need, and show me Your mercy.
Forgive me for all things, as I humbly
pray.
Counsel me, lead me, direct me, and
guide me,
So I follow You, Lord, where’er You
lead now.
I love to hear You speak Your words to
me.
I am so grateful that You set me free.
Wash me, and cleanse me, and make me
like You, Lord,
And I will live with You for eternity.
Monday, December 25, 2017,
8:33 a.m. – Thank you, Jesus, for this teaching on grace and salt. I pray you
will continue to grow me in this area, in learning better and more productive
ways of communicating your love and grace with the world around me.
No comments:
Post a Comment