Walk Through Colossians | Sunday, July 26, 2020

Hey, Cross Connection Church! It is great to see you today through the magic of electronics, cameras, and the internet. You're at your house, and I'm at my house. It's awesome, isn't it? So much better than meeting in person. Not really. But anyway, here we are, and today I am teaching through the book of Colossians.

Colossians is an interesting book. I found myself in Colossians the other day because a friend of mine was asked to teach on it, discussing the supremacy of Christ. As I started reading, I got stuck in it. I love Colossians. The interesting thing about this book is that Paul mentions walking four times. That really stood out to me. There are a couple of points that stick out, but walking is the main focus. So, we are going to walk through Colossians together in four different sections.

When Paul talks about walking, he uses the Greek word "peripeteo," which means to walk. It’s a deep term that refers to how you live, how you do things, and how you wander through life. That’s what he’s talking about here. It comes up first in chapter one, verse ten; then in chapter two, verse six; chapter three, verse seven; and chapter four, verse five. So, once in each of the four chapters of Colossians, Paul talks about walking.

But before we get walking, we should probably get praying. So, let's pray.

Heavenly Father, as we go through this book together and seek to hear from You today, Jesus, I pray that You would speak to me and speak through me, Lord. Give us all wisdom. Lord, grant us insight into the text and into ourselves, and how we should live and move and have our being through You, Jesus. Speak to Your people today. We look forward to hearing from You. Help us to grow closer to You through this, Jesus. We pray these things in Your name. Amen.

As I mentioned, walking is referenced in four places in the book of Colossians. In chapter one, verse ten, he talks about walking worthy of the Lord. In chapter two, verse six, it says we should continue to walk in Christ. In chapter three, verse seven, it states that we once walked like the world. Finally, in chapter four, it says we should walk in wisdom toward outsiders.

Now, we are going to look first at Colossians chapter one, verses nine through twelve, and examine each of these sections.

Colossians 1:9-12 says, "And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father."

We are going to go through this section a little bit, but look at what he says first. When he mentions that he heard about them, it is important to note that this is a church Paul has not visited. He has not met them face to face; he is only sending letters to them. So, he says, "When we heard about you, we started to pray for you."

What did he see as their greatest need? In Colossians 1:9, he states, "We have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will." Their greatest need was that they would know God's will. Where do we find God's will? It is right in His Word. God's will is revealed to us through His Word. Therefore, the first thing Paul wants them to know is to understand God's will and what God wants from them.

He continues by saying they should know His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. It is one thing to know God's will; you can know what the Bible says, but it takes spiritual wisdom and understanding to correctly apply it. That is what Paul is talking about. He wants them to have spiritual wisdom and understanding. Knowing what God says is great, but having the wisdom to know how to do it and the understanding of it are vitally important.

To illustrate the difference between wisdom and understanding, I think back to my experience with geometry in school. When I was a kid, I went through geometry. It was better than algebra, but it still wasn't all that interesting to me. As we went through geometry, the information would go in one ear and out the other, and I would forget it. Many years later, while doing woodworking, I realized I needed to find a measurement, and the only way to do that was by using geometry. I didn't remember how to do it, but I remembered what it was called. So, I was able to look it up, and once I put it into practice, I gained understanding and wisdom.

It is not enough just to know what God wants from us; we have to actually do it. By doing it, we will gain wisdom and understanding.

Paul's greatest need, as he saw it in the church in Colossae, was that they would have knowledge of God's will, wisdom, and understanding. He asked for these things for them. In verse 10, he emphasizes the importance of walking in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him. This is something we should all desire; we should all want to walk worthy of what the Lord wants for us.

First, we must know what He wants. We have to understand it and apply it wisely. But what does this actually look like? Paul explains that to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord means to fully please Him. To fully please God means to do His will and to bring Him glory. As we fulfill what He has called us to do, we bring Him glory. Therefore, as we learn and act, we are pleasing to God.

Paul also mentions bearing fruit. As we do what God calls us to do, we will be fruitful; we will bear fruit. He states that we should be increasing in knowledge. As we learn more and do more, our understanding will grow, and our knowledge will expand. He emphasizes bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.

Furthermore, we are to be strengthened with all power according to His glorious might. As we step out and do what God has called us to do, He will strengthen us with His power. This is what Paul is discussing—being strengthened in power. In the last part of verse 11, he writes about being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father.

Let’s take a closer look at verse 11. Being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might for all endurance and patience with joy is significant. Endurance and patience may seem similar, but they are different. Endurance is for the situation; it is for the circumstances we find ourselves in.

What circumstances could we possibly be in right now that would require endurance? I don't know about you, but we have been dealing with this thing called quarantine and the stay-at-home order. All of this requires endurance, and it is something we must be strengthened to endure.

It requires us to continue to push forward to go through it. Now, patience, on the other hand, is for people, while endurance is for situations. As we deal with people, we find that we need more and more patience. I'm sure you have seen in your own situation, much like mine, that the longer we are around the same people, the more we see the need in ourselves to develop patience.

Paul says that we are to be strengthened with His power according to His glorious might for all endurance and patience. He wants us to be able to endure these situations and to have patience with the people around us. But look at what he says right after that in verse 11: with joy. Patience and endurance are vitally important to get through the situation, but joy is the ketchup.

What do I mean by ketchup? If you have had a four-year-old, you will understand that most four-year-olds do not want to eat new things. When you break out something new for a four-year-old, they often say, "Nah, I just want a hot dog." Sometimes you have to resort to strange measures. For example, you might have broccoli and cauliflower that a four-year-old does not want to touch. But what do you do? You put ketchup on it, and suddenly, the thing that was unpalatable becomes doable. I can eat broccoli if I can put ketchup on it. I can eat cauliflower if I can put ketchup on it. That is four-year-old logic.

Well, joy is the ketchup that helps us make unpalatable situations palatable. Joy is not something that comes naturally; it is not merely a feeling of excitement. Joy is what God gives us as we endure, as we show patience, and as we see things differently. Suddenly, we can have joy in situations that are not necessarily joyful. We can find joy in situations that would often be too much for us. The joy of the Lord will be our strength, as it says in His Word.

As we choose to look at things in a joyful way, we will see those things differently. God will provide us a way to get through, and that joy will manifest as patience. That joy will be through endurance. Joy will be what brings us the ability to get through this. Then, he says at the beginning of verse 12, which is where we will end.

In this section, Paul emphasizes giving thanks to the Father. He will mention being thankful numerous times as we go through Colossians, as it is a recurring theme throughout the book. However, it is not the only theme; Colossians is a dense book filled with a lot of content. In the sections we are examining, there are at least 37 different instructions—things to do and things to stop doing. Among these, thankfulness remains a constant thread.

Why is gratitude so important? Because it changes our hearts and minds. The more we practice thankfulness, the happier we become, and this has been scientifically proven. When Paul instructs us to give thanks to the Father, it is not merely a chore. The Holy Spirit, speaking through Paul, understands that showing gratitude enables us to experience greater joy. It alters our thought processes and affects how our brains operate.

Despite the challenges, such as dealing with bugs while filming outdoors, we can persevere with endurance, patience, and joy. When we are thankful, our hearts and minds transform.

Now, let’s move on to Colossians chapter 2, verses 6 through 7, where Paul discusses walking in Christ. He writes, "As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving."

To walk in Christ means to live in Him. It involves intentionally living for Jesus throughout our daily lives, starting from the moment we get out of bed in the morning. The aspect that particularly resonated with me is the understanding that God was not surprised by the coronavirus. He was not powerless in the face of shutdowns and challenges. If we are walking in Christ, and if God was neither surprised nor caught off guard, it indicates that He has a plan.

As we walk in Christ, we will be able to go through life's challenges by seeking instruction from Him and accomplishing what He desires from us. In this passage, He shows us what it means to walk in Him. In verse 6, it says, "Therefore, as you receive Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him."

Verse 7 illustrates what this looks like: we are to be rooted and built up in Him. What does it mean to be rooted? Being rooted means to be anchored. It's like a plant; you send the roots down, anchoring it to that place, drawing sustenance, nutrients, and everything it needs from the ground. For us, being rooted means we need to find our sustenance in Christ. We must be immovable in Him and live in a way that keeps us vitally connected to Jesus if we are to fulfill His calling. He calls us to be rooted in Him, so we need to send our roots down deep and be strengthened in Him.

Next, what does it mean to be built up? I often think of a Lego house. We have been a Lego house for years. What does that mean? We've been a Lego house for so long that I can almost step on the pieces without screaming or crying in pain—almost. But here's the thing: a brick by itself is just a brick. It can be annoying, something to vacuum up or throw out when the kids aren't looking, or a painful surprise in the bathroom at night. Alone, it serves little purpose. However, when those bricks are built up together, they can become all kinds of different things. It is amazing to see what people can create with Legos. I have a son who worked at Legoland and loves building with Legos. It's incredible to see what he comes up with.

For us to be built up, it works similarly. God will add to our lives and change who we are. He will enhance our gifts and help them grow, transforming us into something different from when we started. If you look back at your life as a child, most of us can see the fingerprints of God and realize that we are not where we thought we would be. God built us up for a specific purpose, to accomplish His will and bring Him glory. So, we are rooted in Him, built up, and growing.

We're strengthened in Him and then established. Established in the faith. Now, what does it mean to be established? That means to be fixed, to be firmly placed, to be solid. That's what it means to be established.

He says we should be rooted, we should be built up, and we should be established in the faith just as you were taught. Remember the things that you were taught. I can go back in my head to the Heidelberg Catechism: What is the chief end of man? The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. I learned that when I was in grade school, but it is still locked in here. I can go back to that. I can go back to the things that I learned when I was young from the Word, and I can draw on those things and grow in my walk through them.

Just like you were taught means to go back to the Word, to go back to what you've learned. If you haven't learned a lot, then learn more. The Bible is available. Read it. Spend your time in it. Get an audio version. There are all kinds of apps and ways that you can grow. But the thing is, you have to do it. God will use the ammunition that you give Him. The Holy Spirit will use what you've locked in your heart and in your head. He'll use that to help establish you just like you were taught. But if you don't put it there, He's not going to use it. So, go back to your Word just like you were taught.

Then He ends with "abounding in thanksgiving." Abounding is overflowing. It is like more than you can handle. It is abounding in thanksgiving because God knows the things that He has given to us. He knows what we're capable of. He knows how much He loves us. In that, He knows we should be thankful. We should be overly thankful. We should be abounding in thanksgiving.

We should be so thankful, but very often we're not because we choose to look at what we don't have instead of looking at what we have. We choose to, going all the way back to the Ten Commandments, covet our neighbor's house, covet our neighbor's stuff, covet our neighbor's spouse. We choose to look at what we don't have so often instead of looking at what we do have. But if we look at what we do have, we can be abounding in thanksgiving, which, as I mentioned before, changes how you think. It changes your heart. It makes life better if you are thankful.

He says we should walk in Christ, rooted in Him, built up, established, just like we were taught, and abounding in thanksgiving. Then we go to this third section, which is in Chapter 3. This is a longer one: Colossians Chapter 3, verses 5-17. It says, "Put to death, therefore, what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry, on account of which the wrath of God is coming. In these, you too once walked when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices, and you have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its Creator. Here there is neither Jew nor Greek, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free, but Christ is all and in all."

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another, and if one has a complaint against another, forgive each other, as the Lord has forgiven you. So you must also forgive. Above all these, put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of our Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

As I said, this is a long section, and we are not going to cover every single thing in there. We're going to look at portions of it. In the beginning, it has a list of things to kill. It says, "Put to death, therefore, what is earthly in you," and it lists some things: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. He says we should kill those things.

Here's the thing: when you go to kill something, it usually doesn't want to die. That's why we're called to put it to death. It doesn't want to die, and it's going to fight back. So be prepared. When you try to put those things to death in your body, they will fight back. Be ready for that, and you've got to be careful because they will resurrect if you start to walk in the flesh.

If you start to walk outside of Christ, if you begin to get distracted or think about things, those distractions will pop back up. It's a good barometer to ask yourself, "Where am I? Am I struggling with things I shouldn't be?" If so, maybe you're not walking in Christ. He says to put those things to death. Then he provides a list of things to put away, stating that these are the things you once walked in. Now, put these other things away.

To put something away implies distance and intent. When you put something away, it's not like putting your socks in a drawer. No, this is about making it go far away, like throwing it away or pitching it as far as you can. He says you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk. He instructs us to put those things away and not to lie to one another. This means you have put off the old self and have put on the new self.

The important thing is that it's not enough just to put something off; you have to put something on in its place. It's like clothing. You can't take off all your clothes and expect to be adequately clothed. You have to put something else on. Paul emphasizes this by saying to put off certain things but to put on different things. He states that having put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator, there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free. But Christ is all and in all. It doesn't matter who you are or what your circumstances are; salvation in Christ is offered freely to you.

So, he says to put off those things. In verse 12, he instructs us to put on, as God's chosen ones, a list of qualities: compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. We are to bear with one another, and if one has a complaint against another, we should forgive each other as the Lord has forgiven us. Therefore, we must also forgive.

This list of qualities is what we should put on; these are the things that should be evident in our lives. Above all these, the most important thing is to put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. That's verse 14. If you remember nothing else, remember to put on love. This should be intentional.

This is not just something that we wait for to happen, as if all of a sudden we will be loving. This is something we have to put on intentionally. When you wake up in the morning, as your feet hit the floor, maybe you put a sticky note on your nightstand or in the bathroom mirror. You need to put on love. You have to decide that you are going to be a loving person today.

I was having a conversation with someone this week—Nick Burt, who is currently behind the camera, so he can't stop me from saying this. Nick did a wedding this week, and one of the things that really stuck out to me was that he told the couple to compete with each other to see who could be more loving. What an awesome way to put that! This should be the greatest competition we have in our homes, in our workplaces, and even when we're in Costco—anywhere—to see if we can be the most loving person there.

Look at what God says in His Word. He says to put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. That is going to bring harmony; it will tie together all the things He wants us to put on: meekness, kindness, forgiveness, bearing with one another, and humility. It is love that does that. If we choose to be the most loving person in the world, that will make the biggest impact and bring God the most glory.

After discussing love binding everything together in perfect harmony, He says in verse 15, "And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body, and be thankful." Let the peace of Christ rule. What does it mean to rule? It means to be the guiding force, the default in charge. The peace of Christ should rule in your heart. We should be peaceful people, and the peace of Christ should flow through us.

Now, the peace of Christ is not what we often think of as peace. It doesn't mean a peaceful situation; in fact, it means peace in spite of the situation. When the peace of God rules in our hearts, we are able to remain peaceful in any circumstance.

That very much are not. Because it's God's peace, not our peace. So if we avail ourselves of that, if we cling to that, God will give us peace in situations that are not peaceful. That's what He is talking about here.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And once again, be thankful. He keeps mentioning that being thankful thing. Now remember, Paul was in prison when he wrote this letter. Paul says to be thankful, and he's in a situation that most of us are thankful we are not in. So, be thankful.

Then he says, let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Singing, be thankful, praise God in song—really sing. Even if you can't sing, really sing. If you can't sing, then hum. If you can't hum, whistle. And if you can't do any of those things, get yourself some noise-canceling headphones so that you can't even distract yourself, and just sing. Play a worship song and sing along with it.

Singing also changes your brain. As you sing, your brain changes. So as you sing worship, your brain is going to change, and it's going to be drawn closer to Christ. That's why we love worship so much, because as we sing, we are changed to be more like Him.

He says, admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing songs, hymns, and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Thankfulness should be the hallmark of what goes on in our hearts.

Then he says, finishing out this section in verse 17, whatever you do, whatever—that covers everything. Whatever you do, in word or deed, no matter what you're saying or what you're doing, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

So whatever you do, whatever you are, whatever you're doing, you're doing it in the name of Christ, whether you're choosing to or not. As a Christian, whatever you're doing, you are doing in the name of Christ. So when you go to Costco, you're doing this in the name of Christ. When you're on the freeway, you're driving in the name of Christ. When you're at home with your children and your spouse, you are doing that in the name of Christ.

Of Christ, and you should be giving thanks. If you find it's something that you can't give thanks for, that's an indication that you need to spend some time with your Heavenly Father. Ask Him, "How do I give thanks for this? God, I'm having a really hard time giving thanks for this. What can I do?" He will answer you. It's not always something you want to hear, but He will answer you.

Finishing out this section, once again, we are called to give thanks to God the Father through Christ. Thanksgiving is emphasized once again. In Colossians chapter 4, this is the last section we will go through. Colossians chapter 4, starting in verse 2 and going through verse 6, says, "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open a door to us 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. 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."

He starts this passage by saying, "Continue steadfastly in prayer." What does it mean to continue steadfastly? It means to keep going without stopping. As far as prayer is concerned, we are to continue steadfastly. Don't stop. Continue, even in the face of trials; we should be praying.

Then he says, "being watchful." Being watchful tells us what we should be praying for. If we are watching, we know what to pray for. If we are praying all the time and watching, we will know what we should be praying for, which will make things a lot easier.

He also emphasizes, "with thanksgiving." When something is repeated often, it is something that He wants us to pay attention to. So, once again, with thanksgiving is part of your steadfast prayer as you are being watchful.

At the same time, he says, "pray for us also that God may open a door to us for the word to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison, so that I may make it clear which is how I ought to speak." Pray for your church leaders. Please, please, please pray for us. Just like your life, your job, and your family circumstances, the coronavirus has changed everything for all of us.

All the things that we used to use, all the metrics that we used to discern church health and to determine whether we were doing the right thing, are all out the window. All of a sudden, we can't measure things like how many people are engaged in something because we're not meeting together. This brings us to a place where we are required to take things on faith. We are required to trust God that we're doing the right thing. We must lean on Him for wisdom and understanding, just as we all are for everything. However, it has changed quite a bit for how we do church.

So please pray for us. Pray for us to see those open doors. Pray for us to have the wisdom to walk in those things. Pray for us that we would be able to speak God's word clearly whenever we're given an opportunity because things are different. Just as Paul asked the church in Colossae to pray for him, I'm asking you to pray for us because we need the wisdom of God as we go through this.

In verse 5, Paul says to walk in wisdom towards outsiders, making the best use of the time. How do we walk in wisdom with outsiders? How do I gain wisdom on how to deal with them? The first thing I must do to become wise about them is to find out about them. Whether it's someone I will spend a lot of time with, where I have the opportunity to learn more and more about them, or someone I will have a short engagement with, the easiest way to understand someone and walk in wisdom towards them is to apply what I've learned in God's word and ask questions.

Sometimes, the best way to gain a little wisdom about someone's situation is just to ask them, "Hey, how are you doing?" For instance, Costco is a significant part of my life; I am there a lot because I have a big family. So it comes up frequently in my illustrations. While at Costco, as you talk to the person who is helping you, even with the plastic shell between us, just ask them how they're doing. Very often, they will be pretty honest and tell you.

It's important to realize that most of the world is pretty freaked out right now, and this anxiety goes in waves. Depending on what they are concerned about, that may change, but people are generally feeling unsettled. So as you talk to them, listen to their answer. "Hey, how are you doing? You doing okay?" Allow us to walk in wisdom towards them.

And he says to make the best use of the time, walking in wisdom towards outsiders. Time is the most precious resource you have. It's the only thing that you cannot get more of. You have a certain amount of time, and God knows how long it is. That is what you have, so it is the most precious thing we possess. Use it wisely. Spend your time wisely; don't just fritter it away. Pray that God would show you how to spend it in the most wise way.

He says to walk in wisdom towards outsiders and to make the best use of your time. Then, in verse 6, he instructs us to let our speech always be gracious. When he says "always," he means always. And when he says "gracious," he means gracious. This means that our speech, every bit of it, should always be gracious.

Even when we approach subjects like politics, coronavirus, Black Lives Matter, riots, unrest, or whether to wear a mask or not, the hallmark of us as Christians is that our speech should be gracious. We should not be the ones foaming with anger or wrung out in fear. We should be those who are gracious. The first thing people should know about me, before my politics or my stance on anything, should be grace. That is what we are called to communicate.

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt. When you season something with salt, you want to make it taste good and palatable in the best way possible. When you season with salt, you're trying to make it the best possible for the person who is going to consume it, not necessarily for yourself. So when you're speaking to somebody, speak in a way that communicates grace in the best possible way for them to hear it.

This is going to require that we get to know people a little bit before we take the opportunity to give them our opinion on anything else that's going on. We should get to know them and show grace. Our speech should be gracious, seasoned with salt, and then it finishes out that verse so that we may know how we ought to answer each person. He wants us to know how to answer every person that we run across.

I had a plumber in the house today putting a faucet in for us because I tried to put the faucet in once before, and it didn't work out well. So, I've learned my lesson. I paid the plumber to put it in, which gave me an opportunity to speak to him. I'm not going to tell you that we had this amazing, deep conversation about life, the universe, and Jesus, but I had an opportunity to ask him some questions. I had a chance to be gracious with him and to speak with him in a way that leaves us open for more conversations later.

Oddly enough, the thing we talked the longest and most about was chickens. I have chickens, and I love having them. It's my second favorite flock. Sometimes it's my first favorite flock, depending on how dealing with you guys goes. Right now, you are my favorite flock, but it's my second favorite flock. When someone else is interested in chickens, it's very easy to talk about them in a gracious manner, in a way that's seasoned with salt, and that leaves the conversation open. I know I'm going to have more conversations with him about this because he was fascinated, and I'll have more plumbing needs. Now I know exactly who to call because I have a way to speak with him. I know, in effect, how I ought to answer him when it says how I ought to answer each person.

See, here's the opportunity that we have as Cross Connection Church. God has given us the instruction, the ability, and the call to operate in those things and how we deal with people. If you would engage with me for a moment in an exercise, we're going to look at verses five and six, and we're going to read them slightly differently. Verse five says, "Walk in wisdom towards outsiders, Cross Connection Church, making the best use of the time." Let your speech—put your name in here. For me, it would be, "Let your speech, Jason, always be gracious, seasoned with salt."

That you, Jason, may know how you ought to answer each person. Notice this verse does not give us any wiggle room. It doesn't say to know how to answer each person you like, or each person you get along with, or each person you made the intentional choice to deal with. It says each person. There's no wiggle room.

Our speech should be gracious; our speech should be seasoned with salt to make it palatable for the people we are dealing with. We should know if we're doing what God has called us to. If we're relying on His Holy Spirit, if we're walking in Christ, we will know how to answer each person. Now, we're not responsible for what they do with the answer. We're not responsible for their reactions, but we are responsible to present things and to speak with people in a way that is gracious and seasoned with salt.

I know this is heavy. I know this is a heavy section, and there's a lot of instruction here. It can sometimes seem overwhelming, but remember the privilege that you have. You are the people of God. You are strengthened by God. You are inspired by God, and you're directed and taught by God through His Word, empowered by the living God to go out in His name, in His protection, and in His power, and make a difference in this world that we're in.

So that's our call. We have a whole world that desperately needs Jesus. We have a world right now full of people who are scared, full of people who are angry, and full of people who need the peace of Christ. They need to walk in Jesus, and we have that answer.

In a world that's afraid, we should be able to show love. In a world that is completely uncertain, we should be a blanket of peace spread across it. In a world that is so full of angry, hateful speech, we should be those who are gracious, and our speech should be seasoned with salt. Let us walk worthy of what God has called us to do in His Word. Let us walk worthy in the light of the sacrifice that He made for us, and as Paul has repeatedly said, let us be thankful.

Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank You. Thank You that we do not do this on our own.

Thank You that we do not do this in our own strength. Thank You that we do not walk without You, that You are with us.

So, Jesus, as we step out from here, as we seek to minister to the people around us, as we seek to have those conversations, Lord, that are gracious and seasoned with salt, thank You for giving us those opportunities. As we do that, Lord, we pray that You would give us strength, peace, and most of all, Jesus, the love—not our love, but Your supernatural agape love—that it would flow through us, Jesus, to every person that we speak to.

Father, where we fall short, where we blow it, and where we decide that we'd rather express our own opinions, Lord, forgive us. Thank You for grace, the same grace that we show others. Thank You for showing that to us. Help us to walk wisely, Jesus, redeeming the time and the opportunities that You've given to us.

We pray these things, Jesus, in Your name. Amen.