Christ, My Master: Colossians 4
Proclaim – Colossians 4:5-6
Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
Paul’s Second Instruction for the Church, Proclaim
This outward showing of the Christian life, the proclaiming is done not be word as much as by actions and lifestyle.
He tell the Colossians, to “Walk In wisdom, toward them that are without: Their way of walking, the biblical way of saying your lifestyle, was to proclaim the wisdom of a servant of the Lord.
They were also to Proclaim who they were by Redeeming the Time. This meant to make the most use of the limited time they had been given by God, to accomplish the greatest good.
Redeem meant to buy back something back, or to pay for something now but claim it later. I believe that you redeem time by spending our lives on earth in service to the Lord and then redeeming that time in Heaven through the eternal crown that will be given us by our Master one day.
In Ephesians 5:15-17, which Paul wrote at this same time, in a longer letter he told the church there, 15 See then that ye walk circumspectly (carefully), not as fools, but as wise, 16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
Seasoned Speech
Then Paul does tell them to actually proclaim in vs. 6 Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
To Paul, speech should be always be with grace seasoned with salt. Isn’t that a interesting turn of a phrase? Grace seasoned with salt. We know what grace is, it is undeserved favor, kindness and affection.
Again we see this thought echoed in Ephesians 4:29 29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
It is easy to see that our words should reflect the same kind of grace that we experienced when the Lord spoke to us, but what does it mean to be seasoned with salt?
You all know that salt was a preservative and a seasoning in Paul’s time. Jesus told his followers during the sermon on the mount, Matthew 5:13 13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
Salt was also used in the sacrifices both pagan and Jewish, the sacrifice given to God would be seasoned with salt.
Salt to our food adds flavor, it prevents if from being bland and tasteless. I believe that Paul is telling the Colossians, when you proclaim Christ, make sure you show him as the wonderful, exciting, glorious savior that He truly is. Christianity is the most fulfilling and exciting lifestyle that anyone can live, just read the Bible and see if for yourself. Don’t let your speech settle on the dull duty but let it rightly reflect the glory that is a part of knowing Christ.
This is the “Know how to answer every man:” Let everything we say, show the grace of God and seasoned richly in the Glory of God! That is the right kind of speech.
Servants of Christ, Proclaim.
We as servants of the Lord are to proclaim Jesus Christ in a dark, dying world, first by our lifestyle and secondly by our words. We are to redeem the time, by investing time in the lives around us, planting the seeds of the Gospel and looking for a redemption of our investment one day in Heaven.
Quote: Warren Wiesbe said this in his commentary on this section of Colossians, “When character, conduct, and conversation are all working together, it makes for a powerful witness.” – Warren Wiesbe, Bible Exposition Commentary - Be Complete (Colossians).
Illustration:
Dr. Will H. Houghton, who pastored the Calvary Baptist Church in New York City and later served as president of Chicago's Moody Bible Institute till his death in 1946. When Dr. Houghton became pastor of the Baptist Tabernacle in Atlanta, a man in that city hired a private detective to follow Dr. Houghton and report on his conduct. After a few weeks, the detective was able to report to the man that Dr. Houghton's life matched his preaching. As a result, that man became a Christian. - Bible Exposition Commentary - Be Complete (Colossians).
