Versed of the Day 5-24-22

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. 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 4:2-6

Paul urged the Colossians to commit a significant amount of time to prayer. Presumably this prayer focused on their spiritual growth, much like Paul’s prayer in Colossians 1:9-12. Paul’s command to be watchful recalls Jesus’ identical command to his disciples during their struggle to stay awake and pray in Gethsemane (Matthew 26:4 and Mark 14:38). The command to be thankful shows that believers should express sincere thanks to God for they many spiritual blessings they have already received before imploring him to bless them even more.

The believers’ prayers for their own spiritual needs should be accompanied by petitions for Paul and his missionary team as well. They should pray that God will grant good opportunities to the team for proclaiming the gospel, which is the amazing mystery that Christ indwells both believing Jews and Gentiles so that they have the hope of fully exhibiting the glory of God (Colossians 1:27). Paul reminds the Colossians that his imprisonment currently restricted his opportunities to proclaim the gospel.

Paul desires to proclaim the gospel clearly in plain, simple language rather than in lofty rhetoric that few would understand. Because the gospel is such a powerful message, it does not require human eloquence to be effective ( 1 Corinthians 2:1-5). Paul recognizes that he proclaimed the gospel under a divine mandate. Because Christ himself had commanded Paul to preach the gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 26:16-18).

The Colossians share Paul’s responsibility for proclaiming the gospel to others. Thus Paul urges them to relate to unbelievers wisely. This entails living a holy life that is pleasing to God and prompts unbelievers to wonder why Christians are so different from others. Believers must seize every opportunity God grants them to proclaim the gospel to others.

Believers should speak graciously and kindly to unbelievers. This will help make the gospel message winsome and attractive, much like salt can make food flavorful and appealing. Believers should remember that the goal is to win a soul rather than to win an argument. This will prevent them from being harsh and unnecessarily offensive.

So here is what Paul is telling us in this passage: As followers of Christ, our speech must be pleasant, encouraging, kind and gracious-worthy of being identified with Christ. It should set an example of Godliness and decency for all who hear, and it should always speak the truth in love. This kind of conversation results from the work of God’s grace, which is his undeserved favor, love and spiritual enablement, in our hearts. “Seasoned with salt” is conversation that is right for the occasion, wholesome, marked by purity and free from corruption. Like salt, it should enhance and add flavor in spiritual sense, giving people a thirst and appetite for God. Graceful speech, however, does not rule out stern words, when necessary, to challenge and oppose the enemies of Christ. And when out conversations are full of grace and seasoned with salt, then we will truly be trying to win souls for Christ and not just trying to win an argument.

Today’s Bible Readings:

2 Samuel 4-6, John 13:31-14:14, Psalm 119:17-32 and Proverbs 15:31-32