A Blameless Life for Gracious Witness

[1] Title

Making and Guiding Fully Devoted Followers of Jesus Christ

Today’s Colossians passage fits well with guiding.

Open to , if you need a Bible please don’t leave without one tonight.

Prayer

What do you reflect?

Last week: An encouragement to pray for a door to open for the expansion of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Very brief instructions for our Christian lives in the world.

A blameless life lays the foundation for gracious witness.

[2]

Colossians 4:5–6 ESV

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.

[3] Title

ONE

Christians must act with wisdom and tact towards those outside the church.

We are all missionaries - reflecting Christ to the world

Wisdom and Tact towards those outside the church

We must know when and when NOT to speak to others about our beliefs.

We must never give the impression of superiority or being argumentative - few people have every been argued into Christianity (Nate-Johnny)

How we live our lives, more than our words, will attract people or repel them from Christianity.

Christians have the great responsibility showing Christ to others in how we live our daily lives.

TWO

A Blameless life lays the foundation for gracious witness, as Christians make the most of every opportunity.

The verb literally means ‘buying up’: That every opportunity should be snatched up like a bargain.

THREE

Eagerness for witness should not mean brash arrogance or boring complacency.

Let your conversation always be full of grace.

Let your words be seasoned with salt.

Matthew 5:13 ESV

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

SALT

Jesus tells us we are the salt of the earth and Paul tells us in our speech with nonbelievers should be seasoned with salt.

SALT

Jesus tells us we are the salt of the earth and Paul tells us in our speech with nonbelievers should be seasoned with salt.

Matthew 5:13 ESV

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

Salt is used to preserve, purify and season food.

Salt is used to preserve, purify and season food.

Conversation that is figuratively seasoned with salt is uplifting

Conversation that is figuratively seasoned with salt is uplifting

Paul knows that a boring, tedious monologue is worse than useless in evangelism.

Christians are to work to make their witnessing interesting and lively - after all, we are living a peaceful, joyful, hopeful, abundant life that no one can live outside of a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Prepared to answer everyone - and they will ask one day.

This implies outsiders asking Christians about their new life in Christ (if verse 5 is obeyed).

The questions may be predictable, but each questioner must be treated as an individual, respected and loved.

If the answer is an announcement rather than a conversation the argument may be won, but he person lost.

Everything about the believer should be as attractive as possible to open up opportunities to answer questions about Christian faith.

From the beginning it all comes full circle. Pray as Paul prays, work as Paul works.

1 Peter 3:15 ESV

but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

Our prayer and our live needs to be an expression of the loving wisdom of God, reaching out in Christ to save the world.