How Does One Really Speak Always with Grace, Seasoned with Salt? ⋆ Effie Darlene Barba

As we reach the close in our study in Colossians, we are given this admonition.
“⁵Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. ⁶Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.” (Colossians 4; NKJV). But how do we do this? What does it mean to redeem the time? Or what does saltiness have to do with our speech? So, let us break this down.

As is quite typical of the letters from Paul, it began with doctrine. Then, because of all the truths gleaned, how are our lives to be transformed.

In chapter one, Paul began with an introduction and a prayer. Within the prayers to each church addressed, Paul gave them sound doctrine and a request of the Holy Spirit to provide them with what they need. The Colossian church was being attacked by false doctrine. Those who added their own flavor to the faith. They tried to say, Christ alone was not enough to save. The more rituals they added brought along idolatrous worship of angels and self. After all, your penance and sacrifice were what saved you, or so they falsely taught. For that reason, Paul prayed earnestly for the true believers to be filled with wisdom.

We “do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; ¹⁰that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God (Colossians 1; NKJV).

God’s Work of Grace

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God Ephesians 2:8

Knowing this, changes everything. It changes our response. More than that, it changes our heart. When we understand this truth, we humbly respond. If we truly understand the price, He paid that we might be a part of His eternal story of redemption, then we desire to please Him. Only then can we begin to love Him and recognize how worthy He is of our praise. We also, know that we can trust Him with every detail of our life. Why? Because from before creation, He saw you and me. He loved us enough to endure all the years of sin, destruction, ridicule, and human arrogance, so that we might be saved.

That is what Paul urged the church to understand. We are indebted to Him always. Furthermore, this world is but a moment in time, a blink of the eye compared to eternity. Therefore, we can endure all things here, in the power of His strength. Knowing that one day we will share in His glory in His presence.

¹⁸For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us (Romans 8 NKJV).

The Holy Spirits Role in Grace, Seasoned by Salt

It is the Holy Spirit that indwells us, empowers us and is our spiritual life once we are born again into newness of life. Formerly, our spirits were dead to God. But that old flesh was buried with Christ, and we walk in newness of life.

⁴Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Romans 6

Only as we learn to trust in this truth, lean in to His Power within us by each moment declaring the truth. “I no longer am a slave to sin. Your will Lord is what I choose, not my own.”

Grace, seasoned with Salt

What does all that have to do with our speech being grace seasoned with Salt? Well precisely think of what we are talking about. Salt has a cleansing and purifying character, and it also creates thirst. We are to speak to those who do not know Christ by letting our speech be filled with grace, kindness, and goodness as is the Holy Spirit. Yet, it cannot be wishy, washy regarding truth. It is to be such that we might lead others to thirst for Christ. So, that our speech would cause them to desire to drink from the fountain of living water.

The scriptures preceding this recurrently speak of prayer with thanksgiving. Furthermore, there was a listing of apparel we were to adorn. You see if we are in these earthly bodies, we keep in our closet those old dirty rags that we use to wear, just in case they might fit again. So, each morning and in fact, throughout the day, we choose which we are wearing. The new garment of righteousness, or our old filthy rags. We either remember the truth that the Holy Spirit indwells us with all that we need (Christ in us, the hope of Glory) or we ignore this truth and rely on ourselves.

Essentially, our sins died with Christ, to be risen again into new life the minute we accept Him. ¹⁴For the love of Christ compels us…(since) One died for all, then all (that are in Him) died (to sin). ¹⁵He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again…¹⁷Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new 2Corinthians 5.

Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt.

Perhaps if we consider some examples of speech being grace, seasoned with salt. While Jesus was teaching, large crowds surrounded Him. He spoke with authority, yet gentleness. As He spoke He said, “

³³So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. ³⁴“Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? ³⁵It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”(Luke 14). Amazingly, those who had the most financially to give up began to thirst for Him as we find the next verse to say, “Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. ²And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” (Luke 15) Instead of rebuking the Pharisees, He then told parables. “The lost sheep, the widow’s mite and the Prodigal Son.”

Hence His speech was that of grace, seasoned with salt. He held fast to the truth, gave them what was needed to heal their sores, and caused some to thirst for more.

Redeeming the time:

Paul gave us a perfect example of redeeming the time while your speech be that of grace, seasoned with salt. He was jailed, falsely accused. Then at midnight, he began leading a worship service. Certainly, he was not in an ideal situation. Yet, he realized that if he were sentenced or killed the next morning, now was the only time he had to testify to those in prison and the guards. “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them” (Acts 16:25). Sometimes redeeming the time, is to see opportunity even in a moment of difficulty

Concluding Thoughts: Grace Seasoned with Salt

So, if you find yourself in an unexpected situation, consider the opportunity you are being given to redeem the times. Perhaps, someone will cross your path who needs to know Christ. Or sometimes, in your darkest hour about midnight, you burst into song or praise about Jesus. You never know who is watching or listening. When life is tough and people see you standing firm and strong in God’s love, you never know whom you have caused to be drawn to Him. Or when grace compels you to help someone, while you yourself are in difficult times; well, you are allowing your speech to be grace, seasoned with salt.

So, let us lay aside all of self that the Holy Spirit might shine through us with grace seasoned with salt.

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.

If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you to go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.

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DISCLOSURES

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2021
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Credits

New English Translation (NET)

New King James Version (NKJV)

Photo by Francesco Alberti on Unsplash