Transcript

A man was living in Atlanta, Georgia. He noticed not far from Atlanta was another town named Lafayette. But in Atlanta they pronounced it La-FAY-ette. His daughters were beginning to pronounce it that way too.

Near where he was raised in Indiana there was also a town named Lafayette. So when he took his family on a vacation trip back to his hometown, he thought, “This would be a good chance for my kids to learn how to pronounce the name of that town correctly.”

As soon as they got into the city limits, they were all starving, and so they stopped off at a Burger King to eat a hamburger. “Now’s my chance,” he thought, “I’ll ask someone who’s a native of this town how to say the word Lafayette.”

when the girl brought their hamburgers out to their booth he said to her, “Wait a minute. Before you leave, I want you to tell my daughters where we are. And I want you to say it very, very slowly. Pronounce it exactly as it’s supposed to be pronounced.”

She looked rather puzzled and said, “Really?” He said, “Yeah.” She said, “Okay. Bur-ger-King.”

What we say isn’t always exactly right and we make mistakes. Sometimes we say things we shouldn’t or say unkind things. But as with all parts of our lives, God wants us to allow Him to be in control of this area as well.

The following are statistics on how much the average American talks.

The average American has 30 conversations a day and will spend 1/5 of their life talking.

If all of our words were put into print, the result would be that a single day’s words would fill a 50-page book, while in a year’s time the average person’s words would fill 132 books of 200 pages each! If you’re a man, you speak an average of 20,000 words a day. If you’re a woman, you speak 30,000 words a day.

That’s a lot of words and a lot of time talking. God cares about our speech. He cares about the quality and content of our conversations. He not only cares about what we talk about, but how we say it and why we say it too.

Living in the current dispensation of grace, everything is marked by grace. And in our Christian walk, in our day-to-day living, God would have us live by grace, and thus as talking is such a large part of our life, God would also have our speech marked by grace.

Our speech should be by grace in that it should be gracious, kind, encouraging and lifting others up by our words.

And our speech should be marked by grace in sharing the grace of God in salvation and in relation to what God is doing today under grace.

A huge part of our testimony for Christ is how we talk. And like all of our life, our speech should be set apart to the Lord and set apart from the world’s. Our words and speech are powerful and can greatly impact others for Christ.

The ungodly say in Psalm 12:4: “Our lips are our own; who is lord over us?” But as believers we should echo the prayer of the Psalmist in Psalm 141:3: “Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.”

Colossians 3:16: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”

The “Word of Christ,” of course, speaks of God’s Word, but Paul is specifically referring to the Word of Christ revealed to the Apostle Paul for the Church in this age of grace.

Paul’s epistles contain the body of truth revealed to him from the glorified Lord for this dispensation of Grace. Understanding God’s Word in light of Paul’s letters allows us to properly interpret and apply the Word to our lives today.

The gospel Paul preached, he received “by the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Gal. 1:11,12). The message he made known “are the commandments of the Lord” (1 Cor. 14:37).

Paul’s epistles are the “Word of Christ,” as is the rest of the Bible, but Paul’s writings reveal Christ’s will directly for His church, the Body of Christ, today in the dispensation of grace, and how the Church is to live and serve the Lord under grace.

And we are to allow this Word, the message given to Paul by Christ, to dwell in us richly. The word “dwell” means “to be at home,” “to feel at home.”

God calls on believers today to let His grace truth revealed through Paul to take up residence and to be at home comfortably in their lives, and to have it dwell richly and abundantly in our lives, so that it produces “all wisdom” in us.

And then we are to submit and allow this wisdom to guide and direct us in life, with the end result being that the Word of Christ transforms us into being more like Christ.

When God’s Word abundantly dwells in us and becomes part of a believer’s nature, it produces not just information, but also emotion and the desire to give praise to God for His goodness and grace.

In that praise, Paul speaks of singing “Psalms.” In the Church, various psalms are often put to music.

Some examples are “As the Deer Panteth for the Water” based on Psalm 42:1. “You are my hiding place” based on Psalm 32:7. And “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever” based on Psalm 89:1.

Unlike psalms, hymns and spiritual songs are not written by divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit and are not part of Scripture.

However, they incorporate portions of Scripture and are filled with rich doctrinal, spiritual truths and themes which give praise, honor, and thanksgiving to God.

Donald Hustad says, “Singing is for believers. The relevant question is not, ‘Do you have a voice?’ but ‘Do you have a song?’”

As the Word of Christ dwells in us richly and we grow in grace, it produces a song and “singing with GRACE” in our hearts to the Lord.

Paul teaches here in verse 16 that our singing and praise is a demonstration of God’s grace in our HEARTS. Praise and singing proceeds from the heart and is done out of thankfulness to God and for His grace.

The Lord taught Israel in His earthly ministry how the heart agrees with the mouth and the mouth agrees with the heart. Matthew 15:18 reads, “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart.”

And thus, as God’s grace touches our hearts, and changes us, so grace comes forth from the mouth. Grace produces gratitude, and out of the gratitude of our heart, we open our mouths and we sing, and we praise, and we honor the Lord for all He has done for us by His grace, and how He has made us rich spiritually in Him.

The other thing that Paul makes clear in this passage is that as the believer and assembly of believers joyfully sing with grace in our hearts, we sing “to the LORD.” He is the audience to whom we sing.

We do this as we heed the first few verses of this chapter, and we “seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God” and we “set [our] affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”

Thus, when we sing we do so by faith in the Lord. We sing “to the Lord” Paul says. We lift up our voices to Him in worship of our living, exalted Savior.

And as we allow the Word of Christ to dwell richly in us, it opens our eyes to the greatness and majesty and goodness and kindness of the Lord and to the wonder of His grace. And therefore praise and thanksgiving naturally springs forth from our voice.

Colossians 4:3-4: “Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.”

Paul was in prison when he wrote this letter to the saints at Colosse. And his prayer request for the Colossians was that God would open for him a “door of utterance.” Paul asks for an open door of opportunity to speak God’s Word to others.

He didn’t ask for an open prison door to get out, or a more comfortable pillow, or for some better food in prison. He focus was not on his personal comfort or this world.

Paul’s focus was on Christ, God’s truth, and people, reaching people for Christ and teaching them the truth of God. And Paul’s prayer was for any obstacles and barriers to be removed and a door to be opened for the Word that he might “speak the mystery of Christ” to others.

He makes this request whether he was to remain incarcerated in prison, or whether outside the prison should he be released.

Now the reason Paul calls it the “mystery” of Christ is because he’s referring to a message concerning Jesus Christ as He was never made known before Paul. The term “mystery” means that which God kept hidden, secret, and had never before revealed.

Romans 16:25 puts it, “the preaching of Christ according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began.”

The mystery of Christ is the preaching of Christ according to what He is doing TODAY in His present heavenly ministry during the dispensation of Grace, as the exalted Head of the Church, the Body of Christ.

And the mystery of Christ centers on the preaching of the Cross of Christ, and all our Savior accomplished for us at Calvary.

And Paul’s desire was for a door to be opened that he might continue to proclaim the good news of Christ and Him crucified.

Paul’s kind of passion for Christ and God’s truth should be imitated. God wants to use our voices for Him and for His truth for today, and to spread His message of grace to others.

In the past, King David under the law, said things like, “Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live: for thy law is my delight. O how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day” (Psa. 119:77,97).

David had a passion for the program he was under, for the law he was to know and live by, in order to glorify God. But God has temporarily set Israel aside today, and told us in His Word that we are not under the law but under grace.

But like David, we need to have his kind of passion for the program we are under, and for God’s grace that we are to know and live by and make known today for God’s glory.

Under grace, it’s not “I delight in your law,” not “O how I love your law”! Instead, it’s “Lord, thank you for your grace!” “O how I love your grace”! “Your grace is my joy and delight.”

At the beginning of each of Paul’s letters we find the declaration: “Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Col. 1:2).

Today, God the Father and God the Son are declaring grace and peace to the world today, and as God’s ambassadors, we are His mouthpieces, His voices of grace, to go to the world around us and do the same as our God and declare His grace and peace.

Colossians 4:5: “Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.”

Paul teaches the Church here to “Walk in wisdom toward them that are without.”

Those who “are without” are those without Christ, without eternal life, outside of the Body of Christ. In other words, unbelievers.

And toward them that are “without” Paul says we should “walk in wisdom.” The way we walk in wisdom goes back to Colossians 3:16: by letting the Word of Christ to dwell in us richly “in all wisdom.” As we live by the Word of God, and specifically the message that Christ revealed to Paul for this age of grace, we will walk in wisdom.

As believers, what we are gives credibility to what we say. A Christ-like character and walking consistently by the Word of God gives power to our words.

As the old hymn, God of Grace and God of Glory says, we need to be “Armored with all Christ-like graces, in the fight to set men free.” This is what Paul is teaching us in Colossians 4:5.

Mark Twain once said, “Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example.” In this sense, it’s not a bad thing to be annoying when we are a godly testimony and a good example for Christ before the world.

Charles Chu tells the following: A few years ago I had a chance to become a hero, but it turned out to be an embarrassing moment.

I was in China on a tour group. Our tour bus was on the way to a scenic spot with another tour bus in front of us. It was snowing, and the road was muddy.

Suddenly the bus ahead of us skidded off the road and tipped over on its side in a rice field. I quickly jumped off my tour bus, ran to the overturned bus, and jumped on top. Windows were shattered, and people inside were obviously hurt.

The emergency door was facing upward, so I grabbed the handle of the emergency door and pulled. The door did not open.

I kept pulling hard, but it wouldn’t budge. By this time, others had come and were pulling people out through the windows, so I gave up on the door and joined them. After I moved away from the door, another man went over to the door.

He turned the door handle, and the door opened easily. I suddenly realized why the door did not open for me: I had been standing on the door as I tried to open it.

With good intentions to save lives, I had become the biggest obstacle blocking the door of rescue. Mr. Chu finishes with the thought: Sometimes those who want to lead others to Christ likewise become the biggest obstacle to their salvation.

Sometimes our walk and our speech can be an obstacle to other’s salvation. Thus, God teaches us to walk in wisdom by the Spirit and by the power of His Word, so we might be a powerful, effective witness to those without Christ and so we might rescue the perishing.

Colossians 4:6: “Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.”

After our Lord shared the Word in Luke 4, it says, “And all bare Him witness, and wondered at the GRACIOUS WORDS which proceeded out of His mouth.” God’s desire is that we would be like Christ, and He’d have us speak gracious words to others also.

Paul had spoken of singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord in Colossians 3:16, now he speaks of speaking with grace to others.

Again, our mouth and hearts agree and so we need grace in our hearts by the Word of Christ richly dwelling in us, before our speech can be “always with grace.”

Paul is teaching the Church that it is important that we communicate with words of grace when we speak with those who don’t know Christ. Many believers want to argue with people who don’t believe or let loose on people who they know are living in sin. But instead God would have His Church speak, respond, and share the gospel with grace.

The famous missionary C.T. Studd once traveled to China on a ship whose captain was an embittered opponent of Christianity and who often studied the Bible for the sole reason of arguing with the missionaries who frequently sailed on his ship.

When he learned that Studd was aboard his ship, the captain lit into him. But instead of arguing with him, Studd put his arm around the captain and said, “But, my friend, I have a peace that passes all understanding, and a joy that nothing can take away.”

The captain replied “Well, you’re a lucky dog I guess” and walked away. Before the end of the voyage, that captain because a rejoicing believer in Christ as his Savior. So by Studd’s efforts this man was gloriously saved from his sins.

That’s the speech with grace, seasoned with salt, knowing how we ought to answer and respond to every man, that God desires.

Speaking with grace means to say what is wholesome, fitting, kind, sensitive, complementary, gentle, truthful, loving and thoughtful.

Speaking always with grace pertains to the sharing of God’s truth, but also beyond this, in any and all circumstances of life, in communicating with others, believers are to make gracious speech a habit of life, as we allow our speech be “always with grace.”

Paul also says, our speech should be “seasoned with salt.” When we sit down to eat, a common thing we ask and say is, “Where’s the salt?” and “Pass the salt.”

Salt is good, it adds flavor. Salty speech refers to lively, interesting, witty discussion. It was opposite of monotone, dull speech.

Christian Herter was governor of Massachusetts, and he was running hard for a second term in office. One day, after a busy morning chasing votes, and no lunch, he arrived at a church barbecue. It was late afternoon and Herter was famished.

As Herter moved down the serving line, he held out his plate to the woman serving chicken. She put a piece on his plate and turned to the next person in line. “Excuse me,” Governor Herter said, “do you mind if I have another piece of chicken?”

“Sorry,” the woman told him. “I’m supposed to give one piece of chicken to each person.” “But I’m starved,” the governor said. “Sorry,” the woman said again. “Only one to a customer.” Governor Herter then decided he would throw his weight around a little. “Do you know who I am?” he said. “I am the governor of this state.”

“Do you know who I am?” the woman said. “I’m the lady in charge of the chicken. Now, move along, mister.” That’s speech that has some flavor to it, knowing how to answer.

Paul is saying don’t allow your conversation to be tasteless, add a little flavor or liveliness and earnestness to your conversation, when we share, put effort and thought into it.

In other words, don’t let it all be fluff; our speech needs to have an effect, like salt does on food. Salty speech makes people thirsty for more, if you will.

And when we speak about God and His grace and our faith we should do so with joy and enthusiasm. Because what could be better than grace? We have an incredible message to share.

God’s gift of eternal life, forgiveness of sins, heaven, all spiritual blessings, all by grace alone, all free, all ours by faith in Christ, granted to us who don’t deserve any of it, by the kindness and love of God.

Speaking with grace, seasoned with salt allows the believer to respond appropriately and answer every man as we interact with others in our daily lives and as we give reason for the hope that lies within us.

Ephesians 4:29: “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.”

A few verses later from Ephesians 4:29 in 5:3, Paul teaches about the kind of corrupt communication that should not proceed out of our mouths: “Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient.”

Then in Ephesians 5:9, Paul teaches that “the fruit of the Spirit is in all GOODNESS and righteousness and truth.” One of the fruits of the Spirit’s working in us is “goodness,” thus we learn that it is the Spirit that enables the believer to let no corrupt communication to proceed out of our mouths, and instead for it to be “that which is GOOD.”

As we yield to the Spirit, our speech will be good and set apart to God and glorifying to Him, talking about good, godly, wholesome things.

And God wants our speech to be good “to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” Gracious speech is edifying and is a ministry toward others.

God in His grace lifts us up, and so as our speech is with grace it will lift others up, and our speech should be helpful, positive, kind, encouraging, and complementary.

Dr. Larry Crabb recalls an incident in the church he attended as a young man. It was customary in this church that young men were encouraged to participate in the communion services and to pray in front of the congregation.

Feeling the pressure of expectation, the young Crabb, who had a problem with stuttering, stood to pray.

In a terribly confused prayer, he recalls “thanking the Father for hanging on the cross and praising Christ for triumphantly bringing the Spirit from the grave.”

When he was finished, he vowed he would never again speak or pray out loud in front of a group. At the end of the service, not wanting to meet any of the church elders who might feel constrained to correct his theology, Crabb made for the door. Before he could get out, an older man named Jim Dunbar caught him.

Having prepared himself for the anticipated correction, Crabb instead found himself listening to these words: “Larry, there’s one thing I want you to know. Whatever you do for the Lord, I’m behind you one thousand percent.”

Crabb reflects in a book: “Even as I write these words, my eyes fill with tears. I have yet to tell that story to an audience without at least mildly choking. Those words were life words. They had power. They reached deep into my being.”

Jim Dunbar could’ve corrected him. He could have laid into him about the mistakes he made. But he didn’t, because those words were words of grace, and they truly ministered grace unto the hearer.

And having a voice of grace we should encourage others, build others up, and minister grace to our hearers in life, with whoever we come in contact with, and especially to those closest to us in life: our spouses, children, family, friends, and our church family.

We should be thankful for them, and build them up and lift them up high. Because that’s what God has done by His grace for us, in lifting us up and giving us an exalted position, seating us on high in the heavenlies.

Having a voice of grace is about lifting up the Lord in our worship and praise, lifting up our Savior as we share His perfect salvation with others, and lifting others up as we encourage those around us in life.