THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF SALT, PLEASE
Col. 4:5-6
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR
1. I heard about this man, he was taking a walk in the woods with his friend when suddenly they encounter a huge grizzly bear about 20 yards in front of them. They both froze in their tracks. As the bear intently stared them down, they contemplated what they should do. Finally, one man knelt down and tied his shoes and said to his friend, “I think we should run.”
2. His friend said, “Are you crazy? We can’t outrun a grizzly bear!” The man said, “I know that. I don’t have to outrun him. I just have to outrun you.”
B. TEXTS
“You are the salt of the earth” Matt. 5:13. “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Col. 4:5-6. “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, Isa. 43:10.
C. IDEA & TITLE
1. “How do you behave with and toward unbelievers? Do you like them? Do you hate them? Do you tolerate them? Are you concerned about their salvation? Do you act like them when you aren’t in Christian company? Do you snub them if they aren’t holy?
2. Some Christians think that being kind to unbelievers is like throwing pearls before swine. Then there are Christians who stand on street corners, in malls, and in front of abortion clinics to witness to unbelievers. Others just don’t care one way or another. Where do you fit in?
3. Do you share your faith using hugs or headlocks? Honey or a hammer? Or do you even share your faith at all?
4. We’re looking tonight at the subject, “The Right Amount of Salt, Please!”
I. BE WISE TOWARD UNBELIEVERS Col. 4:5
A. ARE YOU AN INSIDER OR OUTSIDER?
1. In dealing with this passage, this is the first issue. Paul talks about “outsiders” to our faith. The question is, are WE insiders? It’s the Cross of Jesus that makes being a Christian possible. If we haven’t repented of our sins and believed on Jesus as our Savior, we’re still on the outside ourselves!
2. We have to be cleansed from our sins and receive the grace of God in Christ before we can demonstrate that grace to others. Because God has been gracious to us, we can be gracious to others.
3. JOKE.
a. We don’t want to be like the stressed-out driver the policeman pulled over, got out his car, and handcuffed and put in the backseat of the patrol car.
b. After almost thirty minutes, the officer let the man out and released him.
c. He said, “I’m sorry for this mistake. I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping off the lady in front of you and cussing a blue streak at her. I noticed the ‘Choose Life’ license plate holder, the ‘What Would Jesus Do?’ bumper sticker, and the chrome-plated Fish emblem on the trunk. So naturally, I assumed you had stolen the car.”
B. DIFFICULT BECAUSE UNBELIEVERS OFTEN DON’T LIKE CHRISTIANS
1. In our culture there is an attack on Christians, We are called bigots because we condemn homosexuality, oppose abortion, and condemn sin, and insist our Faith is the only correct one.
2. So it’s not always an easy thing to interact with unbelievers. NEGATIVELY, we should...
a. Not to be influenced by them, or to participate in their evil, or to begin to think like them or laugh at their dirty jokes. Not to adopt their crude behavior.
b. Secondly, we should be careful not to inflame their prejudices against Christianity, or give them an occasion of dislike Christians.
3. POSITIVELY. Instead, we’re to do them all the good we can, and by all means attempt to make Christianity attractive to them. Paul told Titus to promote among the Christians on Crete, “...that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive” (Titus 2:10).
4. Since Christians are portrayed negatively in the media, we should be careful to be sympathetic, compassionate and humble, loving, patient. When they curse us, we’re supposed to bless them, like Jesus did.
5. The reputation of the gospel depends on you. The world judges Christianity by what it sees in you. Paul told Philemon, “And I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective...(1:6) ESV.”
II. MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY OPPORTUNITY
A. SEIZE THE DAY!
1. “Redeeming the time.” The sense of what Paul’s saying is “Don’t just sit there and wait for the opportunity (to do good to someone) to fall into your lap, but go after it.” I would hope that as Christians we don’t become complacent about evangelism. God uses the Gospel to save people from Hell to Heaven. If we don’t witness, they won’t be saved.
2. Paul said in Eph. 5:15-16, "Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”
3. We are to "improve” every opportunity by making the best use of our time and contacts, as a Kingdom representative.
B. YOU ARE THE SALT, THE LIGHT!
1. The Lord Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth....You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden...let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” Matt. 5:13-16.
2. In areas of persecution, the reference of Eph. 5 “not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil” could mean, ‘to give them no advantage against you, nor expose yourselves to their malice or ill-will.’
3. In many countries of the world, it’s dangerous to be a Christian and these are times of trouble and suffering. So they must be very careful who and when to witness.
III. CONVERSATION SEASONED WITH GRACE & SALT
Col. 4:6 “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”
A. SEASONED WITH SALT
1. Master Chefs all over the world are in great demand because they have learned how to combine different foods and spices into the best tasting meal. They have to learn the exact amounts – say – of salt to add to the food. Too much salt and the food becomes bitter. Too little salt and the food is bland.
2. So is the Christian’s witness: we must put the ‘salt of the Gospel’ into our conversations at just the right time and in just the right amount. When we do that we will find our comments agreeable to the unbeliever and if they know we really care about them.
3. That’s why we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Only He knows the heart of the unbeliever and exactly what facts and the best relationship to bring him or her into the light. Think of Jesus talking to Nicodemus or the woman at the well.
4. In general, Paul states a few guidelines in verse 6; first we are to have grace, second an answer to their objections.
B. GRACE/ GRACIOUS
1. “Gracious” means “characterized by kindness and warm courtesy (welcoming), and by tact and propriety (not insulting, but responding with gracious humor."
2. We want to be the positive kind of people that unbelievers would like to be around. We need to be a good influence on them; to make them aspire to be better people.
C. TO HAVE AN ANSWER
1. We have need wisdom and grace to give proper answers to those who question our faith or the Bible. We need to “study to show ourselves approved” (2 Tim. 2:15). Then we will be able to answer their objections and give the reasons for our faith.
2. As Peter said, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” 1 Pt. 3:15. If every Christian acted like that with unbelievers, we would see a lot more saved!
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION
1. A man was making his way over the mountains in a terrible snowstorm. He gradually became weaker and weaker until he stumbled and fell. But as he fell, his hand touched the shoe of a man who had already fallen there, and was unconscious.
2. This awoke in him the urgency to save the other man’s life. He swept the snow off the man, struggled under him, and lifted him to his shoulders heading to the next ranger station.
3. At last he arrived. The medics looked at the man being carried and pronounced him dead. Then they said, “Though this man died, he saved YOUR life! It was the extreme exertion of saving his life that saved your own! [Walter Knight’s, 3000 Illus., p. 430].
B. THE CALL
1. So, what difference do these verses make in your lives? Plenty. Your conduct and speech before an unbeliever is vitally important. Your conduct should be with wisdom, your speech with grace.
2. I know a Christian who years ago worked with an unbeliever. For two years, this Christian answered the unbeliever’s questions; he was gentle and kind in his conduct in all situations and always tried to point his friend to Christ. He sought to be wise and gracious. Today that unbeliever has become a pastor.
3. The Lord used that Christian, his wise conduct, his gracious speech, to help bring another into His kingdom. To Jesus be the glory. PRAYER TO BE THE WITNESSES GOD WANTS US TO BE.
[This is a rewrite of Matt Slick’s message, “Proper Conduct Toward Unbelievers.”]
