Introduction
Someone once said, “You may be the only Bible some people will ever read.”
That’s a sobering thought. The way we speak, work, and react when we are wronged often becomes the first sermon unbelievers hear.
That is why Paul urges, “Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt.”
Background of the Letter
Paul wrote this letter to the young church in Colossae around A.D. 60-62, while he was imprisoned in Rome. The believers were facing confusion - Jewish legalists pressing for strict rituals and Greek philosophers blending mysticism with the gospel.
Even today, culture can creep into the church and masquerade as God’s law.
Paul first calls the church to persistent prayer (Colossians 4:2). Then his words turn practical: how to live wisely among those who do not yet believe.
Colossians 4:5-6
Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.
Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.
1. Walk in Wisdom
Paul advises believers to walk in wisdom. He is not speaking of academic degrees or cleverness.
You can be highly educated and still make foolish choices; you can be uneducated and yet live with true wisdom.
Biblical wisdom is seeing life the way God sees it and living accordingly - allowing God’s Word to guide every decision.
Think of it this way:
• At every crossroads ask, “What would please God?” not simply “What do I feel like doing?”
• It’s not about having all the answers; it’s about obeying what you already know is right.
Paul has in mind those who are “outside”, people who don’t yet follow Christ: neighbours, co-workers, relatives, friends.
They watch how we live more than how we preach.
When they see patience under pressure, forgiveness when wronged, or fairness in work, they become curious about the God we serve.
In the marketplace: You notice a cashier gives you too much change. Instead of staying silent, you return it honestly. Your integrity makes others curious about the God who shapes your actions.
In the workplace: A colleague makes a mistake that affects your project. Instead of blaming them harshly, you guide them kindly and fairly. Others notice your fairness and question the source of your character.
2. Redeeming the Time
The Greek phrase literally means “buying up the opportunity,” like a shopper who spots a rare bargain and quickly grabs it before it’s gone.
Why does time need redeeming?
• Time is short. Each day is a gift we cannot get back.
• Opportunities don’t last forever. A neighbour may move, a friend’s heart may be open for a brief season.
Paul says: don’t drift; be alert and intentional.
We cannot stop the clock or reclaim lost hours, but we can seize the moments God gives - especially to show Christ’s love or share the gospel.
I once heard the story of a man of God who was staying in a hotel. Late that night, a smiling waiter came to his room to serve some drinks. As he set them down, the Holy Spirit nudged the preacher’s heart: “Share the gospel with him.” But the man hesitated. The waiter looked cheerful, and he didn’t know how to begin the conversation. A little later, the same waiter returned to collect the glasses. Again the Spirit urged him to speak, but once more he kept quiet, thinking, “Maybe it’s too late tonight. I’ll talk to him tomorrow.” The next morning, the preacher awoke to unusual commotion in the hotel. When he asked what had happened, he was told the devastating news - the very waiter who had served him the night before had taken his own life. The man of God was crushed. He realized he had missed a God-given opportunity. One moment of obedience might have saved a soul for eternity.
People these days waste hours scrolling aimlessly on a phone or chasing trivial things. But Paul calls us to invest our time for eternity before the chance passes.
3. Let Your Speech Be With Grace
Grace is kindness we are not required to show but choose to give.
Paul urges that our words be soaked in that grace:
• Speak in ways that reflect God’s patience and love.
• Offer more gentleness than the person “deserves.”
• Lift people up rather than tear them down.
That doesn’t mean we stay silent or agree with everything, even when it’s wrong. As followers of Christ, we are called to speak the truth but always with the spirit of love. Ephesians 4:15 says it beautifully: “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.”
Billy Graham once shared how early in his ministry he was invited to speak at a large youth event. He prepared a strong, passionate message on sin and judgment and preached it with all his energy. But afterwards, one of the organizers gently told him, “Billy, the young people couldn’t grasp much of what you said—it was too heavy, and your tone felt more condemning than caring.”. Graham later admitted that though his words were biblically true, they weren’t seasoned with grace. He learned from that experience that truth must be spoken with compassion if it’s to be received. From then on, his preaching carried both conviction and tenderness - which is why millions around the world were drawn to Christ through his words.
Truth without love can wound, and love without truth can mislead. But when truth and love walk hand in hand, hearts are touched and lives are changed.
4. Seasoned With Salt
Paul adds, seasoned with salt.
Salt preserves food and brings out its flavour.
• Salt adds flavour. Our words should be thoughtful and life-giving, not bland or bitter.
In 2019, a nurse in a UK hospital shared her experience in a healthcare magazine. A patient’s family member was upset and began shouting at her over a delay in treatment. Her first instinct was to defend herself harshly, but instead, she paused and replied calmly: “I can see you’re very worried about your loved one. Let me explain what’s happening.” She later wrote that the man’s tone immediately softened, and he even apologized. The situation that could have escalated into a complaint or conflict was diffused simply because she chose grace-filled words. She said, “I realized that day that my calm tone carried more weight than all the medical explanations I could have given in frustration.”
• Salt preserves. Our speech should protect what is good, steering conversations away from gossip or negativity.
Ephesians 4:29 - Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear
• Salt creates thirst. Words seasoned by the Spirit make others long to know Christ.
It is said that Mahatma Gandhi once read the Gospels and was deeply impressed by Jesus’ teachings—especially the Sermon on the Mount. He even remarked, “If Christians would really live according to the teachings of Christ, as found in the Bible, all of India would be Christian today.” What drew Gandhi was not just the words of Jesus on the page, but the “flavour” of those words so full of truth and love that made him thirst to know more. Sadly, he saw that same “seasoning” in the lives of many Christians he met. He also added, “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”
5. Answering Each One
Paul finishes: “…that you may know how you ought to answer each one.”
What happens if we add more salt – nobody can eat it. But salt can be overdone.
Some foods require more salt than others. For example, green vegetables are delicate—you can’t add too much, and even a little salt makes them noticeably salty.
Likewise, when we interact with people, the “amount of salt” in our words needs to match the situation.
Every person is different in their backgrounds, doubts, hurts, questions.
Imagine visiting someone in the hospital. You’re excited to share your faith and begin explaining the gospel in great detail—scripture references, the plan of salvation, everything you’ve prepared. You speak passionately, but the patient is weak, tired, or anxious about their health. Even though your words are true and well-intentioned, it feels overwhelming to them.
Seasoning requires wisdom knowing when to speak, when to listen, and choosing words that fit the moment
Proverbs 25:11 - A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.
Conclusion
Our lives may be the only Bible some people ever read.
So:
• Walk in wisdom
• Redeem the time
• Let your speech be gracious and salty
so that those outside the faith catch the flavour of Christ and thirst for more.
