Text: Colossians 4:5-6

Theme: Our lives should be characterised by godly wisdom

Intro:

1. This evening, we are going to address the believer’s conversation toward the lost around us.
2. We will start by considering how having godly wisdom should impact out behaviour, and then finally how wisdom and grace should govern our conversations.

I. Walk In Wisdom (Vs 5a)

1. Wisdom has been defined as the ability to use knowledge, experience, and insight to make sound judgments and decisions.
   a. It is more than just accumulating information; it involves a deeper understanding of human nature, ethical principles, and the ability to apply this understanding to navigate life’s complexities in a balanced and thoughtful way.
   b. In biblical terms, wisdom is Godly discernment that allows you to make Christ honouring decisions based on the Bible.
   c. The word “walk” in verse 5 means, “To tread around, to walk at large, to deport oneself, to be occupied with.”
   – To walk in wisdom is to have a life that is characterised by wisdom.
   – Adam Clarke notes that to walk in wisdom is to, “Act wisely and prudently in reference to them who are without… unbelieving Gentiles or persecuting Jews.”[1]
   [1] Adam Clarke, Esword

II. Redeem the Time (Vs 5b)

1. To redeem something is to buy it back or rescue it from loss.
   a. The idea being conveyed in the verse is that there are many things which are in no way necessary for life and have no spiritual benefit, and which are actually a waste of time.
   b. Thinking back on the beginning of the verse we would say that we are supposed to SPEND our time in walking in wisdom and not allow foolish pursuits to STEAL out time from us.
   – For me, it is redeeming the time to take up the opportunity to do the will of God here in the ministry as a Pastor.
   – God places opportunities for serving Him before each one of us and it is up to us to choose to redeem the time by taking advantage of these opportunities.

III. Speak with Grace (Vs 6)

1. The word “grace” refers to graciousness in manner and action.
   a. It refers especially to the influence of the divine upon the heart, and its reflection in the life.
   – In other words, when the spirit of God is working upon the heart and life of the individual, it will lead you to act in a more gracious manner toward those around you.
   b. Speaking in a gracious manner will result from walking in wisdom.
2. We need to season our speech before we speak.
   a. The idea here is that we need to think about what we are going to say before we say it and make any changes necessary in order to speak with grace.
   – We need to take the time to think about what we want to say and how we should say it so that we don’t cause an unnecessary offence.
   b. Wisdom and grace will teach us how we ought to answer others.
   – You need to apply wisdom to your conversation. Allow godly wisdom and divine grace to govern the way you converse with others, then you will know how you ought to speak.
   – Take time to think out your opinion before you voice it. Some people voice their opinion first, and then they start properly thinking it through as the conversation progresses. The problem is that, since they’ve already voiced their opinion, they will feel like they have to defend that opinion even if it becomes evident that they are wrong about it.

Conclusion:

1. We need to be wise in our conduct and intentional in the use of our time.
2. We need to allow godly wisdom and divine grace to govern our lives and specifically our speech.