We struggle not only with the terms to identify such people, we also struggle with how we are to deal or interact with non-believers. Many suggest that we separate, remove ourselves from them and there are Scripture passages that can be used to support this. There are those who suggest that we live among them keeping our identity hidden. Both of these are extreme and neither can be supported by the whole counsel of the Word. Though we cannot address these struggles in depth in this devotional hear this clear Scriptural injunction:

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity [redeem time]. Let your conversation [walk] be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. (Colossians 4:5-6)

There is no question here, there are outsiders and we are instructed to be wise in our walking among them. Wise living is living right in the center of God’s will in accordance with His Word. Wise living is Spirit-filled living (Ephesians 5:15-18).

The word conversation in the original language is more literally translated “walk.” Whether we translate it walk or conversation it is clear that we are not to isolate ourselves from non-believers. Rather we are to wisely walk and talk with them. We live by different standards. The world has been taken out of us thus we approach life radically different. Nevertheless these are people Jesus loves and for whom He died. They are the very people He walked among and reached out to when He was here in the flesh; so much so that the religious ones pointed a condemning finger at Him. Every outsider needs to be an insider! They need to have someone who can answer their questions and direct them in. How can they become an insider without insiders walking with and talking to them?

Note also the character of our walk and conversation – it is to be full of grace, seasoned with salt… We are people of grace. We have been divinely graced. This grace is to flow out of us and is to dictate our actions toward outsiders. We cannot escape the power of this directive – full of grace!

We may misunderstand seasoned with salt unless we pause to ponder it for a moment. At first glance we may think it is telling us to make the conversation palatable for the non-believer. Some might think we are to make our conversation tasty and acceptable. This comes from our understanding of salt. For us salt is a seasoning, a flavor enhancer. This was not the case in the time this passage was written. Salt in that time period was used as a preservative and as an antiseptic for cleansing open wounds. The word salt was also used at times by a rabbi to mean wisdom. Therefore seasoned with salt denotes wise, healing redemptive actions and conversation. Reminds us of Jesus’ words in His Sermon on the Mount – you are the salt of the earth. (Matthew 5:13)

There is no getting around the fact that when it comes to the Kingdom of God, The Church, that there are insiders and outsiders. But there is no getting around the fact that the insiders are to wisely walk among the outsiders sharing God’s story through word and deed full of grace seasoned with salt! For you see it is God’s will that none are outsiders, but that all become insiders! (2 Peter 3:9)

Keep Close to Jesus
Pastor Gerry