If you return in your Bibles to the book of Colossians, we're in chapter 4, the last chapter, and we are looking at two verses this morning, verses five and six. Colossians, chapter four, verses five and six. Last time, we looked at the importance of prayer, and in particular, prayer for one another intercessory prayer, supplication. And that we need that kind of prayer, if we're going to be faithful in our ordinary callings, we need the prayers of the saints, Calvin, Matthew, Henry, and many other theologians see this as indispensable. Indispensable for walking in and fulfilling our ordinary ministries, as fathers and mothers and sons and daughters, husbands and wives, and whatever other ministries we may have. In fact, our good and wise God, according to these theologians, has so ordered things that needing each other's prayers in order to successfully walk in our callings faithfully, we are compelled as it were to unite in love by this exercise of praying for one another. And as we love one another in the church by praying for one another in our ordinary callings, we become the means of growth and blessing to one another. And so God would, as Calvin said, bind us together in love, in this exercise of love by the fact that we need each other's prayers. I need your prayers, you need my prayers, we all need each other's prayers. But what about Alzheimer's? How are we to relate to those who are outside the church who cannot come to God by prayer in the name of Jesus because they don't know Jesus? And they can't come to God that way. How would God have us relate to them who don't know Him? That's the topic of our text this morning, a very important topic, as we live the Christian life, how do we relate to those unbelievers that God has sovereignly put in our lives, in our neighborhoods, in our workplaces, in our schools, in our own families? Let's pray as we turn to God's Word. Father, we thank you that you do give us a way in which we can glorify you and be an instrument of blessing and even salvation to those who don't know you. You call us to be witnesses, you call us to give testimony and to go and speak your Word and so forth how we pray that you would show us how to do that this morning, that we would do it with God-fearing hearts and man-loving hearts, and that you would bless it and use it to the increase of your kingdom and to the glory of your Son, Jesus, where we ask in His name. Amen. Here now the Word of the Lord from Colossians chapter 4 verses 5 and 6. This is God's holy Word. 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. May the Lord establish this Word in our hearts this morning. Well, I want you to notice, first of all this morning, walking in wisdom. This is going to be a real simple outlock. Walking in wisdom verse 5. Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside. This is the sixth and final time that the word wisdom appears in this book of Colossians, a book that's very much concerned with wisdom because of the way in which the worldly wisdom of the day was operating. Today was operating through that party that would come to be called the Nostics, but even at this time their ideas were already becoming popular in different ways. And of course the Greeks had a long history of having this kind of wisdom that puffed you up, that made you better and the Nostics took that, made it like a secret wisdom, a hidden wisdom, that you had to be initiated into, that you had to get private secret instruction as you scaled the ladder and met the qualifications until you became aware. The Nostics became one of those few who were wise. Contrast that with biblical wisdom, which is readily available to all. Remember when we did this Sunday school class a few quarters ago where wisdom stands on the street corners in the book of Proverbs and cries aloud. It's not secret. It's not hidden. God's wisdom is crying out for you to hear, to receive, and to accept and benefit from it. Biblical wisdom is readily available. In fact if we go through the book of Colossians and look at the way in which this word has been used up until now we'll see a clear progression until our point. It began in chapter 1 verse 9 where Paul prayed that the Colossians would know God's will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding that God would give them this kind of wisdom in prayer as he prayed for them. And therefore Paul said his preaching in chapter 1 verse 29 was done in all wisdom. Again, it's always in all wisdom because there's no other wisdom outside of Christ. And that's why in chapter 2 verse 3 he said all the treasures of wisdom are in Christ. There's nothing more than you need. There's nothing that you're lacking that you can't go to Jesus for. It's all in him. And that's why Paul quickly contrasted that with the man-made rules and regulations and traditions in chapter 2 verse 23 of that falsely so-called wisdom that looks wise to the world but Paul said it has no value against the indulgence of the flesh. It won't help you. It's not the kind of wisdom that God would give you that would help you. It's not going to help you. And this is why Paul said that we need in chapter 3 verse 16 we need the word of Christ to dwell in us. Remember I said that means to make its home in us in all wisdom. That God, we would take God's word and wisely treasure it up in our hearts and seek to know it and meditate on it. And that's when we are able to teach and admonish one another with grace Paul said in chapter 3 16 in those Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing in our hearts to God as we walk in wisdom towards one another. And that brings us now to this point where now having begun with prayer and the preaching of the word and having the word in our hearts and avoiding falsely so-called wisdom and ministering to one another in wisdom. Now we're ready to go out and walk in the world in that same wisdom. Do you see the progression, the way in which the six occurrences the word wisdom show us how to be wise as Christians and to do so in the proper way and in the proper order even. Whereas as I said, the wisdom of the Greeks was theoretical speculative self-glorifying puffs puffs up Paul says in another place. The wisdom of God, the wisdom of the Bible is practical, concrete, other serving readily available. Now the wise man does not seek to look to do good for himself but he seeks to look to do good to others and to be a blessing. Wasn't that what Abraham was called to do, to go and to be a blessing as he walked in wisdom towards outsiders. It's important to know that we're talking about the outsiders. That's what Paul says. Walk in wisdom toward the ones who are outside, just exo, the outsiders. There was a book written called The Outsiders back in the 1960s and there was a movie made off of it and a TV show series and Paul doesn't have in mind gangs that are in the city at this point. He's talking about what? He's talking about unbelievers. Which says something to us, right? Because if there are outsiders, then there has to be insiders. This is one of those points by necessary implication and we don't want to miss it because there are at least two other places in scripture. I'm not going to go there. Paul uses the same language to those who are outside, to those who are outside, those who don't believe, those who don't know the Lord. Those who are not what in the house of the Lord, who are in the family of God, who are part of the church of the spirit, who are in, who have been brought in in this intimate way, in this committed way to one another. They're the ones outside which means we have to be the ones inside. But that again shows a committed association that we have to have. Christianity demands that we fully and finally join that body which alone Jesus Christ said he came to die for and to build the church. We have to be part of it fully and finally. Of course you may change what congregation you're a part of or you may even change what denomination you're a part of. You have to be a part of the church, part of the visible church, part of the church that Jesus governs by his people, that he gives gifts to, that he gives fruits to, that he tells them to pray for one another, gather together, that he raises up officers through which Christ can still exercise authority. The authority of his word alone, we don't add to it and we don't take away from it. But this is what we have to be. We have to be those who are inside that we, part of this spirit filled body, there's no other spirit filled body. And it's as we're together that we are the temple of the Lord, the body of Christ, the flock of God over and over again, the bride of Christ, all those beautiful metaphors that speak to us of the intimacy and the committedness and the fact that we have to be together. I was talking with Danny a little bit this morning and he had the experience that I've had going to another country and I hope if you haven't had you'll have someday. When you gather together with believers and you may not even know the language very well. I remember when we went to see a dead Victoria, it was through biblical Greek that me and this other fellow could understand each other the best because I didn't know Spanish and he didn't know English but we both studied the New Testament, sort of was interesting. But what was even more interesting was that when we worshiped though I couldn't understand the language and I didn't know anything about the people, I knew I was with family. I knew we were all together, we were the insiders and we had the same spirit and we had a love for one another and we were committed to the same truth, the only truth. And this is what it means to be on the inside. If we don't get that we're not going to understand the outsiders. 20 every New Testament epistle even the ones to individuals like first and second Timothy, Titus and Philemon they all assume the corporate body of the church and that every believer would of course be in it. That it's necessary that we join and commit to this body which is under the authority of Christ whose rules and powers and it says he's coming back for the church, the bride. If the church is failed then Jesus is failed, let's just say it that way, well there's visible churches to corrupt and well then Jesus is failed because he didn't say I'm going to come and you know, anoint individuals are going to go do their own thing as they know me. No, we're going to gather together, we're going to have gifts that minister to one another that edify one another to love one another, to even provide financially for one another when we're in need. All those things we have to have that membership scripture speaks of it, we are members of one another, we are members of his body, it's important that we have this kind of understanding if we're going to even understand what it means to be an outsider. And so we have to commit to this body which shows us how to live but the church is in and it is to be in the world. We are set in amongst the outsiders and we're not supposed to go on our high little tower and hide or go into our cloister. We are to be in the world and as you live in the world, you're guiding principle and how you're to do all things is this wisdom which I see Paul showing us here is a practical, conscious carefulness before a watching world. I think that's clearly what this wisdom is. Why? Because the outsiders will not give us the benefit of the doubt as we are supposed to give one another. The outsiders will not readily forgive us as we are supposed to forgive one another in the church of Jesus Christ and so we have to be careful how we walk before them. Jesus said it this way to the 12 when he sent them out, Matthew 10, 16, behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. He told them to only go to the house of Israel sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore what? Be as wise as servants and as innocent as pure the word means as unmixed as doves. But Jesus said to be wise not the kind of cleverness that you're hiding things. No pure wisdom. Wisdom with purity of heart with sincere motives. Jesus said this. This is walking in wisdom. Secondly, I want you to notice redeeming the time. Notice redeeming the time. Verse 5. Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside redeeming the time. Paul describes how this wisdom is to work with this peculiar phrase redeeming the time. All right, so people watch us. They hold us to a higher standard. They're often looking to see us fall, right, wanting it, waiting for it. I've had that experience when I worked at Fox. I thought you were a Christian. I'm surprised to hear you say that. You could say something that's so benign, but if they could twist it in the slightest way. Why you're a Christian. How could you do that? So they're waiting for us, right? They're watching us. They want us to be brought down in sense. What of it? In a sense, I think Paul is saying use it. Use it. Don't just be wise for yourselves. He could have said that. He said, redeem the time. This is a this is a peculiar phrase. Make the most of every opportunity. Some translates and say, and I think that's accurate. Why? Because this is not the ordinary word for time, which would be chronos. We know chronology or a chronometer, a time keeper. This is the word Kairos, which actually means an appointed time, a special time, an appointed season. You have the same kind of thing in Hebrew, Moav, which is actually built on the root word A, which is a witness or an evidence or testimony, which is sort of interesting from a witness. This is an appointed time, a chirotic moment. Maybe you've heard that phrase. Sometimes you hear someone say, oh, it was a chirotic moment, a significant moment. This is the kind of time Paul's talking about. And it's not the ordinary word for redeem. I hate to do that. I don't want to bring too much Greek into this. Max is loving it, though, right? But this isn't the ordinary word for redeem. In fact, this word is not used one time in the many places where the word redeem appears in the Old Testament. It's never used for the concept of redemption, which is all over the place in the Old Testament. It's not used in the 70s. This is a word that's built upon the word marketplace. And it means it can't mean to buy up to get a corner on the market and to buy up all that you can of a certain thing or something. And so what we're seeing here is, well, let me give you an example. I think there's a good Old Testament reference where it does use both of these words. It uses almost the exact same phrase and listen to the way it's used. It's in Daniel chapter two when Nebuchadnezzar has the dream, right? He dreams of the statue, but he doesn't tell his wise men. And he gathers together his wise men and his say traps and his magicians and his own neomancers, which is just means dream interpreter. And he gathers them all together and he says to them, I've had a dream. I want you to tell me the message that God is telling me through the dream. And they say, no problem. Tell us the dream. And we'll tell you what it says. And he says, oh, no, no. This is from God. And I want to know from God what it says. Therefore I'm not going to tell you the dream. You tell me the dream. And it's interpretation. And again, they say, no problem. Tell us the dream. And we'll tell you what it means. And then Nebuchadnezzar says this. And I love this verse because it's so, it's filled with such irony. The king says to them in Daniel 2 verse 8, the king answered and said, I know for certain now that you are trying to hear it is gain time. One of the English translation say, you're bargaining for time. It's the redeeming the time where it's same two words. I know for certain you're trying to gain time because you see that my decision is firm. They were motivated to make the best use of that time to save their lives. And Paul is saying to us, be motivated to make a good use of this time. Redeem the time. Buy it up. Buy up these opportunities that come these appointed times. We should see the special scrutiny that other unbelievers will pay us as God given opportunities to witness for Christ to them. So they're looking at us closely. That's good. Use it. Use it to witness for Christ. Don't squander the appointed times that God gives you with unbelievers. Be wise in your walk. Of course, in biblical language, your walk means your life. And every way they can see. Of course, it doesn't just mean that. Obviously when you're in your when you're alone too, but when you're there before them, be wise in your walk and everything. Calvin says this quote, nothing is more ready to occur than that unbelievers are driven from bad to worse through our impudence, through our insolence, through our pride. That we rather than care about them, we get together and we mock them and we look down at them and we talk about how stupid they are. And you're somewhere and you're talking about a person and looking down on them and making fun of them. Here we are. We've been brought out of the darkness into the light and we make fun of how foolish the people in the darkness are our impudence Calvin says. Ephesians 5 takes this phrase and expands it a little bit. Ephesians 5, 15, see then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise. In other words, pay attention to what you're doing. My dad used to say, get your head out of the cloths. What's what you're doing? What's where you're walking? And then he says this, not as fools, but as wise. And here's our exact same phrase in Ephesians, redeeming the time but then he adds this phrase because the days are evil. That's why we have to redeem them. Paul says in Ephesians 5 because what does that mean? It means that we have to make a conscious effort by our faith in Christ to obey God's law before unbelievers to witness to them. We have to make a conscious effort to make most of the opportunities because if we just let them go, they're going to tend towards evil. Paul says the days are evil. That's what he means. That the days are going to produce evil unless you and I are sort of an act of force pushing back. It's sort of like I know Brian Campbell and some of you are involved in the garden out here. I've done a little bit of gardening, sort of like garden. I always think of gardening when I think of this concept. If you plan a garden, and you just think you're going to let it go. You plan a garden and I took, you know, I started right the time, the days for your garden or evil. You have to redeem the time. You have to be out in that garden, picking out the weeds, loosening up the soil, tending to the plants that come up because if you just let it go, evil is going to come in. The weeds are going to come in. It's going to get overgrown apart from your ongoing efforts. The garden's not going to prosper. And so Paul would say apart from our conscious seeking of walking wisely, redeeming the time, evil days are going to happen more and more. Think of the concept of the salt of the earth. Well, without salt, the earth is not going to be flavored by us. But as all this imply, it implies and I want you to really grab a hold of this concept this morning because I don't have a lot to do with it. It would take a whole nother sermon, but it implies it necessarily implies that God will use our imperfect witnesses for the good of others. You can't miss that because I think sometimes we can like hyper Calvinists, right? This is what we do sometimes. Well, I know I can't play obey God perfectly in anything. So God can't use me. God can and will use your sin stained obedience to bless others, or they won't be blessed. Well, I don't love anybody perfectly. Either sin and all my love, God will use your corrupted law as a means to which others will be brought to new life. Well, I know I can't obey God perfectly every active obedience, even as a believer is tainted with sin. God will use your corrupted, sin-tainted imperfect works as a means to which other people are going to be saved. But my faith isn't perfect yet every point my faith is corrupted with my sin. You see, Pastor, you don't understand. I understand total depravity and everything that comes from me is corrupted with sin. Yes, and God will use your imperfect corrupted sin faith to bring others to salvation. Didn't he do that for you with people who are just as imperfect? We can't allow ourselves to think that way. That's the point of this text. Paul wouldn't be telling us this if it didn't matter how we lived. And so I want you to notice thirdly, speaking with grace, I think this is where this point becomes clear that God does use us. He uses us as means. Yes, it's by his spirit through his word. The people are saved, but that doesn't just come to them directly from heaven. It comes through us and how we live before them is part of that. Verse six, let your speech always be with grace. This is the way we are to redeem the time. This is the way in which we chiefly walk wisely before unbelievers, primarily in gracious speech, I think, because that's the primary way in which we know other people. When you go somewhere, when you don't know the language, you can know a lot of things about people. You can pick up on their emotional state without knowing the language. They can tell if you're scared or lost or upset or whatever, we can discern all those things. But until you know the language, you don't only know the person. You don't know what's driving them, what's motivating them. You have to hear them speak. And that's why I think the first thing that comes out in this, really the chief thing, the only construction he gives, let your speech always be with grace. What does it mean to speak with grace? Gordon H. Clarick, the reform commentator says, he translates this, let your reasoning be always with grace. Let your reasoning be with grace. He argues, well, it can't be a word like rock or triangle, those are his examples. It can't be that, you know, there's a, we've used the word rock with grace and the word trying, you know, just because the Greek text literally is let the log off, let the word of Yun's plural be with grace. And so Clark argues that because the end of the verse is about answering, therefore it would make sense to interpret in the English or translate in the English rather, let your reasoning be with grace. Let your answering be with grace, let your arguing, you know, in the good sense, be with grace. And I don't doubt that that's true. We ought to reason and argue with grace, but that's not what the text is saying. The text is saying that we are to speak with grace so that we would know how to answer. Not that our answering is to be, it certainly is, our arguing our reasoning, but that we would know how. The end of this instruction here is that we would have some kind of knowledge into interacting with unbelievers that we don't have unless we walk in this obedience, we're not going to know. So let your speech always be with grace, season, with salt, that you may answer, that you would know how to answer, in order that you would know how to answer in this fashion. It's interesting, Paul does not at this point say what to say. That's what we want to know. Tell me what to say to this person. I need the right word. He tells us how to say it, that this is what we're going to know, that we are to speak in this way so that we will have the knowledge into what to say. The Old Geneva Bible says it this way, 1599 Geneva Bible quote, our speech and talk must be applied to the prophet of the hearers. That's what it means to speak with grace, to speak in this way. Calvin says this quote, he requires swavity of speech. I like that. Such as may allure the hearers by its prophetableness, swavity is actually used a lot of times to show sort of like a manipulative sophistication, you know, you're putting on a show, but Calvin means by a sincere tactfulness though. A real tactfulness, a real politeness, a real charmingness that ought to be there in our speech, that's what swavity means, but sincere not the instance you're kind as it's often used. That's where we get the idea and the second part of the verse, let your speech always be with grace here, it is seasoned. In the way I memorized it in the New American Standard, seasoned as it were with salt, sort of brings out what he's saying here, like salt does to food, let your words be that way to people. Sometimes, you know, commentators get caught up. Well, salt is this flavoring thing and salt is this preserving thing and our words need to preserve. I don't think Paul's just saying salt is good in food, let your words be good to people. Not them seek to do them good. Season like salt, you put salt on something to make it good, your words should be to the good of others. That's what he's saying here in this text. He's already told us now in chapter three verse eight to put aside anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. So he's already told us what not to say. Don't talk this way, don't talk out of anger or pride or don't say cuss words of all things, filthy language. And we saw in chapter three verses 15 and 16, when the peace of God is ruling in our hearts, when God's word makes its home in us, then we can be in use in teaching and admonishing one another and what kind of words, in the words like in the songs, and in hymns and in spiritual songs, singing in our hearts to God, the heart is key here. That's why Jesus said the heart is so important, Luke 6.45 Jesus said it's out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks. And so Paul was addressing the heart back in chapter three verses 15 and 16 and now he's saying that out of that overflow, we are to speak that way. We are to find this example of speech in Proverbs a lot, remember when we were looking at Proverbs, again I was just reminded of that as I was doing this sermon. Proverbs 25 verse 23, a man has joyed by the answer of his mouth and a word spoken in due season, how good it is, Solomon says, a word spoken in due season, how good it is and just reminds me right now we are doing the apples of gold program. One of the most biblical programs I think I've ever read about where literally the older women teach the younger women how to be godly wives and godly mothers. I mean, it's right out of scripture and we do that program and the theme verse of that program is Proverbs chapter 25 verse 11, a word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver, a proper word, a word at the right time, a proper time in the right way. Isaiah chapter 50 verse 4, the Lord has given me the tongue of the learned that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. I think what we have to do is ask the question when we speak to unbelievers, what's the goal of my words to this person? What's my intention? What's my hope? What do I want to result from this conversation? Is my goal they're good, they're everlasting good. Ephesians 4, 29, let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth but what is good for necessary education edification rather that it may impart grace to the hearers. Now, obviously Paul did not believe that we can in our own human words impart grace to hearers. But the fact of the matter is we can speak in such a way that the Holy Spirit would use it to impart grace or we can speak in such a way that we would be a hindrance to grace and be a stumbling block as Jesus often warns. And that's what we are to do here because the key is the end of the verse and this is the reason why this is important. And so I want to notice fourthly and lastly answering outsiders, notice answering outsiders, verse six, the whole verse. Let your speech always be with grace seasoned with salt, that and order that for the purpose of this is why that you may know how you ought to answer each person, the word ought there is just a little Greek particle day and it means how it is necessary. How it is necessary for you to answer each person. It's the fact that we are walking in wisdom and obedience to God and speaking with the goal of doing good to our hearers that will enable us to know how to answer them, to know the what to say and the win to say it. Clearly I don't think Paul tells us what to say here but how again what's the goal of our speech and because there's an individual component here you see it again in the Greek text we see in the English too, how you know how you ought to know to answer each one. Right because of the scripture wanted to tell you what to say to a certain person in a certain situation why we'd have a book all the way to the seal. Because a different person at a different time in a different circumstance a different age different culture you're never going to get there. What you need is a principle and that's what scripture gives us that we would speak this way in order that we would know how to answer each one in each circumstance in each situation each one individually is the thrust of the text. That we would in order to serve God in order to do our duty as image bearers in order to love our fellow man that's that's what it's necessary for you say well necessary for what how you how you may know or how sorry that you may know how you ought to answer that you may know how it is necessary necessary to serve God. It's necessary to do your duty as an image bearer of God necessary to love your fellow man to speak that kind of words. I think we could ask the question what would biblical love what would one thing this person's everlasting good say to this person right now if I really want that what would I say asking that kind of a question not just say the true answer the correct answer the right answer. Not the person who just you know just sort of sees it factually or you just say the true thing the right thing at the right moment give the right answer. There are times when you shouldn't say things that are true or that are right Jesus is our model for this in John chapter 16 verse 12. I still have many things to say to you but you cannot bear them now do you see how he applied wisdom to that there were many things that he had to say to them that they needed him to say but not now. They couldn't bear it. They couldn't handle it. It reminds me of that movie when I was a teenager back in the 80s when that soldier was on trial I don't remember the name of the movie but he's on trial and he's very caustic sort of witness and he says you can't handle the truth. Well there is a time in which we can't handle certain things and Jesus recognized that and you know it's interesting with Christ because presumably he could have changed their hearts. He could have made it so they could have handled it and he didn't do that and I find that really interesting that Jesus the one with all power to transform a heart instantly and we will be transformed when we die. We go to be with the Lord in our spirits and our sin natures will remain dead so we know that momentary perfection is coming in a sense. Jesus doesn't do it. He simply restrains what he would say to them because they can't handle it and what this seems to me is that this is the way God works in us. He changes us by his power but according to our natures God made us human beings and human beings grow and learn and are transformed in certain ways, human ways, slow ways, painful ways. Why else would we have to go through things? Well I had to go through that horrible time last year and I didn't know what it was about but man I see how God was working in me. If God would just transform us immediately, you know that's a presumption on God. Well I know God can just transform them so I'll just say the blunt, right thing, the right, you know because I know the answer. How about caring enough for the person? How about loving them enough to say you know what? I'm not sure if this is the right time I'm going to pray about this and see maybe what I should say that might actually benefit them and help them as they take a step towards the truth as I'm trying to take steps towards the truth. I think that's what God does. That's how God changes us. That's why that's what we see over and over again. God made man, man fell and God transformed us in the new birth but then we have to grow in a human way with human language, with human instruction, where things really come into us and we have to experience it and we have to get a hold of it and we have to buy the power of the spirit to be sure but through normal experiences. Otherwise hardships in life don't make sense. God could just zap. Why doesn't he just zap? Why did I have to go through this? Because this is the way God is going to transform the world because he hasn't given up on his creation because he is going to renew it and he's going to do it through vessels like us, broken vessels. He's going to show his glory in that. What's the glory in God creating a race, the race falling and God just zapping them all perfect. You know through the new birth that Christ would purchase on the cross etc. Where's the power in that? Where's the glory in it? Where's God showing that he can take those who are totally depraved, those who were dead in their sins, give them life and then cause them to grow and be transformed even in sinful conditions. Even when evil comes against them, even when they do evil. And God uses it for our good. I think this is what God does. This is why we have to go through things to learn. This is why we only learn and grow by the power of God's spirit but through ordinary means that we have to be able to handle and to receive progressively more, hopefully, this year than last year. That we would learn from God as a regard to his creation and he works in it according to the way that he has made it. We have to grow and learn and be transformed as humans and so we go through things. And so our attitude should be towards unbelievers. What can I say in the natural that would best have an impact in this person's life as much as I know, what I know about this person and myself in this situation. Trusting in God, praying to God for wisdom, trying to be godly and gracious, caring for this person, not trying to look like I care, but really caring. What would I say in the natural that God the spirit might use? Because it's out of real faith, imperfect, real love, sure, sin-laden, but real because of the renewing power of the spirit in us. What could I say? I think that's what we need to do, beloved. That should be our attitude towards unbelievers. How can I best help this person accept the truth and do good in this situation at this time right now? How can I do that? I think we have to have that same kind of sentiment that we see in Peter. And I just want to close with this first Peter 3.14 and 15, the apologetics verse that I love. Even if you should suffer for righteousness, say, even when they persecute you, right? You are blessed, do not be afraid of their threats nor be troubled, but set apart, sanctify the Lord God in your heart. God's got to be first in your heart, that's got to be there and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you and even there. He says what, with meekness and with fear, having a good conscience, walking wisely before them, having a good conscience so that even if they do defame you as evil doers, they will be ashamed of your good conduct in Christ. And this is what I think this text is telling us a lot of it. We can't convert people, we can't change them, but we can be the means through which God does. And it's important that we study to do that and seek to do it. And don't just sit back and say, well, God just has to zap them the way he zaped me. He didn't zap you. He used a lot of people and if you came to pay later in life like I did a lot of people and a lot of examples and brought you to faith and everyone's important. And this is why we need to redeem the time because God will use us to save others even as he used others to save us. Let's pray. Father, we thank you that you are the God who sends us out to be light. We're not light. But we can be light by your power and by your grace in us. Lord, we thank you that we can be salt and we can actually speak a word that you would cause others to pause that your spirit would use in the life of others to draw them to you to quicken them in the new birth. Father, as they receive and embrace your gospel, as they believe in Jesus Christ. And as our example and our words of grace are used by you to prepare that way. Father, your word says you do this. Help us to believe it. Help us to trust in you enough to hope that you really will use us if we seek to just love others enough to speak graciously to them. And to walk before them in a way that we really believed you would use us. Lord, help us to do that. Help us to care for the lost as you care for us. For we ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.