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00:00:01 The text for today here at Colossians 4:6 00:00:05 sets a standard for us in our speech. 00:00:10 It says: “Let your words always be gracious, 00:00:14 seasoned with salt.” 00:00:17 So we will consider three questions. 00:00:19 The first one: 00:00:21 What is gracious speech? 00:00:24 Second: 00:00:26 Why are gracious words so important? 00:00:32 And third: 00:00:33 How can we learn to speak graciously? 00:00:38 So for that first one (what is gracious speech?), 00:00:41 the word “gracious” has a special meaning. 00:00:47 The apostle Paul used this Greek word 00:00:50 more than 100 times in his writings. 00:00:54 So, what is so special about this word? 00:00:58 This word is also translated 00:01:00 as “undeserved kindness,” 00:01:04 and in some cases it is translated as “a kind gift.” 00:01:10 So apply it to the words in this text: 00:01:12 ‘Let your words always be a kind gift.’ 00:01:17 We can compare this concept 00:01:19 with the words of Paul in Ephesians chapter 4. 00:01:24 It says at Ephesians 4:29, 00:01:28 the second part of the verse, 00:01:32 “only what is good 00:01:34 “for building up as the need may be, 00:01:38 to impart what is beneficial to the hearers.” 00:01:43 But now note what he says in the first part of this verse: 00:01:46 “Let a rotten word 00:01:49 not come out of your mouth.” 00:01:52 Now, that’s a strong concept. 00:01:55 Maybe you have had in your refrigerator 00:01:59 some food that went off. 00:02:01 On the outside it looks fine. 00:02:04 But when you open that lid and that putrid smell comes out, 00:02:08 you turn your head away, 00:02:10 you close the lid, and you get rid of it as fast as you can. 00:02:16 Now, think of a conversation you have with your close friend. 00:02:21 You’re expecting to hear something really good and upbuilding from him, 00:02:26 but out come these critical, nasty, 00:02:30 and negative comments about somebody else 00:02:35 or about some arrangement. 00:02:37 How disappointing! 00:02:39 The smell is just overwhelming, 00:02:42 but you cannot react as you would with that container of food 00:02:46 in case you become the next target. 00:02:50 So, what do you do? 00:02:51 Just quietly put a lid on that conversation and throw it away. 00:02:57 Now, I’m sure all of us 00:03:00 have been there at some time on either side of the conversation. 00:03:05 But now we come to the second part. 00:03:08 Why is it so important to have gracious speech? 00:03:13 Consider the words here in James —James chapter 3. 00:03:18 Now, here it says in verse 6, 00:03:21 James 3:6: 00:03:23 “The tongue is also a fire. 00:03:26 “The tongue represents a world of unrighteousness 00:03:30 “among our body members, for it defiles all the body 00:03:35 “and sets the whole course of life on fire, 00:03:38 and it is set on fire by Gehenna.” 00:03:44 So who is ‘liable to Gehenna’? 00:03:47 It’s the one misusing their tongue. 00:03:50 Jesus said the same thing. 00:03:52 Consider his words here in Matthew 00:03:56 —Matthew chapter 12. 00:03:59 And here Jesus says in verse 36 00:04:04 —he says: 00:04:07 “I tell you that men will render an account 00:04:11 “on Judgment Day 00:04:13 for every unprofitable saying that they speak.” 00:04:18 We may ask, ‘But is Jehovah not judging us 00:04:22 on the person we are on the inside?’ 00:04:25 Exactly! 00:04:26 Look what it says in verse 34, the second part of verse 34: 00:04:30 “For out of the abundance of the heart 00:04:34 the mouth speaks.” 00:04:37 So words seem to appear from the top of the head, 00:04:40 but they really come from the heart. 00:04:46 And Jehovah judges a person on the inside 00:04:49 and on the impact their words 00:04:53 might have on other people. 00:04:55 Of course, Jehovah sets the most beautiful example for us 00:04:59 of kind and gracious speech. 00:05:02 Look at this example in Zechariah 00:05:06 —Zechariah chapter 1. 00:05:09 And here in Zechariah chapter 1, 00:05:12 an angel of Jehovah is speaking to Jehovah 00:05:16 in verse 12. 00:05:18 Now, this angel is very distressed 00:05:21 because it seems that false worship 00:05:23 is gaining the upper hand 00:05:25 and true worship is being pushed aside. 00:05:28 And he says here in verse 12: 00:05:31 “O Jehovah of armies, 00:05:34 “how long will you withhold your mercy from Jerusalem 00:05:37 “and the cities of Judah, 00:05:40 with whom you have been indignant these 70 years?” 00:05:44 Now, look at verse 13: 00:05:47 “Jehovah answered the angel who was speaking with me, 00:05:51 with kind and comforting words.” 00:05:55 Now, the account does not say what Jehovah said, 00:05:58 but we know Jehovah is gracious and kind. 00:06:04 So now we come to our third question: 00:06:07 How can we learn 00:06:11 to be gracious and to have gracious speech? 00:06:15 Well, there are two principles we’ve got to highlight, 00:06:18 because this is a very complicated subject. 00:06:21 And the first one we would like to highlight 00:06:23 is at Ephesians 5:1 00:06:26 —Ephesians 5:1. 00:06:30 And there it says: 00:06:32 “Therefore, become imitators of God, 00:06:37 as beloved children.” 00:06:39 Now, we know children imitate their parents. 00:06:41 They just find it so enjoyable 00:06:46 to do something for their parents. 00:06:48 They imitate them. 00:06:51 See this little girl? 00:06:52 She gives a gift to her mother. 00:06:55 Now, it is not the best gift 00:06:58 or the greatest gift ever, 00:07:00 but to the mother it is wonderful. 00:07:03 Why? 00:07:04 Because she’s imitating her. 00:07:06 She probably saw her being generous to other people; 00:07:09 she imitates that. 00:07:12 And that makes her feel very, very good. 00:07:15 The same with Jehovah. 00:07:17 When we imitate him, 00:07:20 we bring joy to his heart. 00:07:24 Now, it’s all a matter of appreciation, isn’t it? 00:07:29 Nothing builds appreciation 00:07:32 more than being grateful, 00:07:36 to say thank you. 00:07:38 So thank Jehovah 00:07:41 for everything he does for us every day. 00:07:44 Now, we probably don’t even know the half of what he really is doing for us. 00:07:49 But if we thank him all the time 00:07:53 —every day make it a point to thank him for the things we see he does for us— 00:07:58 it will engender in our hearts 00:08:00 an appreciation for Jehovah 00:08:04 and we will admire him. 00:08:06 And the more we admire Jehovah, 00:08:10 the more we will be inclined to imitate him. 00:08:15 And there is no need to feel unworthy, saying, 00:08:18 “Oh, well, I cannot imitate Jehovah.” 00:08:21 No! 00:08:22 The only qualification needed 00:08:25 is to have an appreciative heart. 00:08:31 The second principle we would like to highlight 00:08:34 is contained in our text for today, 00:08:36 which says our words should be “seasoned with salt.” 00:08:41 Now, in Bible times they didn’t have refrigeration. 00:08:46 So in order to preserve food, they would salt it. 00:08:51 They would season it with salt 00:08:54 to make sure that the food was not spoiled. 00:08:59 Our words —our gracious words— 00:09:03 should preserve the dignity of other people; 00:09:08 they should preserve love and friendships 00:09:13 that will last forever. 00:09:18 These words that we speak 00:09:22 will come from an appreciative heart. 00:09:24 So look for the good in other people 00:09:28 and say the right thing 00:09:31 to strengthen the good in them. 00:09:34 And we do say the nicest things to those we love, don’t we? 00:09:39 So in conclusion, 00:09:41 regardless of what we go through or how we feel, 00:09:45 always be gracious. 00:09:47 It is never wrong to do good and be kind. 00:09:52 Don’t give up. 00:09:54 And make this the standard, as it says at Psalm 19:14: 00:09:59 “Let the sayings of my mouth 00:10:02 “and the meditation of my heart 00:10:05 “become pleasurable before you, 00:10:08 O Jehovah my Rock and my Redeemer.”
00:00:01 The text for today here at Colossians 4:6 00:00:05 sets a standard for us in our speech. 00:00:10 It says: “Let your words always be gracious, 00:00:14 seasoned with salt.” 00:00:17 So we will consider three questions. 00:00:19 The first one: 00:00:21 What is gracious speech? 00:00:24 Second: 00:00:26 Why are gracious words so important? 00:00:32 And third: 00:00:33 How can we learn to speak graciously? 00:00:38 So for that first one (what is gracious speech?), 00:00:41 the word “gracious” has a special meaning. 00:00:47 The apostle Paul used this Greek word 00:00:50 more than 100 times in his writings. 00:00:54 So, what is so special about this word? 00:00:58 This word is also translated 00:01:00 as “undeserved kindness,” 00:01:04 and in some cases it is translated as “a kind gift.” 00:01:10 So apply it to the words in this text: 00:01:12 ‘Let your words always be a kind gift.’ 00:01:17 We can compare this concept 00:01:19 with the words of Paul in Ephesians chapter 4. 00:01:24 It says at Ephesians 4:29, 00:01:28 the second part of the verse, 00:01:32 “only what is good 00:01:34 “for building up as the need may be, 00:01:38 to impart what is beneficial to the hearers.” 00:01:43 But now note what he says in the first part of this verse: 00:01:46 “Let a rotten word 00:01:49 not come out of your mouth.” 00:01:52 Now, that’s a strong concept. 00:01:55 Maybe you have had in your refrigerator 00:01:59 some food that went off. 00:02:01 On the outside it looks fine. 00:02:04 But when you open that lid and that putrid smell comes out, 00:02:08 you turn your head away, 00:02:10 you close the lid, and you get rid of it as fast as you can. 00:02:16 Now, think of a conversation you have with your close friend. 00:02:21 You’re expecting to hear something really good and upbuilding from him, 00:02:26 but out come these critical, nasty, 00:02:30 and negative comments about somebody else 00:02:35 or about some arrangement. 00:02:37 How disappointing! 00:02:39 The smell is just overwhelming, 00:02:42 but you cannot react as you would with that container of food 00:02:46 in case you become the next target. 00:02:50 So, what do you do? 00:02:51 Just quietly put a lid on that conversation and throw it away. 00:02:57 Now, I’m sure all of us 00:03:00 have been there at some time on either side of the conversation. 00:03:05 But now we come to the second part. 00:03:08 Why is it so important to have gracious speech? 00:03:13 Consider the words here in James —James chapter 3. 00:03:18 Now, here it says in verse 6, 00:03:21 James 3:6: 00:03:23 “The tongue is also a fire. 00:03:26 “The tongue represents a world of unrighteousness 00:03:30 “among our body members, for it defiles all the body 00:03:35 “and sets the whole course of life on fire, 00:03:38 and it is set on fire by Gehenna.” 00:03:44 So who is ‘liable to Gehenna’? 00:03:47 It’s the one misusing their tongue. 00:03:50 Jesus said the same thing. 00:03:52 Consider his words here in Matthew 00:03:56 —Matthew chapter 12. 00:03:59 And here Jesus says in verse 36 00:04:04 —he says: 00:04:07 “I tell you that men will render an account 00:04:11 “on Judgment Day 00:04:13 for every unprofitable saying that they speak.” 00:04:18 We may ask, ‘But is Jehovah not judging us 00:04:22 on the person we are on the inside?’ 00:04:25 Exactly! 00:04:26 Look what it says in verse 34, the second part of verse 34: 00:04:30 “For out of the abundance of the heart 00:04:34 the mouth speaks.” 00:04:37 So words seem to appear from the top of the head, 00:04:40 but they really come from the heart. 00:04:46 And Jehovah judges a person on the inside 00:04:49 and on the impact their words 00:04:53 might have on other people. 00:04:55 Of course, Jehovah sets the most beautiful example for us 00:04:59 of kind and gracious speech. 00:05:02 Look at this example in Zechariah 00:05:06 —Zechariah chapter 1. 00:05:09 And here in Zechariah chapter 1, 00:05:12 an angel of Jehovah is speaking to Jehovah 00:05:16 in verse 12. 00:05:18 Now, this angel is very distressed 00:05:21 because it seems that false worship 00:05:23 is gaining the upper hand 00:05:25 and true worship is being pushed aside. 00:05:28 And he says here in verse 12: 00:05:31 “O Jehovah of armies, 00:05:34 “how long will you withhold your mercy from Jerusalem 00:05:37 “and the cities of Judah, 00:05:40 with whom you have been indignant these 70 years?” 00:05:44 Now, look at verse 13: 00:05:47 “Jehovah answered the angel who was speaking with me, 00:05:51 with kind and comforting words.” 00:05:55 Now, the account does not say what Jehovah said, 00:05:58 but we know Jehovah is gracious and kind. 00:06:04 So now we come to our third question: 00:06:07 How can we learn 00:06:11 to be gracious and to have gracious speech? 00:06:15 Well, there are two principles we’ve got to highlight, 00:06:18 because this is a very complicated subject. 00:06:21 And the first one we would like to highlight 00:06:23 is at Ephesians 5:1 00:06:26 —Ephesians 5:1. 00:06:30 And there it says: 00:06:32 “Therefore, become imitators of God, 00:06:37 as beloved children.” 00:06:39 Now, we know children imitate their parents. 00:06:41 They just find it so enjoyable 00:06:46 to do something for their parents. 00:06:48 They imitate them. 00:06:51 See this little girl? 00:06:52 She gives a gift to her mother. 00:06:55 Now, it is not the best gift 00:06:58 or the greatest gift ever, 00:07:00 but to the mother it is wonderful. 00:07:03 Why? 00:07:04 Because she’s imitating her. 00:07:06 She probably saw her being generous to other people; 00:07:09 she imitates that. 00:07:12 And that makes her feel very, very good. 00:07:15 The same with Jehovah. 00:07:17 When we imitate him, 00:07:20 we bring joy to his heart. 00:07:24 Now, it’s all a matter of appreciation, isn’t it? 00:07:29 Nothing builds appreciation 00:07:32 more than being grateful, 00:07:36 to say thank you. 00:07:38 So thank Jehovah 00:07:41 for everything he does for us every day. 00:07:44 Now, we probably don’t even know the half of what he really is doing for us. 00:07:49 But if we thank him all the time 00:07:53 —every day make it a point to thank him for the things we see he does for us— 00:07:58 it will engender in our hearts 00:08:00 an appreciation for Jehovah 00:08:04 and we will admire him. 00:08:06 And the more we admire Jehovah, 00:08:10 the more we will be inclined to imitate him. 00:08:15 And there is no need to feel unworthy, saying, 00:08:18 “Oh, well, I cannot imitate Jehovah.” 00:08:21 No! 00:08:22 The only qualification needed 00:08:25 is to have an appreciative heart. 00:08:31 The second principle we would like to highlight 00:08:34 is contained in our text for today, 00:08:36 which says our words should be “seasoned with salt.” 00:08:41 Now, in Bible times they didn’t have refrigeration. 00:08:46 So in order to preserve food, they would salt it. 00:08:51 They would season it with salt 00:08:54 to make sure that the food was not spoiled. 00:08:59 Our words —our gracious words— 00:09:03 should preserve the dignity of other people; 00:09:08 they should preserve love and friendships 00:09:13 that will last forever. 00:09:18 These words that we speak 00:09:22 will come from an appreciative heart. 00:09:24 So look for the good in other people 00:09:28 and say the right thing 00:09:31 to strengthen the good in them. 00:09:34 And we do say the nicest things to those we love, don’t we? 00:09:39 So in conclusion, 00:09:41 regardless of what we go through or how we feel, 00:09:45 always be gracious. 00:09:47 It is never wrong to do good and be kind. 00:09:52 Don’t give up. 00:09:54 And make this the standard, as it says at Psalm 19:14: 00:09:59 “Let the sayings of my mouth 00:10:02 “and the meditation of my heart 00:10:05 “become pleasurable before you, 00:10:08 O Jehovah my Rock and my Redeemer.”
