Know "them" that are within and without:
Colossians 4:5
5Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
Without:
Paul, who was in prison, was very much concerned that when he stood in court that he always said the right thing that he may reach everyone that heard him with the gospel. Likewise, he encourages the church at Colossae to do the same when addressing those who were without. We who are filled with the Holy Ghost and baptized in Jesus Name have our vernacular that is understood by us all but those who have not heard the gospel according to the book of Acts do not fully understand our terminology. Therefore let our speech be always with grace and fitly spoken!
Proverbs 10:11
11A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.
We must know how we ought to answer every man in a manner that the seed of the gospel in planted into their heart and takes root thus redeeming the time. Life presents each of us small windows of opportunity to touch a soul with the gospel. Only through prayer and the power of the Holy Ghost can our speech always be with grace to those without!
Within:
From verse 7 throughout the remainder of the chapter, Paul addresses the names of those that are within in whom we can trust in their words and leadership. We must be very sensitive through the leading of the Holy Ghost as to whether we take words, thoughts and spirits into our spirit. Paul mentions one call Demas as a fellow servant. Demas is mentioned three times in the Scriptures with two as a fellow servant but the third says that Demas had forsaken him having loved this present world.
1 John 4
1Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
Jude 1:4
4For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
II Timothy 4:10
10For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.
Men, let us be sensitive to "them" that are without and "them" that are within as the coming of the Lord is drawing nigh. We must redeem the time.
Bob Gougler
