Post by Les on Mar 1, 2020 23:47:00 GMT
CHRISTIAN EXPRESSION
Christian life is the constant expression of the word, will, and wisdom of God. The Christian life is more than the private prayer life and intimate relationship which we have with God. Those are essential to our spirituality; yet God expects us to also have an outward expression of faith which witnesses to those around us.
(5) Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.
(6) Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. Colossians 4:5-6 KJV
Verse 5 exhorts us to walk in wisdom concerning those who are outside of the body of Christ. This means we must always be mindful of our actions, demeanor, and language.
(15) See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
(16) Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
(17) Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. Ephesians 5:15-17 KJV
There are two ancient Greek words used for time; Chronos and Kairos. Chronos; has the idea of spaces of time such as an hour, day, month, or year. Kairos has the idea of a definite portion of time; it concerns a time when something should happen. The projection here is of the time; it is a definite season of opportunity that Christians must seek to redeem.
Brethren when we are exhorted to walk in wisdom and walk circumspectly we cannot afford to take it lightly. The Greek defines the word circumspectly as; to express our faith in the most exact and straightest way before those in the world. How we express ourselves is just as essential to our earthly walk as our relationship and daily devotion to God in private. We cannot afford to be tossed to and fro when every wind of doctrines of men and demons. Prayer is essential in understanding the word of God and knowing the will of God for our individual lives.
Those in the world are always observing the Christian lifestyle. They observe our actions, they observe our responses and reactions to the issues of life; and they observe our language. Therefore the Christian expression should be a life of spiritual discipline and self-regulation. Our spiritual walk is shaped and controlled by the high wisdom of the word and the unction of the Spirit. When we fail to walk in this wisdom and our language becomes indiscreet instead of judicious; it will affect someone without negatively and put a bad light upon God, Christ, and Christianity.
(29) Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. Ephesians 4:29 KJV
Our language should always be spiced with salt; salt is a preservative. Our speech should always be practical, prevalent, and purposeful. Our Christian expression should be paramount concerning the faith we convey and witness to the world. The Greek word defines the word corrupt in Ephesians 4:29 as; rotten, worthless, hurtful, and evil. In the Christian expression words are powerful to the edifying or the defiling of the soul. I like the way the WNT translates this verse:
(29) Let no unwholesome words ever pass your lips, but let all your words be good for benefiting others according to the need of the moment, so that they may be a means of blessing to the hearers. Ephesians 4:29
Brethren; when we walk in wisdom we are walking in the moment of opportunities that avail themselves before us. We become those who understand the will of God for our lives and redeem the time through seeking those waiting opportunities to express the Christ who lives within us through the Holy Spirit. We abandon the idleness of empty rhetoric and adhere to the solid foundation of the words of life, light, and liberty in Christ the Living Word. That Living Word is also the Anointing of God which enables us to discern the truth and expose the lies of deception.
(12) For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 KJV
The word is alive and operative in our lives; it cuts away the carnal and enhances the spiritual because it discerns the very deepest thoughts and intents of the hearts. The word is the anointing and the anointing is the word.
(27) But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. 1 John 2:27 KJV
Brethren when we abide in him he abides in us; when we study to show ourselves approved to God and for the purpose of knowing God; he gives us the ability to rightly discern the word of God. The word is able to reach us and teach us the wisdom of God. He smears himself upon us and it saturates us to the inner most of our being. The word then becomes our Christian expression; we walk circumspectly as the wise children of God redeeming the time for the days are evil. Brethren; I encourage you to keep the faith today by becoming the express image of Christ who is the express image of the Heavenly Father. In Christ we must live, breathe, and have our being to the glory and honor of God. When we consider those outside of the body of Christ and walk in wisdom we become even more effective concerning our witness and win souls that we may never know that we’ve won through our Christian expression! Selah
Bishop D. Ray Ritchie (Faith Evangelistic Ministries Int.)
Christian life is the constant expression of the word, will, and wisdom of God. The Christian life is more than the private prayer life and intimate relationship which we have with God. Those are essential to our spirituality; yet God expects us to also have an outward expression of faith which witnesses to those around us.
(5) Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.
(6) Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. Colossians 4:5-6 KJV
Verse 5 exhorts us to walk in wisdom concerning those who are outside of the body of Christ. This means we must always be mindful of our actions, demeanor, and language.
(15) See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
(16) Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
(17) Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. Ephesians 5:15-17 KJV
There are two ancient Greek words used for time; Chronos and Kairos. Chronos; has the idea of spaces of time such as an hour, day, month, or year. Kairos has the idea of a definite portion of time; it concerns a time when something should happen. The projection here is of the time; it is a definite season of opportunity that Christians must seek to redeem.
Brethren when we are exhorted to walk in wisdom and walk circumspectly we cannot afford to take it lightly. The Greek defines the word circumspectly as; to express our faith in the most exact and straightest way before those in the world. How we express ourselves is just as essential to our earthly walk as our relationship and daily devotion to God in private. We cannot afford to be tossed to and fro when every wind of doctrines of men and demons. Prayer is essential in understanding the word of God and knowing the will of God for our individual lives.
Those in the world are always observing the Christian lifestyle. They observe our actions, they observe our responses and reactions to the issues of life; and they observe our language. Therefore the Christian expression should be a life of spiritual discipline and self-regulation. Our spiritual walk is shaped and controlled by the high wisdom of the word and the unction of the Spirit. When we fail to walk in this wisdom and our language becomes indiscreet instead of judicious; it will affect someone without negatively and put a bad light upon God, Christ, and Christianity.
(29) Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. Ephesians 4:29 KJV
Our language should always be spiced with salt; salt is a preservative. Our speech should always be practical, prevalent, and purposeful. Our Christian expression should be paramount concerning the faith we convey and witness to the world. The Greek word defines the word corrupt in Ephesians 4:29 as; rotten, worthless, hurtful, and evil. In the Christian expression words are powerful to the edifying or the defiling of the soul. I like the way the WNT translates this verse:
(29) Let no unwholesome words ever pass your lips, but let all your words be good for benefiting others according to the need of the moment, so that they may be a means of blessing to the hearers. Ephesians 4:29
Brethren; when we walk in wisdom we are walking in the moment of opportunities that avail themselves before us. We become those who understand the will of God for our lives and redeem the time through seeking those waiting opportunities to express the Christ who lives within us through the Holy Spirit. We abandon the idleness of empty rhetoric and adhere to the solid foundation of the words of life, light, and liberty in Christ the Living Word. That Living Word is also the Anointing of God which enables us to discern the truth and expose the lies of deception.
(12) For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 KJV
The word is alive and operative in our lives; it cuts away the carnal and enhances the spiritual because it discerns the very deepest thoughts and intents of the hearts. The word is the anointing and the anointing is the word.
(27) But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. 1 John 2:27 KJV
Brethren when we abide in him he abides in us; when we study to show ourselves approved to God and for the purpose of knowing God; he gives us the ability to rightly discern the word of God. The word is able to reach us and teach us the wisdom of God. He smears himself upon us and it saturates us to the inner most of our being. The word then becomes our Christian expression; we walk circumspectly as the wise children of God redeeming the time for the days are evil. Brethren; I encourage you to keep the faith today by becoming the express image of Christ who is the express image of the Heavenly Father. In Christ we must live, breathe, and have our being to the glory and honor of God. When we consider those outside of the body of Christ and walk in wisdom we become even more effective concerning our witness and win souls that we may never know that we’ve won through our Christian expression! Selah
Bishop D. Ray Ritchie (Faith Evangelistic Ministries Int.)