The word, “Christian” has become a catch-all for anything and everyone that says the words ‘Jesus’ or ‘Bible’. Even the most simplistic search on the internet reveals a discovery of definitions that are wide and varying. Oxford (online) says: “adjective: relating to or professing Christianity or its teachings.”the Christian Church”; plural noun: a follower or adherent of the religion of Christianity.”a born-again Christian””. That one alone is laced with Catholicism, Denominationalism, and a few other encampments that are not what I would agree defines a “Christian”. Wikipedia gave this definition: “is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.” Hey, I can at least agree to the last part of that, but the first is still religion based. It reads as if you have joined something, but it hasn’t changed you.
Ai pointed me in the direction of an online source I won’t name here. The definition is noted to be, “the most used source for defining what a christian is for those in age of 11-51”. That is a huge chunk of most churches and those whom we need to reach who aren’t in the faith. The definition is as follows: “adjective: 1) of, relating to, or professing Christianity or its teachings.”the Christian Church” 2) having or showing qualities associated with Christians, especially those of decency, kindness, fairness and tolerance; noun: a person who has received Christian baptism.” That is also laced with agenda. It is a projection upon true believers to be a certain way. If those believers were not disciples then it would lead them to believe this definition is accurate and they should adhere to it. I do not accept this definition. Well, to be honest, I do not accept any label the world throws at me. How about you?
The original usage of this term is found in Acts 11 where the believers in Antioch were first called (labeled) “Christian”. It means literally, ‘christ like’. Which brings us to the focus here today: Facsimile, which is an exact copy. How to be a facsimile of Jesus. The denominational definitions are trash out there, but the world around you is looking at you and drawing their own conclusions. The question is then: how you walk and how you talk? Colossians 4.5-6 says— “Walk 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.” Let’s take a couple of moments and delve into these questions…
How you walk should be to “walk in wisdom”. The word “walk” means how you act or behave. God’s word says to do it “wisely”. The New Testament word “wisdom” means the capacity to see things from God’s perspective and to respond to them according to scriptural principles. Proverbs 2.4-5 explains that it ought to be a pursuit— “If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.” So you have the choice to either walk wisely or unwisely. King David said in Psalm 119.15-16— “I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.” Walk wisely = act wisely. Our text (Colossians 4.5-6) is specifically talking about how we act with those who are not saved, “without”. A parallel passage to this text is Ephesians 5.15-17— “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.” The phrase, “walk circumspectly” means to pay careful attention how you act. Author and Pastor John Phillips said it this way, “Guard your testimony”. So how does one walk in wisdom? The verse said, by “redeeming the time”. The word “redeem” means to buy up an opportunity (time). Time is the most precious commodity we have. What is the opposite of redeeming? Wasting. Personally, I’m tired of wasting time. Jesus never wasted time. He is the God of time, so if I want to be a facsimile of Him, I should redeem my opportunities for eternal purposes.
How you talk should be “always with grace”. How you talk should be wise, grace-filled speech. In the world of hate and variance, we sadly have to ask the question: what does grace-speak look like? Answer: how Jesus talked. Yes, how you say it matters. Apparently how you say it matters as much as what you say. So how does one speak with grace? Season it with salt! Not far from Colosse, in Phrygia, there was a salt lake. This is something the culture of Colosse would understand then. Jesus also spoke of this in Matthew 5.13. Here He said if the salt had lost it’s potency then it was no longer good for normal use, but to be used as discard on the road ways to keep vegetation down (“trodden under foot of men”). The opposite of salt for seasoning is to have bland and flavorless food. It’s tasteless because it’s full of secular talk and lacks the wisdom of God. It is overrun with too many words and not enough substance. The end result is to lose normal use and only be used as a ground clear, or a soil deadener. That is NOT the life I want. So what does it mean to walk in wisdom? Easy, to act as Jesus acted. What does it mean to talk in wisdom with the unsaved? Easy, to talk as Jesus talked.
Then ask yourself these two questions: Do I walk and talk like Jesus?
This is serious business…people’s eternity depends on it. I don’t want to be an accessory to their destruction. And I don’t want to render myself useless in the Kingdom work. Perhaps you feel the need to reinvest your life into the ministry of being a facsimile of Jesus. If so, seek the truth in James 1.5-8— “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” Pray for Wisdom; Ask for it in Faith. Don’t ask for it and then go ahead and do your own thing in the flesh.
Beware. We can inadvertently ruin the opportunity God would open for us, to show Him off, by simply ruining peoples impression of God by our mouth and actions. You may be the only Jesus people see and hear. Are you a good facsimile?