“Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be always with Grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man.”

Colossians 4:5-6

When we’re grafted into the sweet Rose of Sharon, His Fragrance should permeate everything we say and do.

No one needs to tell you when you’re near fragrant flowers. Their unique aroma has a way of filling our senses and making us want to draw near to them. . .drink in their beautiful colors with our eyes. . .caress their velvety petals in our hands. . .and breathe in deeply their one-of-a-kind fragrance.

Today’s Manna calls us to “walk in wisdom toward them that are without.” We know, without looking elsewhere, that this refers to those who are still in spiritual darkness, living in B.C. (“Before Christ”—Eph. 2:1-3). And, it takes Heavenly wisdom (James 4:13, 17-18) to know how to relate to them, ever-remembering that they are still spiritually dead, blind, deaf and dumb.

That’s why we are to “redeem (Grk. ‘exagorazo’—‘to buy up, ransom, rescue from loss, etc.’) the time”—for we never know if we’re have another opportunity to do so. Truly, our lives are as “a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away” (James 4:13-15). And, like a jet plane flying high overhead, leaving a vapor-trail behind, so are our lives. If we’ll invest them in God’s Kingdom by investing them in others’ lives, we need not fear if anything will remain when we’re gone (I Cor. 15:58; Rev. 14:13).

“As you have, therefore, received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him—rooted and built up in Him and established in the Faith, as you have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.”

Colossians 2:6-7

After Christ comes to live within us, ours is a life of “Treasure-walking,” not treasure-hunting.

New life in Christ is a spiritual transplant, if you will, where we receive “a new heart and mind” (Ez. 18:31; 36:26; II Cor. 5:17; Phil. 2:5). And, we know these are Jesus’ Heart and Mind since He lives within us; therefore, the key is allowing Him to be Himself in us and surrendering control of our lives to Him.

Picture this, if you will:

You get in a car with someone else to go somewhere. At first, you ride along quietly, enjoying the view and conversation. But, soon, you become discontent and start telling the driver how to drive, where to turn, etc. At first, this would simply be discourteous and rude; but, soon it’d become a point of contention.

Perhaps the driver is quite patient; yet, the time will come when he will stop the car, look at you and say, “I thought you wanted me to drive and said you wanted to go with me where I’m going. So, why do you keep telling me where you want to go? You don’t know where I’m going, so how can you know the way? If you’re going to go with me, you need to let me drive; otherwise, the journey’s going to be quite long and frustrating for us both.”

Although a trite illustration, the point is still valid: If we’ve truly “received Christ,” we should then “so walk in Him”—i.e., walking the “way” He would walk and going “where” He would go. To do otherwise will result in conflict and confusion. And, it will certainly leave one “rootless and restless” in the process.

Oh, dear Pilgrim, the only way we can “walk in Christ” is by being “rooted” in Him, which means being “grounded” in His Word. If we do not hide His Word in our hearts, how will we know how to not sin against Him (Ps. 119:11)? Likewise, it’ll be impossible for us to grow (“be built up”) in Him and be “established (Grk. ‘bebaioo’—‘to stabilize, make firm, be steadfast or sure, unwavering, etc.’) in the faith” apart from studying His Word (II Tim. 2:15).

“To whom God would make known what is the riches of the Glory of this mystery among the Gentiles—which is Christ in you, the Hope of Glory.”

Colossians 1:27

“The Mystery revealed” (Eph. 1:7-14, 18-23) is now the Hope secured.

“Christ in you.”

That’s Paul’s recurring theme throughout his writings. And, what transformation would take place in our hearts and minds if this became a living Reality in all of our lives!

We know from God’s Word that Jesus was/is “the Word made flesh” (Jn. 1:14). Known as the Incarnation, this Mystery of God Himself coming to this earth and “making of Himself no reputation, but assuming the role of a servant” (Phil. 1:7) blows our mind. And, when we realize this same omniscient Son of God willingly “humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross” (Phil. 1:8), it causes us to fall down on our knees, bow our heads and whisper, “Thank You, Lord.”

Even then, those are gratitude for past, accomplished deeds.

Today’s Manna reminds us of what happened after the Lord Jesus did that and then returned Home via the Ascension.

He promised the disciples (and us) that He would not “leave them comfortless—i.e., as orphans—but would come to them” (Jn. 14:18). And, how would He come to them/us? Quite simply by “the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit” (Jn. 14:26). Hallelujah!!

Even then, we have difficulty understanding this because it’s “beyond us.”

But, when we realize the word “Holy” means “set apart” and “Spirit” means “life,” it dawns on us that this “set apart Life” is really Jesus Himself. And, that’s what Paul was talking about when he said “Christ IN YOU, the Hope of Glory.”

Think of it, dear Pilgrim:

“And you, that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now has He reconciled in the Body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in His sight—if you continue in the faith, grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the Hope of the Gospel, which you have heard and which was preached to every creature which is under Heaven, whereof I, Paul, am made a minister.”

Colossians 1:21-23

There’s only one; the question is do you have it and are you living in it?

The Faith.

In his epistle to the church in Ephesus Paul wrote about there being “one Body, one Spirit, one Hope, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism and one God and Father of all” (Eph. 4:4-6). A simple study of the Scriptures will help the serious-minded student to soon conclude what he meant by these things: “One Body” (the Body of Christ—i.e., the Church). “One Spirit” (the Holy Spirit). “One Hope” (the Hope we have in Christ alone as the “Anchor of the Soul”—Heb. 6:17-20). “One Lord” (the Lord Jesus Christ). “One Baptism” (Believer’s Baptism). “One God and Father of all” (the Heavenly Father).

But, the question is, what is this “one Faith”?

There’s no doubt it’s the Faith talked about in Heb. 11:6 where it talks about “saving” or “pleasing” Faith, which simply believes “God is” and “is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”

Yet, even there we must balance it with James’ warning about “demonic faith,” which believes “there is one God and trembles” (James 2:19)—yet there is no repentance; or “dead faith,” which is “faith without works” or no visible evidence of inward-working faith.