How Do We Answer a Question with Grace and Salt?

A Christian friend told me her non-Christian co-worker asked what she thought of gays. She wasn’t sure how to answer, so she said, “I love them.”
 

Afterwards, she wished she'd been better prepared. Few Christians (including me) think through the best way to answer questions like these, but we should.
 

My friend’s answer wasn’t wrong, but neither was it right. Let’s unpack what Scripture says about answering questions about our faith.
 

“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders: make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”  Colossians 4:5-6
 

1. We need to know what God's Word teaches.
 

2. We need to see such questions as opportunities to share Christ.
 

3. We need to be gracious, not rude or sarcastic.
 

4. We need to be unafraid to share hard truths. The salt of the gospel flavors and preserves our lives. Matthew 5:13 says we are the salt of the earth. 
 

If we refuse to share unpopular biblical truths we aren't preserving the truth. We're offering an artificially flavored gospel.

 

John 1:17 says, “grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” Christ brought the New Covenant that is based on both grace and truth. 
 

So how should we answer the question my friend was asked? With this foundation, we’ll discuss it in tomorrow’s devotion. 

 For more insights on being salt, see:

 Are You Sugar and Shadows or Salt and Light? and Seasoned with Salt.

And please check out this helpful resource: Full description of the book Lies in Disguise. A much needed book to uncover half-truths that misuse Scripture and weaken Christian faith.