“BEING WITHOUT”
Colossians 4:5

Introduction

A) Walk in wisdom

• In our key verse 5a, Paul exhorts Christians to... Walk in wisdom toward them that are without,
• What does “walk in wisdom” mean? Know what you are talking about by studying God's word.
• Who are “them that are without?” The unsaved.

B) Redeeming the time

• The last part of verse 5b says... “ redeeming the time.”
• Redeeming; getting or buying back, to deliver from sin, to restore something or make it new again.
• What does “redeeming the time” mean in this verse? Make good use of your time soul winning by “buying back” what you have learned through studying God's Word, listening to great men of God. Make new your wisdom by doing Philippians 4:13... “Study to show thyself approved...”

C) Those that are without

• In our lives today... there are many without!
• This means those that are not saved.
• Those that have not accepted Christ as their savior.
• Those that are without are described in Ephesians 2:12

I. What Are They Without? (What do they not have?)

A) Without heaven · Verse 1...

• To the unsaved person this world is like heaven to them because this is as good as it will get for them.
• Hell will be much worse.

B) Without God

• Verse 3...
• It is God who created... Colossians 1:16 “..visible and invisable...”

C) Without Christ

• Without Christ there is no forgiveness.
• Without Christ there is no mediator between God and us.
• John 14:6... “ Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
• He is the only Savior... Acts 4:12...
• He is the door to heaven, peace, love and satisfaction... John 10:9

D) Without fellowship

• Verse 7, 10, 11... Every unbeliever is without the fellowship of God the Father, the Son, and The Holy Ghost.
• They are also without the fellowship of the brethren.
• We need fellowship for “...a comfort unto me.”

E) Without the will of God

• Verse 12... “ that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.”
• When we stand before God we will be perfect because of Christ.
• What is “the will of God?” It is God's want for us, for you.
• Jesus' will... John 4:34, John 6:38
• Paul tells us in Romans 12:2... to prove the will of God in our lives by the changes we make in our lives. ·

F) Without the Church

• Read now verses 15,16...
• The true Church is the body of Christ
• When we say... “I don't need to be a member of a church” We are truly saying...
  1. I don't need to be a part of the body of Christ.
  2. I don't need to wait for Christ to come call me as part of the bride.
  3. I don't need to help this body do anything that will honor God.
  4. I don't need any to help me.
  5. I don't need to follow God's commandments.

G) Without Grace

• Read verse 18 of our text ... “Grace be with you.”
• It is the Grace of God which makes us what we are today.
• Exodus 33:17... And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.
• God did things for Moses because Moses found grace in the eyes of the Lord because of his heart for God and to do the right thing.
• Noah found the grace of God and thus was spared in the flood.
• If the unsaved are without Christ Jesus, then they are also without grace... John 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
• Acts 15:11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

II. Those That Are Within

A) Being “Within”

• Those that are saved, and have accepted Christ as their Savior and believe with their heart...they are those that are “within.”
• Those that are within ...
  1. Are going to heaven
  2. Belong to God
  3. Have Christ as their Savior
  4. Have the fellowship of God, the Son, Holy Spirit, and the brethren
  5. Will receive the will of God in their lives.
  6. Want to be a part of the Church (the body of Christ, His future bride)
  7. Have the Grace of Christ Jesus.
• Being “within” is like being within the Ark... The Ark protected Noah and his family from the judgment of God upon the people of earth which was death for their continual sin. “Being within” we are protected from God's judgment once again upon the people of earth for their continual sin and refusing to accept Jesus as their Savior.