Psalm 119:26-28 I have declared my ways, and thou heardest me: teach me thy statutes. Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works. My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word.

All this year we have been talking about growing in Christ. Are you aware of what is happening in you? Do you perceive the change? Do you understand how this change came about? Here in these verses is a plea for understanding the way of His precepts.

This is more than just gaining a list of commandments and statues which we label as laws. It is an understanding of how it works.

Isaiah 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Which statutes require obedience on our part to exact cause and effect which are contained within the command? Which precepts require no action on our part to be accomplished? It is that finite difference between obedience of faith and grace received merely because we are children of God.

Which are results of faith unto good works and which are gracious good pleasures of our loving God? If we do not have understanding we will end up working for grace or waiting on faith to do something without us. Both are error.

If you do not have understanding, you are in need of discipleship. Making disciples is so much more that preaching the gospel to the lost. Once saved, you have to gain an understanding of how these changes occur in you and why. That is understanding the “way” of precepts.

Is anyone disciplining you?

Colossians 4:6 Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

As we grow in Christ our speech changes. It is perhaps one of the more difficult transitions we make from being in the world to being in Christ, yet it does happen. I am amazed at how often I hear things spoken by people I consider to be mature, that offend or are misunderstood. Such a situation happened in Sunday School today.

One of the participants started off nearly every sentence with the word “But”. Before long another pointed out that he was being aggresive. Listening to his conversation closely from that point I discovered that his practice of leading off with the word “But” caused others to stop listening. His words were not being heard. He had turned people off by his approach.

Leading off a sentence like this makes it sound as if you are being dismissive. Beginning with “No” can have the same effect. Everyone has a reason for having an opinion. If error is offered, placing that person on the defensive is not the way to correction.

Nor is it the way to receive correction.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

Just quote the scripture and allow the scripture to do the work. If they will not accept the scriptures, then no amount of words from your point of view is going to sway them. Using scripture will also remove any concerns you might have in avoiding accidental offense.