To Encourage You

Colossians 1:28 “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.”

Do you notice that the word “everyone” is repeated three times in the verse above? When God repeats a word, for it is His Word, it’s always to emphasize a point for our benefit. We need certain things pounded into our head, and repetition is a means to do this. For one, “everyone” means “everyone,” i.e., it means you, me, and every single person that you or I know – all our relatives, all our friends, all our coworkers, everyone in our church, everyone – and it means everyone else that we don’t know: every rich person, every poor person, every president and king, and every homeless person on the streets of our great cities. It means every person lying in a hospital bed somewhere, every athlete, every child, every parent, every grandparent, and every person who has never been married. It means every sinner and every saint. And it means every person from every country, every nationality, and every race on the face of the earth.

So, what is this thing that is meant for everyone and meant for specific benefits to everyone: it’s the message of the gospel. And what is that message? First, it’s a warning. To everyone on the face of the earth, the Word of God is filled with warnings. It tells us about the danger of living life as if God doesn’t matter and living life for nothing but worldly gain and what are nothing but short-term pleasures in this life. It’s filled with warnings to “have ears to hear,” as Jesus often said, what the Spirit has to say. It’s full of warnings about the tragedy and eternal loss that will come to everyone who is not saved from the wrath to come, and it’s filled with these warnings because God loves us and doesn’t want harm to come upon us. Just as we warn other people, such as our own children, of the dangers of certain people, places, and things in this world because we love them and don’t want harm to come to them, God has warned us because He loves us more than we can begin to comprehend.

But then the Scriptures are meant to teach wisdom to everyone. In its pages are the secrets of life for every person on the face of the earth. It shows us how to have a relationship with Christ, for it is that relationship that is the beginning of wisdom for every person on the face of the earth (Proverbs 9:10). And then it teaches one and all of us how to think, make choices, speak, and do that which brings the blessings of wisdom rather than the curses of foolishness as we live our life.

And finally, the gospel is meant to “present everyone mature in Christ.” It has the power, when listened to and obeyed, to make us more like Christ. It is the bread of life that helps us to grow spiritually more and more into the image of Christ. This is possible for everyone – no matter what the record of our past, no matter what our physical or mental limitations, and no matter what the conditions of our birth and upbringing. God’s Word transcends all these things with its power to transform.

So, if you think these things are not possible for you, think again, for everyone means everyone, including you.