"Encouragement in Troubled Times"

“Encouragement in Troubled Times”

And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow Him.  Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him.  Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.                 Colossians 2:6-7



When a person comes to Jesus for the SALVATION of their soul, they SHOULD ACCEPT Him as their SAVIOR and LORD, they MUST FOLLOW HIM in OBEDIENCE to the Word of God.  And put OFF their OLD HABITS, and EMBRACE their NEW LIFE in Christ Jesus.  They can do that by, ALLOWING their ROOTS to GROW down DEEP in CHRIST and then embark upon BUILDING their LIFE on Him.  And when they do this, wholeheartedly, their FAITH will grow STRONG in the TRUTH, in which they are being TAUGHT.  This is ENCOURAGING to EVERY TRUE BELIEVER, because they have HOPE in their FUTURE DESTINY.  And with that HOPE, they should have a THANKFUL HEART.



The Apostle Paul issues a WARNING in the middle of his ENCOURAGING WORDS, he says:  “Don’t let anyone capture you with EMPTY PHILOSOPHIES and HIGH-SOUNDING nonsense that comes from HUMAN THINKING and from spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.”(v8) Paul was concerned about FALSE TEACHERS influencing the COLOSSIAN BELIEVERS with FALSE WORDS and FALSE PHILOSOPHY.  Words and philosophies that were EMPTY of TRUTH and WISDOM, and were nothing more than HIGH-SOUNDING NONSENSE.  FANCY SOUNDING WORDS with little or NO TRUTH or WISDOM, and their SUBSTANCE was EMPTY and without TRUTH, because it was WORLDLY, HUMAN THINKING, void of ANYTHING GODLY.  The TRUE BELIEVER was to BE CAREFUL NOT to LET ANYONE capture them with such NONSENSE.



Then the Apostle Paul gives us more ENCOURAGING WORDS: “For in Christ lives ALL the FULLNESS of God in a human body.  So you also are COMPLETE through your union with Christ, who is the HEAD OVER EVERY RULER and AUTHORITY.”  (vv 9-10)



Only in JESUS CHRIST can a person have FULLNESS.  Apart from Him, there is EMPTINESS and DESPAIR.  The “Deity” of Christ is in His EMBODIMENT of the Almighty God, remember JESUS CHRIST is GOD in the FLESH.   Not only does JESUS have the FULLNESS of GOD, but the TRUE BELIEVER has been given the FULLNESS of CHRIST.  Meaning that they can SHARE in the GOODNESS of God’s nature.  And they are apart of the BODY of CHRIST.  The One who is the HEAD over EVERY POWER and AUTHORITY.  What ENCOURAGEMENT for Living in TROUBLED TIMES!  Because we, the TRUE BELIEVERS, KNOW who is in CONTROL, and we have the ASSURANCE and HOPE of an ETERNITY in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS.  Do you have that ASSURANCE and HOPE?  If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to GOD, you really don’t have that FULLNESS or the ASSURANCE and HOPE for your ETERNITY.   But here is some ENCOURAGEMENT for you:  The Almighty God has a PLAN, in order for you to have that FULLNESS, ASSURANCE and HOPE, you MUST BE WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  Then CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  And BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that JESUS died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  Then you MUST ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and His FULLNESS, ASSURANCE and HOPE of an ETERNITY in Heaven.  This is ENCOURAGEMENT for TROUBLED TIMES!  So, do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and COMING SOON!!!