Truth For Life

Guest (Male): If you are in Christ, God has begun a work in you. So what is it that he's doing with you? Alistair Begg walks us through the Bible's answer to that question today on Truth For Life as he examines God's purpose for every believer's life, his process of fulfilling it, and his promise that helps us persevere in every circumstance.

Alistair Begg: I want to think with you this morning about the thesis for the week, that it is the purpose of God to conform us to the image of his son. And that's why we began in these verses in Romans chapter eight. If there is a good work that God has begun, which he promises to bring to completion at the day of Jesus Christ, and if that work is the work of salvation in all of its multifaceted dimensions, would it be possible for us to reduce it at least in our thinking?

So that if somebody said to us, what is it that God is doing with you since he has apparently, by your testimony, made you one of his children? Is there something that we could say that would summarize the work of God? I suggest to you that there is. We could answer in the strength of the Scriptures themselves and say, what God is doing is making me more like Jesus. For that, as you will see here from the 29th verse, is God's eternal purpose.

His purpose from all of eternity, those he foreknew he predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his son. To be shaped like his son, to be molded into the very characteristics of Jesus. It is also suggested that couples, husbands and wives that are married for a long time, become so interwoven with one another that it is not infrequent that they are asked if they are brother and sister because they've taken on so many characteristics of one another.

This certainly would make sense. It would testify to the fact that we become like the company that we keep. That the presence that we engage in, the people that we spend time with, have an impact on us and we on them. That's why friendships formed are so important. That's why it is inevitable that we have to teach our young people, especially as they go into their teenage years, that friendships are seldom neutral. There are people in whose company it is easy to be good. There are people in whose company it is easy to be bad.

Therefore, it is vitally important that we establish friendships that nurture and help and encourage and so on. Well, here we find that God from all of eternity is nurturing his children so that the children, those who are following after he who is the firstborn among many brothers and sisters, are being fashioned into the likeness of Jesus. It is in light of that that I think we ought to study the verse which is far better known, which is the verse that precedes it, Romans 8:28.

Many of us would probably have neglected verse 29. It's a bit of a sticky verse. It raises all kinds of questions and we tend to retreat into verse 28: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." And we press that into all kinds of service. But it is verse 29 that helps us to understand the good towards which God is working. And what is that good? That we might be conformed to the image of his son.

In the King James version, I think it is, "and we know that all things work together for good," as if the things that are working are working to good. I think the NIV is a better translation: "And we know that in all things God works for the good." It is God who is at work in and through all the different things and aspects of our life, and he works according to his good purpose. And so, for example, James when he writes concerning the trials that come into our lives, writes about them in a way that is frankly staggering.

He begins his letter, you will remember, "Consider it pure joy when you face trials of various kinds." When these trials come into your life, he says, do not resent them as intruders, but welcome them as friends. Why? Not because you're a masochist. Not because we rejoice when things are inherently and horribly difficult, but because of something that we know. He says we know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance, and perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Well, when will that day dawn? Hopefully we're a little more mature than we were last time we were together. A little more towards completion. But there are so many gaps and uncertainties, and that is why we recognize that there are lessons learned in those experiences, purposes that are accomplished in those experiences, that aren't accomplished any other way. I think many of us would testify to the fact that more spiritual progress has been made in our lives by way of disappointment and failure and tears than has been made in the realm of success and laughter.

Not that we would go and seek these things out, but that we would recognize that Father knows best. That nothing is taking him by surprise and that from all of eternity, in the ebb and flow of life, in that which we regard as good and bad, and sometimes horrible and impossible to deal with, God's eternal purpose is at work in the lives of his children. In the challenges that we face that sometimes appear to never go away, in the experiences of unanswered prayer, or at least the answer comes back in a prolonged wait or in an apparent no, God is at work.

So when we read Christian biography and we say to ourselves, what is God doing in the life of his children? What was he doing when they took their jackets and laid them down at the feet of a fellow called Saul of Tarsus? What was he doing in the life of Stephen? He was accomplishing his eternal plan to make Stephen just like Jesus. It doesn't seem right, especially not when we've been bred on the notion that the way all of these things happen is in tranquility and in blessing and everything's going fine and aren't we having a wonderful time.

Well, it is a lovely day, but I can guarantee you that I speak to a congregation this morning that is marked by all kinds of difficulties and challenges. By lives that are marked, if we were honest, by at least significant spells of quiet desperation. That if ever we were to come clean about what it is that we're pushing in our wheelbarrow, there would be so much that mitigates against this. What is it then that gives us equilibrium?

Well, to get up in the morning and to say, whether it's raining or sunny, whether I am frail or forceful, I thank you today, gracious God, that you are my Father. That in Jesus you have made me your child. That you have plans and purposes from all of eternity that you will definitely accomplish. And that today is another opportunity for me to make progress down that road. That's the first word this morning. It begins with P, it's the word purpose.

The second word also begins with P and it's the word process. For this, we go forward to 2 Corinthians chapter three. "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness." Okay, so it is God's eternal purpose, those he predestined to be conformed to the image of his son. That's his purpose in eternity.

What is his purpose today? To continue the process. It is an ongoing process. The context here is the contrast between the reflected, fading glory of the old covenant and the freedom to gaze upon the glory of God in the face of Jesus. You remember it was said that Moses' face shone and he didn't know. His face shone even with the opportunity that he had. And what Paul says is, if the face of Moses shone in that fading, dimming glory, surely the faces of those who are in Christ ought to really shine.

Would anybody ever think that what is happening to us is that we are in the process of being conformed into the image of Jesus? That when they come into our churches, they say, "Now, there's a group of people where something's happening. I don't know what's happening to them, but they just shine. They are the shining people. There is a glory about them." I just read a biography of one of my favorite soccer players. Finally, we get some good sports into this place. That was just a joke.

But one of my favorite soccer players, as he died as a young man in hospital in London, one of his sisters, writing in the biography, talked about a nurse in the hospital looking after her brother during the night. The girl was not a Christian, nor was this man. She talked about this nurse and some strange aura, that there was something about her that she couldn't put her finger on. She came in one day to find that there was a Bible beside her brother.

The Bible was marked with Psalm 121, Psalm 23, Psalm 46, and so on. When she inquired where the Bible came from, she discovered it came from the nurse. And when she asked the nurse why she put the Bible there, the nurse told her, "Because in the Bible I met Jesus." And then the sister said, "And that's presumably why you shine the way you shine." You see, the work of the Holy Spirit is to turn our gaze towards the Lord Jesus.

As we look at Christ, so there is this reflection. A glory that is revealed in the gospel itself. The wonderful, freeing, transforming story in the gospel that he died in our place to free us not only from the penalty of sin as we have noted, but also from its power and its dominion. And that is why it is vital that we have a solid grasp of the gospel so that we can preach the gospel to ourselves every day.

Jerry Bridges has reminded us most helpfully in one of his recent books that we can preach the gospel to ourselves every day. I don't think it would be surprising if I did a survey here to discover that people said, "Well, the gospel is something that gets you started. It's way in my past. I believed the gospel a long time ago and I've moved on from that." Oh, I hope you haven't. I hope you preach the gospel to yourself today because that's the only way you'll stay sane.

That's the only way you'll make progress. Because when Satan tempts you to despair and tells you of the guilt within, what's your answer going to be? Upward I look and see him there who made an end to all my sin. That's the gospel. Our standing in Christ is unalterable. On our best week, we are no closer to God. On our worst week, we are no further from God. Because our standing with the Father is all in the righteousness of Christ.

We are not put right with God on account of something done by us, nor are we put right with God on account of something done in us. We are put right with God on account of something done for us. So that as Luther said, the gospel is all outside of us. If you think about that, it makes perfect sense. Because if you set yourself up for a little inventory this morning and you say to yourself, "Now, let me just do an inventory of how well I'm progressing."

How's my prayer life on a scale of one to ten, with ten being high? What do you want to give yourself? Brave enough to give yourself a four? There you go, four. Okay, so you haven't even hit the 50 percent mark. All right. Scale of one to ten, witnessing in the spectator area ever since I got here, shining for Jesus and giving a word of testimony if the opportunity arises. Someone wants an eight? You wait for tomorrow. Tomorrow's about humility.

The rest of us will be hard-pressed to give ourselves a two. And so we could go down the inventory. Because our hearts condemn us, and justifiably so. Because if we constantly look within to see how well we're doing as a basis of our standing with God, we will constantly feel that we have no standing with God. But when we realize that God's eternal purpose, which he is definitely going to complete, is to conform us to the image of his son, we see things differently.

And the ongoing process in which we find ourselves engaged is that very self-same thing, that we are being transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ. Notice it's in the passive as well. We are being transformed into his likeness. Is this passivity? No, but it is a reminder to us that this is a process in which we are involved. We don't just sit back and let it happen. There are means of grace which God has provided so that as we avail ourselves of the means of grace, we make progress.

So, for example, when the writer of the Old Testament speaks prophetically of the Son, he says about the Son, that is Jesus, "You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness." So I know that I am not making much progress in being conformed to the likeness of Jesus if I've determined that I'm going to love wickedness and hate righteousness. It just doesn't happen. Because the grace of God that has appeared, Titus 2, teaches us to say no to ungodliness and all kinds of wickedness and to live upright and self-controlled lives in this present age.

The Spirit that teaches us through the Word enables us by his presence within. But no more than God believes for us so that we might be saved, because he doesn't, we must believe in order that we might be saved. So the work of God within us to make us like Jesus is his work in which he includes our endeavors. So, for example, in Philippians: "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling."

In other words, get up off your hind legs and let's get going. For it is God who is at work in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. The purpose from all of eternity, the process which is ongoing, and finally, the promise that keeps our chins up and allows us to keep heading in the right direction. 1 John chapter 3 and verse 2: "Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known."

It's okay to say I don't know. Somebody came to the Apostle John after one of the services and said, "Apostle John, what are we going to be?" He says, "Well, frankly, I don't know the answer to that question." I'm always very encouraged by the agnosticism that I find in the Bible. "Dear friends, now we are the children of God and what we will be we don't know yet because it hasn't been revealed in fullness." But we do know this: that when he appears, we shall be like him.

Now, we are not to be surprised by that because the very reason that God has saved us is in order that that might be true. That his purpose from all of eternity is that we would be conformed to the likeness of his son. That what he's doing with us in the experience of our earthly pilgrimage is completing the process. And finally, even though we know what we are, a ragtag gathering of people with all our faults and our stumblings and our failings, the fact of the matter is that when he appears, we will be like him.

The brevity of John in relationship to these things is quite striking. He tells us that Jesus will appear. He tells us that we will see him. And he tells us that we will be like him. Paul, interestingly, in Philippians 3 says in verse 21, "who by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body." And what he anticipates and he affirms is the fact that not only will we be like him, but we will be with him.

In fact, he says, "I really don't know whether I should leave or whether I should stay with you. I don't know whether I should depart and be with Christ or stay with you for a little while longer." So for Paul, the anticipation is that we will be with him. For John, the anticipation is that we will be like him. And for all the rest, we can wait confidently and contentedly. Two children's songs as our close:

"I wish to be like Jesus, so humble and so kind. His words were always tender, his voice always divine. But no, I'm not like Jesus, as anyone can see. Oh Savior, come and help me and make me just like thee." And the final one: "Cleanse me from my sin, Lord, and put your power within, Lord. And take me as I am, Lord, and make me all your own. And keep me every day, Lord, in the narrow way, Lord. And make my heart your palace and your royal throne."

Ethics is an exhortation to become what we're not. The call of Christianity is to become what we are. You are in Christ. Come on, now. Let's be like Christ.

Guest (Male): You're listening to Truth For Life with Alistair Begg. I hope you're enjoying Alistair's exploration of the identity and work of Jesus in this series called To Know Christ. The better we know the Savior, the better prepared we are to dedicate our lives to pursuing God's glory. Today, we are recommending a book that complements our current series. It's a book by Sinclair Ferguson. It's called Union with Christ: The Blessings of Being in Him.

In this new book, Sinclair works his way through key passages in the New Testament that help us unpack what it means to be in Christ and the practical implications for living life joyfully in him and for him. This book is rich and profound, like Sinclair's teaching often is, but it's written in a way that's easy for us to understand and digest. It's a great presentation of such an important theme in every Christian's life. Ask for your copy of the book Union with Christ when you give a donation at truthforlife.org/donate.

Or if you'd prefer to set up automatic monthly donations today, you can arrange that. Go to truthforlife.org/truthpartner or simply call us at 888-588-7884. Thanks for studying with us this week. I hope you'll take the opportunity to worship with your local church family on Sunday and then join us Monday when we'll consider why Jesus, our creator and Savior, would stoop to wash the feet of his disciples, even his betrayer's feet. The Bible teaching of Alistair Begg is furnished by Truth For Life, where the learning is for living.