Telling the Truth

Guest (Male): On today's Telling the Truth with Stuart and Jill Briscoe.

Stuart Briscoe: How can you tell if a person is justified? How can you tell if a person is reconciled? Or put it simply, how can you tell if a person is a real Christian?

Jill Briscoe: What Paul is saying here is a very, very important point. He says those who are justified and those who are reconciled, truly reconciled, truly justified, persevere in the faith.

Guest (Female): Does that mean unless we persevere in our faith, we aren't truly reconciled and justified? We hear much more from Stuart Briscoe on today's Telling the Truth. He starts in just a moment.

Your generous support keeps broadcasts like this one today going out around the world, so you and others can experience life through the teaching and resources of Telling the Truth. And to thank you for your gift today, we'll send you Stuart and Jill's powerful new five-message series, Fighting Unseen Forces.

It's all about how you can live victoriously and win the battles against your spiritual enemy when you stand in Christ and the power of His Spirit. So call today to request your copy, 1-800-889-5388. That's 1-800-889-5388, or you can give online at tellingthetruth.org. Now, here's Stuart with the second part of his message, Getting There from Here.

Stuart Briscoe: How can you tell if a person is justified? How can you tell if a person is reconciled? Or put it simply, how can you tell if a person is a real Christian? Well, all kinds of tests are given for this. Sometimes people will say, "That person is a real Christian because I remember ten years ago when a certain evangelist came to town and the invitation was given, they got up out of their seats and they walked to the front, and that's it."

We haven't seen hide nor hair of them since that time, they've shown no interest whatsoever, but I clearly remember them getting up out of their seat and walking to the front. Some people will say, "Ah, I know that person is a Christian because I remember quite distinctly when they were a small child they were presented in their church, either in baptism or in dedication, and they have shown no real interest ever since, but they're Christian because they're clearly not pagans. They were introduced in the fellowship of believers." Well, hold it a minute. Hold it a minute.

What Paul is saying here is a very, very important point. He says those who are justified and those who are reconciled, truly reconciled, truly justified, persevere in the faith. They continue in the faith. They are well-founded like a solid building on good foundations in the faith. They are not easily moved away from it. They are loyal to the faith. Not only that, they have their eyes fixed on the end of their faith, the hope that is in the gospel. They are utterly convinced of the faith. They are confident in the faith. They keep on keeping on.

So Paul gives a very, very important reminder here. And it is this: that you don't just make a snap decision and then forget about God. That you don't just come up and say, "Sure, I'm a Christian" and then do not even be interested in behaving Christianly. Those who are truly justified and those who are truly reconciled persevere in the faith. They continue, they're founded, they're rooted, they're loyal, they're confident, they're convinced.

They're growing, they're progressing. And how much we need to encourage each other in the understanding of this truth. F.F. Bruce, eminent British theologian, says continuance—that is in the faith—continuance is the test of reality. Continuance is the test of reality. But then he moves on to the third thing, and he talks about where we are going. And for this, we need to go through the rest of this section.

Now, there's more material than we can possibly get through, but we'll certainly touch on it so that we might get a well-rounded picture here of what he's talking about. Let me first of all remind you that he is talking about the end of our faith. Let's go right to the end of the section, if you'll pardon the unconscious pun there. Verse 29: "To this end I labor, struggling with all His energy which so powerfully works in me."

Now, if you read that verse, what would you ask yourself? To which end? And of course, you go to the previous verse where he says so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end, I labor. We have got to understand that there is an end to our faith or an objective in our faith. When we come to an experience of Christ, it isn't just that we look in the past and say, "My sins are forgiven." And it isn't just that we look at the present and say, "And I feel so good about myself."

We have got to be looking into the future and saying, "Where on earth is all this going?" There is an end, there is an objective, there is a consummation of our faith. And we live in the light of that all the time. Notice if you will in verse 23, he talks about the hope of the gospel. Notice in verse 27, he talks about the hope of glory. The word "hope" is a dominant theme in the Christian gospel.

Gospel, as you know, means good news. I submit to you that there's no good news if there's no hope. For that's one of the things that people are looking for in all generations and in all cultures: hope. Is there any hope? What is going to happen to me? What is the world coming to? Scripture says, "Yes," for the believer there is tremendous hope locked up in the gospel. It is the hope of glory.

What does that mean? It means that we are confident of the fact that when we die, we will be raised in newness of life as a result of Christ's resurrection and we will see God in all His glory. But more significantly than that, those of us who have been reconciled and justified will not only see His glory, we will share His glory for all eternity.

Where is my faith headed? What is the end of my faith? Answer: the end of my faith is that I will see the glory of God, I will share in the glory of God for all eternity. When I'm dead, I'm not done with. When I'm dead, I will die in Christ to be raised in Him and to share His glory. That's the hope of the gospel. That is the hope of glory.

But in addition to that, he talks about the promise of perfection. He says that the day is coming when we will actually be presented holy and blameless and faultless, perfect in His sight. Now, there's a sense in which we are justified to that position now, but it will become actual then. Always remember that Scripture talks about our position, but then it talks about the practicality of our position, too. Constantly bear in mind where we are going.

Now then, when Christ appears—the Greek word is "parousia" here—at the parousia, the appearing of Christ, when we appear with Him, we will appear in Him in glory. That's when we'll be perfected. But—and here's the big thing—if we know that is where we're going, and if we know where we are, we will want to be progressing in our practical experience of Christ. Practically, we'll want to progress in holiness.

Practically, we will want to progress so that there are less and less things of which we can be accused. Practically, we will want to grow in grace. And that's what it means when, on the basis of being justified and reconciled, I know where I'm going and I live in the light of it. All right, let's take a little breather here. Look back. Can you say to yourself, "That's where we were"? Now look at your life today.

And can you say, "And that's where we are"? And then look ahead and say, "And that's where we're heading." And in the light of where we were and in the light of where we're going, we live today where we are. So grateful that I'm no longer where I was, so concerned that I'm still not what I ought to be, but pressing on to know Him more fully. The end of our faith.

Guest (Female): How do you mature in your faith? Stuart Briscoe is showing you from the book of Colossians, and there's much more from Stuart to come. But first, here's a note from a listener named Lisa, who shared: "God's messages through the Briscoes' ministry are enriching and heartwarming. Their sincerity and humor bless my morning. I also listen to the Telling the Truth app to continue growing in the Lord. My husband listens as well." Thanks, Lisa!

Guest (Male): That's the kind of blessing you can bring into people's lives through your gift of support today, as you help share God's word around the world so more people can experience life through Telling the Truth. And when you give this month, we'd like to bless you with a copy of Stuart and Jill Briscoe's new five-message series, Fighting Unseen Forces. Every day, you are locked in a battle with your spiritual enemy, one that threatens your spiritual, emotional, and relational well-being.

But you're not alone, and you're not without help. And in this powerful series, the Briscoes will show you straight from God's word how you can live victoriously each day. You'll gain confidence in knowing that you'll never be overpowered in your spiritual battles as you discover that the fight's not even fair when you have Christ and His Spirit. Fighting Unseen Forces is our thanks for your gift to help more people experience life through the teaching resources of Telling the Truth. So request your copy when you call today, 1-800-889-5388. That's 1-800-889-5388, or you can give online at tellingthetruth.org. Now, we head back to Stuart.

Stuart Briscoe: So grateful that I'm no longer where I was, so concerned that I'm still not what I ought to be, but pressing on to know Him more fully. The end of our faith. But then finally, let's look at the means to the end of which Paul speaks here. And we can touch on these very briefly indeed.

There are two means that I want to identify for you. First of all, what he calls the mystery. Secondly, what he calls the ministry. These two things are the means whereby we are being perfected, we are growing in grace, et cetera, et cetera. What do we mean by the mystery? Well, he talks about a mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations but is now disclosed to the saints.

To them, God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery. You say, "Wow, what an introduction! I can't wait. What is this mystery?" which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. A bit of an anticlimax, isn't it? Until you look at those three monosyllabic words: Christ in you. What he is saying is of great, powerful significance.

He is saying that the Lord Jesus Christ who died for us, rose again, and in the person of the Holy Spirit lives in us. In us. What he is saying is that even Gentiles can discover this—Christ is in you, with the emphasis on the "you." But he wants to emphasize not only that He's in you, he wants to emphasize not only that He's in you, but he wants to emphasize that it is Christ who is in you.

The great, exciting, thrilling truth of the Christian gospel is that Jesus Christ who died for me lives in me to be the powerful dynamic of a new life. You don't need to be looking for this. You don't need to be chasing after that. You don't need to be listening to people who are coming up with all kinds of agendas and all kinds of wonderful things that are going to teach you the secret of this or the secret of that.

The secret is no longer a secret. The mystery has been revealed. The non-secret is that Christ is in you. And that Christ living in you is Himself mighty on your behalf. And this is something that the Christians of Colossae and the Christians in every corner of the world need to be reminded of constantly. The end of our faith is that we will be perfected and share His glory.

The means to that end, practically working out in our lives, is that Christ is at work in our lives. Now, can you identify that? Can you see that? Can you see the ways in which the indwelling Lord Jesus is changing you from the inside out? This is the continuance of your faith. But then he talks about ministry as means as well. The Apostle Paul says, "Now I am committed to helping you to this end."

Verse 29: "To this end I labor." Notice that he says quite a bit about himself here as a minister or a servant of the gospel. The word is "diakonos," the word from which we get "deacon." Sometimes translated deacon, sometimes servant, sometimes minister. The idea is the same: that anybody who ministers serves. And so he says, "It is necessary for me to be serving among you because I want to be encouraging you in your growth, in your development, in your maturity.

I want to get you from where you were to where you are, but I want you to get from where you are to where you're going. And to this end, I am serving among you." Very interesting to notice in verse 28, he says, "We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ." Now I like the NIV, but I don't like their version of that verse.

For three times in the Greek, the Apostle Paul uses the expression "every man, every man, every man." Warning every man, teaching every man, that we might present every man. He's trying to get something across: it is that what he is doing, he is wanting to do for every single believer. I tell you, that verse has been resting heavily on me all week because I think of all the believers around here.

I think of a whole lot of unbelievers who are around here. I think of where people were, I think of where people are, I think of where we're all heading. And I say to myself, how on earth can we fulfill this commission of so working with every person that we might see God graciously at work in every person's life? Well, the answer is that a handful of quote "ministers" can't.

And we're reminded again of the fact that all of us believers have a ministry to each other. And the ministry that we have to each other is always in terms of where we were and where we are and where we're heading. And now with that in mind, let's look at what he says about the ministry. He says ministry means suffering. "Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions for the sake of His body, which is the church."

If you're going to minister, you're going to suffer. That's why a lot of folks will skip ministry and just get into all kinds of Mickey Mouse stuff. They don't want to suffer. They don't want to take the raps. They don't want to get the rough edges knocked off. They don't want to get themselves in a position where they have to voluntarily do without a whole lot of things that legitimately they could enjoy, but for the sake of ministry, they will sacrifice.

Ministry means suffering. Ministry means service. Not having people serve me, but serving other people. Verse 25: the word here translated commission is stewardship. Ministry means God has committed to me, has entrusted to me a ministry. I do it as unto Him as a good steward. Ministry means sharing. Sharing the truth with people. Warning people.

Teaching people. Encouraging people. Sticking with people. Keeping at people. Keeping after people. This is ministry. All this is necessary. And ministry means struggling, too. Because let's face it, to try and get people from where they were to where they should be, and to try and get people from where they are to where God wants them to be, you struggle, struggle, struggle, struggle all the time.

Does this sound depressing? It really isn't. Because verse 29 finishes up on this great note: "To this end I labor, struggling"—wouldn't it be awful if he stopped there? But he doesn't. "To this end I labor, struggling with all His energy which so powerfully works in me." And we come back to that fundamental truth of Christian experience, which is Christ in you.

And when Christ by His Spirit is alive in you, His energy energizes you for the struggle. When Christ by His Spirit is at work in you, His energy energizes you for the sacrifice. His energy energizes you for the sharing and for the service. He makes the difference. And so, in conclusion, I ask you a simple question: in the light of this passage of Scripture, where would you say you are spiritually today?

Guest (Female): You're listening to Stuart Briscoe and his message, Getting There from Here. It's part of his series for People on the Grow. And Stuart is right back to answer questions from today's message. Spiritual warfare is very real, and it's a war in which every Christian is engaged. The truth is your spiritual enemy will stop at nothing to keep you from experiencing the abundant life God wants you to have in Christ.

The good news is that through Christ and the power of His Spirit, you're guaranteed victory. It's that encouragement that Stuart and Jill are excited to give you with their new five-message series, Fighting Unseen Forces. This powerful resource will encourage you with the comforting truth that you're not alone when it comes to spiritual warfare.

As you grow in God's word with this series, you'll gain clarity of purpose, courage for battle, and strength for each day. Fighting Unseen Forces is our way of thanking you for your gift to help more people around the world experience abundance in Christ through the unchanging truth of God's word. Simply request your copy of the series when you call today and give a gift to help keep the ministry of Telling the Truth going around the world. Call 1-800-889-5388. That's 1-800-889-5388, or give online at tellingthetruth.org. Here are some answers from Stuart to a few questions from today's message.

Stuart, hope is the dominant theme of the gospel. What's one way you share hope with people in your life?

Stuart Briscoe: Scripture tells us that the three dominant themes are faith, hope, and love. And it also tells us that love is the one that will be eternally relevant. That faith and hope will no longer be necessary when we've entered eternity into the fullness of all that God has promised to us. Nevertheless, hope is critically important to us whilst we are still down here on earth.

And the big thing we've got to recognize about hope is that many, many people feel that there is no rhyme or reason to our world. That they look at the way things are going in the world and "hopeless" is the word that occurs to them. Now, if what we need to do is to say, "Look, what you've got to understand is that this world is not hopelessly out of control. That God is on the throne. He is working out His eternal purposes. He invites us to be part of them, and He promises to bring to consummation all that He has eternally planned." Therein lies your confidence. That is the basis of your hope.

Guest (Female): Stuart, when you really stop and think about it, the thought that Christ lives in us is mind-boggling. That knowledge should have an impact on our day-to-day living, shouldn't it?

Stuart Briscoe: The short answer to that wonderful question is yes. The knowledge that Christ lives in us is mind-boggling and it should have an impact on our day-to-day living, shouldn't it? Yes, it certainly should. But I think it's perfectly legitimate for people to say, "What kind of impact should it have?"

Well, many people focus on the fact that Jesus died for us. And this, of course, is a wonderful truth. It is the basis of our reconciliation with God. It is the basis upon which a just and righteous God can reach out in grace and forgive us. Thank God Christ died for us. But thank God He didn't stay dead. Thank God that He didn't stay dead for many, many reasons, but here's one of them.

It is one thing to say Christ died for me so that I can be forgiven for all that I have done. It's another thing to say and Christ rose again to live in me so that I don't have to go back to doing what I used to do. In other words, the whole point of Christ living in me is that I can live in newness of life. That is the key.

Guest (Male): Thanks, Stuart. We hope today's message encouraged you. Now, before we go, remember that when you give today to help keep Telling the Truth broadcasts like this one going out around the world, we'll send you Stuart and Jill Briscoe's new five-message series, Fighting Unseen Forces, to help you discover how you can live victoriously each day, knowing that with Christ and His Spirit, you're never alone.

So call now to give and remember to request your copy of Fighting Unseen Forces with our thanks. 1-800-889-5388. 1-800-889-5388, or you can give online at tellingthetruth.org. Tomorrow, Stuart takes us to John 10 for his message, Recognize the Enemy, which kicks off the new series, Fighting Unseen Forces. Join us next time on Telling the Truth with Stuart and Jill Briscoe. Listen and experience life.