Telling the Truth

Female Announcer: There's no denying, we live in a society filled with problems. So, what should the Christian's response be? Thanks for tuning in to Telling the Truth. Today, we'll hear a message from Stuart Briscoe called Keep Shining, that encourages you to shine the light of God's Word to the world, whatever may be happening around you.

Before we get started, your generous support helps keep broadcasts like this one today, going out around the world so you and others can experience life. As thanks for your gift today, we'll send you two great resources. The Briscoes' two-message series, Worry Less, and Jill's booklet, Me, Worry? These encouraging resources are filled with biblical wisdom and practical advice to help you overcome worry and live with God's peace. But they're only available through the end of this week, so call today to request yours. 1-800-889-5388. That's 1-800-889-5388, or you can give online at tellingthetruth.org. Let's listen now to today's message from Stuart Briscoe.

Stuart Briscoe: Now, let's turn to the scriptures. We're going to look again at Philippians chapter 2 today. And the general title, whatever happens. And the theme today is whatever happens, keep shining.

Let me read to you from Philippians 2, verse 12. Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed, said Paul, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life, in order that I may boast on the Day of Christ, that I did not run or labor for nothing. But even if I'm being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I'm glad and rejoice with all of you. So you, too, should be glad and rejoice with me.

Now, Paul was not impressed by the condition of the society and the culture in which he lived. In fact, he called it, and I'm quoting verse 15 here, a crooked and depraved generation. Those words actually are very, very similar to the words that Jesus used to describe the generation in which he lived and to which he ministered. A crooked and depraved generation.

Now, I think many of you, as you look at the culture that we live in, the society of which we're a part, have some concerns. If it is true that we live in a society, in a culture that has very, very severe problems, perhaps even we would call it a crooked and depraved generation, what should our reaction be? What should our reaction be?

Now, let me suggest you three possible reactions in this regard. One of isolation and insulation from the society and the culture, one to simply be part and parcel of it with some kind of minimal Christian profession imposed upon it, and the other, where I take my stand in the culture with an overwhelming desire to be an agent of change, to be the agent of God's working in it.

Now, the question that now comes is, well, which is the appropriate response for the believer? And I believe that this passage of scripture gives us the answer. This is what Paul says. He says that in the midst of this crooked and depraved generation, we should shine like stars in the universe as we hold out the word of life. In other words, the calling is not to isolate and insulate ourselves from it. It's not to become absorbed and identified with it, but to become change agents in the midst of our society and culture, who shine out like stars in the universe as we hold out the word of life.

The first point that I want to make from this passage of scripture is this. We are to keep shining as we work out our salvation. We are to keep shining as we work out our salvation. Secondly, we are to keep shining as we hold out the word of life. So, there's a very simple formula here. We shine out as we work out and hold out. We shine out as we work out our salvation and we hold out the word of life. Let's look at those two things.

What does it mean to keep shining as we work out our salvation? Well, the first thing, of course, that's necessary if we're going to work out our salvation, is to understand the reality of our salvation. Now, salvation is one of those sort of Bible words, one of those theological terms that occasionally finds its way into everyday speech. We might not be too sure what salvation means. One definition of it, a brief one, is salvation is the saving of mankind from the power and effects of sin. The saving of mankind from the power and effects of sin.

Sin is not the bad things that other people do that we wouldn't do ourselves. Sin is something that infects and affects the whole of the human race. It is, quote, a malignant personal power, which holds humanity in its grasp. And as a result of that, this personal power, this malignant power that holds humanity in its grasp, bursts out in a wide variety of acts that are sins. Acts that are transgressions, acts that are iniquitous. But it's not just the acts that are sin. The real issue is that we are alienated from God and dominated by a malignant personal power.

Now, salvation by definition is the deliverance from the power and the effects of sin. Now, scripture teaches that salvation is available only because of the grace of God. What that means simply is this. Salvation is not available because of the activity of human beings. Salvation is available because of the intervention of God. That salvation is described in something called the gospel or the good news of Christ. That gospel or that good news is this, that God took the initiative to deliver humanity from this malignant personal force. And this is how he did it. He did it by Christ voluntarily, as a perfect sacrifice, willingly dying in our stead, bearing the punishment of sin, in order that God might be consistently free then, to forgive sin.

Not turn a blind eye to it, not say, don't worry about it, but because it has been judged and dealt with in a substitutionary manner, God was free to forgive sin. Christ died as a sin offering and then rose again from the dead, and in his resurrection gives us a sense of the new power that's available in his resurrection life to break both the power of sin and the power of death. This is all salvation by grace, which we appropriate by faith. It is something that God has made available to us, extends to us, and by faith we receive it with Thanksgiving.

Female Announcer: You're listening to Telling the Truth. We'll return with more of Stuart Briscoe in a moment. But first, listen to this note sent in by Sherita, a listener from Michigan who says, Thank you so much for your faithfulness and love for God. Over so many years, you have taught me so much. I thank God for you and your willingness to serve and show your own gratitude for him through love. Specifically, loving all of us out here in radio website land. Thanks for your note, Sherita. That's the kind of encouragement your support today will help bring more people around the world as you help in share the teaching and resources of Telling the Truth, so others can experience life in Christ.

And we'd like to encourage you this month with two helpful resources. Stuart and Jill Briscoe's two-message series, Worry Less, and Jill's booklet, Me, Worry? The stresses of life can leave you feeling worried, anxious, even afraid. And this turmoil can rob you of the joy and peace God wants for you. In this powerful series, the Briscoes help you discover the secret to worrying less and living with more joy. These encouraging messages shine a critical light on a root cause of worry and give you practical guidance on how to rule your anxieties instead of having them rule you. Through this Friday only, this special resource plus Jill's booklet come as thanks for your gift to help more people experience life through the teaching resources of Telling the Truth. So request your copy of Worry Less and Me, Worry? when you call 1-800-889-5388. That's 1-800-889-5388, or give online at tellingthetruth.org. Now, let's get back to Stuart's message, Keep Shining.

Stuart Briscoe: That's the reality of our salvation. Now, clearly, we can't work it out if we don't know what it is. But let's take it a step further. When we think in terms of salvation, we think in terms of it in three dimensions. Dimension number one. My salvation is the saving of me from the effects of my sin. The effects of my sin is that I am condemned before God. But salvation offers me forgiveness of my sins. God blots out the record and fully and freely accepts me as a forgiven sinner. He justifies me. And somebody has said that to be justified means, it's just as if I'd never sinned. To be justified is just as if I'd never sinned.

But there's a second dimension, and it is this. I commit sins because of this malignant personal power that holds me in its grasp. Perhaps nowadays we talk more of addictive behaviors. Well, that fits nicely into our love of psychobabble, but probably the better term is to think in terms of the dominating power of sin. But if you like addictive behavior better, that'll do for now. What it is saying is this, when salvation is made available to me, it is made available not only through the death of Christ, but through the resurrection of Christ.

And the risen Christ, by the Holy Spirit, comes into my life to be a counteracting dynamic against the addictive powers, the addictive behaviors, so that they can be broken. So that I can be delivered from them. It's called salvation. But then there's a third dimension of our salvation, and it is this. All of us in one way or another have to face up to the fact that dying is ahead of us and death is a certainty. Now we say death and taxes are a certainty. Well, I don't know about taxes, but death certainly is. It is a certainty, which we try to blot out of our thinking.

But the smart thing to do is to say, I need to be saved from the fear of death. I need to be saved from the uncertainty of death. And the resurrection of Christ shows me that death is not the end. That he came back from the dead, and in his resurrection life, he proclaims that he's opened a new and a living way into eternity. So it is possible for me to be saved from the fear of death. And I begin to recognize that death will be a brief passageway into eternal glory.

So, it is possible for me to say, I have been saved from my past sins. It is possible for me to say and I am being saved from sin's power. And I can also testify, one day I will be saved from sin's presence. It's called salvation. Now, we need to understand the reality of our salvation if we are to work out our salvation.

Now, let me take this a step further. Not only is there a reality of salvation, but there is a responsibility of salvation. And that is, simply, we have to work out, we have to be demonstrating the sheer practicality, we have to be demonstrating the reality of what God is doing in our lives. And it is our responsibility.

Notice how Paul puts it. My dear friends, as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation. Now we realize that Paul is talking about a matter of obedience. Once I have accepted God's salvation freely by grace, and I have received it by faith, now I have to work out as a matter of obedience that which he has imparted to me. It is imperative that I begin to shine out. As I begin to shine out, as I work out my salvation, this is what I am commanded to do.

That is one of the most transforming dimensions of the love of God. How do I know? Jesus said so. If you love me, you'll keep my commandments. If you love me, you'll do what I say. Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and you don't do the things that I say? So we're called to a life of obedience, which means that we do it seriously, we do it conscientiously, we recognize that this is a continual thing. It becomes a habitual thing. We develop an attitude of submission and obedience, and we do it because we're loved and because we love the Lord. You say, well, it sounds even more overpowering now. Yes, but the balancing aspect is this, we work out our salvation because God is at work within us. If that was not the case, it would be an exercise in futility to tell us to live in obedience.

God doesn't tell us to be obedient. God tells us to be obedient because he himself provides the resources that make obedience possible. We need to hold these two things in tension. And what are these two things? On the one hand, it's a matter of obedience. On the other hand, it's a matter of dependence. Obedience, dependence. You cannot separate the two. We work out our salvation as he works in. And notice what he's working in you all the time. This is incredibly challenging. God is working in you both to will and to act. When God is allowed to work in you, as you depend upon him, he'll be willing in your will. He will be desiring in your desire. He will be aspiring in your aspirations. He will be motivating in your motives.

And not just giving you new aspirations and new motives, he is there working to will and to act. Now, let's look at this. Okay, as a matter of obedience, Lord, I will no longer go back to the things that for which I have been forgiven. Why in the world would I want to go back to them? I mean, what was the point of saying, I've been forgiven these things in order that I may go back and enjoy them? Why did I want to be forgiven?

Now then, if I say, as a matter of obedience, I will no longer go back to the things for which I've been forgiven, the people will see the change, and I'll begin to work out my salvation, and I'll shine out. By the same token, people who are very much aware of the addictive behavior in my life, what is it I'm addicted to? What is that controlling thing that probably everybody has at least one of? What is it? The power of the salvation is that which breaks the power of that controlling dynamic and begins slowly, relentlessly, inexorably to deliver us from it. And as that happens, we begin to work out our salvation, we begin to shine out. People say, what happened to you?

And then as we look at the possibility of illness, we look at the possibility of death. We begin to deal with bereavement. Our attitude is different because we've been saved from the fear of death. And we know that it was simply an introduction to eternity, and our whole demeanor is transformed. Guess what? As we work out our salvation, begins to show. We shine out. But the only way we can work it out is in obedience and dependence.

Female Announcer: This is Telling the Truth, bringing you a powerful message from Stuart Briscoe. We'll continue with his teaching in a moment, but before we do, worry and anxiety can limit your joy and keep you from experiencing true peace. And that's not what God wants for your life. We want to help you conquer worry and anxiety so you can start to live with the joy and peace God intends by sending you Stuart and Jill Briscoe's encouraging series, Worry Less. This uplifting two-message series offers biblical truth about the root cause of worry and will help you uncover the secret to worrying less and living more.

Worry Less is our thanks for your gift to help more people experience the peace and joy of life in Christ through the unchanging truth of God's Word. And when you give today, we'll also send you Jill Briscoe's booklet, Me, Worry? These resources will help carry you from angst and uneasiness to the peace God intends for your life. Simply request your copies when you call today and give a gift to help keep Telling the Truth going around the world. This offer ends this week, so call today. 1-800-889-5388. That's 1-800-889-5388, or you can give online at tellingthetruth.org.

Stuart Briscoe: We keep shining, secondly, as we hold out the word of life. Notice specifically what Paul says. So that you may become blameless and pure children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life. The Greek here can mean hold onto or hold out. But the way Paul wrote it, he probably intended both. We are to hold firmly to the word of the gospel, which is the word of life. Do you think of the gospel as the word of life? What that means, firstly, is this, that the gospel is all about life as it's intended to be lived. Jesus said, I have come that you might have life, and that you might have it more abundantly. What we're talking about here is holding out the gospel, the word of life, that is what life is intended to be. A lot of people don't know. Somebody needs to hold it out to them.

The second thing is this, the word of life, the word of the gospel, the truth of scripture, when it is embraced, begins to produce newness of life within us. We are changed from the inside out. I'll guarantee anybody who begins to take the word of life seriously will be changed. Their life will be different. People will recognize something is up. Something is going on. They'll be shining out as they are working out and holding out the word of life. But, in addition to that, we then recognize that we will intentionally be taking steps. Whereby we are holding out the word of life to people. We're getting the word out to them. We are letting those who do not understand the gospel have the chance to understand it and embrace it.

What does it mean to hold out the word of life? Well, I'll tell you one thing it means, it means that we take seriously this suggestion we're making that every single one of us who professes to be a believer will take the time out to write out, this is my story, and then get around to sharing it with other people. Holding out the word of life. Taking the opportunity, embracing the chance, being concerned to so grasp the gospel and so be gripped by the gospel, that we go out to the people who need the good news and make sure we're sharing it with them.

So, in conclusion. As you look at our society, as you look at the way our culture is going, how do you react? Do you say, well, I've got to protect myself and my family from this, and so you take steps to isolate and to insulate? Or do you simply say, I never noticed what was wrong with this culture. I'm a Christian, I go to church, but then the rest of the week, I just go and do my thing. I watch what they watch, I sing what they sing, I listen to what they listen to, I say what they say, I live how they live. I didn't even think about it, and then at the end of the week, I'll go back to church. But basically, I'm absorbed by this culture. Or do I say, God intentionally gave me the incredible privilege of being planted in this crooked and perverse generation, in order that I might shine out like the stars in the universe as I hold out the word of life? Because you see, what we're really called to do is to shine out as we work out and hold out the truth.

Female Announcer: What a blessing to hear Stuart's teaching today. We hope today's message encouraged you. Before we go, remember that through the end of this week, when you give to help keep Telling the Truth broadcast like this one going out around the world, we'll send you a copy of Worry Less. The Briscoes' two-message series designed to help you start worrying less and living with more joy. And as a special thanks, we'll also send you Jill's booklet, Me, Worry? So call now to give and remember to request these resources with our thanks. 1-800-889-5388. 1-800-889-5388, or you can give online at tellingthetruth.org. We're so glad you've joined us today. Come back tomorrow for Stuart's message, Press On, to hear more encouragement to help you experience abundant life. See you then.