evidence of saving faith. Work that in reverse, where there is no fruit, we do not have cause to believe that there is true saving faith. That's the parable of the sower. But you want to say this very clearly, you do not obey so that you can be saved. That faith, that true saving faith, is what produces So if you're sitting here today and you go like, you know what, I don't see any fruit in my life. Here's what you're not called to do. Start gritting your teeth and produce it. You can't. What produces that fruit is faith in God. And so with urgency we called all of us to repent, to not see even our sitting here as something that is casual, but to see the opportunity that God is giving to us right here and right now to turn away from our sins and to believe in him. So I want to wrap up with what I hope is a useful message to you. Turn your Bibles to the book of Colossians. Turn your Bibles to the book of Colossians. I think it's an all-important question that we ought to answer, which is where, how can my life produce this fruit. How can I grow? You're here as a believer. You're saying, you know what? I want to grow. I want to make progress in maturity as a Christian. How can I grow? This fruit you're talking about, I want it to abound in my life. How do I see that happen? One of the challenges we have in the church is when we speak about the gospel, oftentimes it ends up feeling as though what we are saying is works don't matter. We know we are not saying that, right? But it ends up feeling as though I'm saying sin doesn't matter. And then when we speak about obedience, what we end up feeling is, it's as though the gospel doesn't matter. Ever felt that tension? As though we are having to move from one side, the gospel, grace, mercy, forgiveness. And in that place, my lifestyle doesn't matter because it's all about mercy and grace. It's about the gospel, amen? But there's something that feels wrong about that, isn't it? You feel your soul, like that's a hyper grace thing. There's something that's wrong there. And even when you try and hold the two things together, you feel a tension. Like, wait, wait, wait, is it obedience or is it grace? Okay, yes, sure, it is obedience that is produced by grace. It is obedience that is produced by faith. But how does this whole thing work together? So that it doesn't become a, I just simply move from one side. Grace is what it's all about. Grace, guys, not by works. And then tomorrow I come and I say, yes, you know what, works are important as well. As though they are two separate conversations. And I'd say, for many believers, we live in that tension. And I think that tension is a is evidence of our lack of understanding the gospel. What we need so that we can understand or so that we can be empowered to live the kind of life that that parable of the sower is calling us to, a life that is abounding in fruitfulness, 30-fold, 60-fold, 100-fold, is to truly understand the gospel. When you don't truly understand the gospel, you will find yourself with two parts of the story. The gospel is part one and obedience is part two. And that's not the way to understand it. So let's take a little bit of time here in Colossians to see what is the source of true righteousness. That's what we're longing for. That's Abraham in chapter 22. That's the call of the book of Joel. Repent with urgency to pursue that. But what is the source? I have three points for us. The three points are the grip, the grind, and the glory. The thing you're holding on to, the nature of the Christian life, what's the grind we are called to on a day-to-day basis, and what's the end that we are aiming after. This three-point, this sermon is masquerading as a three-point sermon, but it's really a one-point sermon. It's a one-point sermon with two brief points at the end of it. So don't be surprised with the amount of time we'll spend on that first one, which is the grip, which is the entire point. This is what produces true righteousness. Look with me at the heart of Colossians chapter 1 and let's read from verse 24. Do you remember what Paul said in the book of Romans? The Himalayas of the gospel, the heights, the grand articulation of Paulian theology. What were the bookends? What is Paul seeking? Someone tell me. Encourage your preacher. What is Paul preaching? What is he seeking? What did he say at the very beginning, chapter 1, verse 5, and at the very end, in chapter 16? The? Someone said it. Shout it out loud. The what of faith? The obedience of faith. The obedience of faith. Are you seeing what he's talking about? There's a thing Paul is speaking about that is united, that is one idea, not a two-part idea. That thing he calls the obedience of faith. It's not there's faith, that's where the grace is, and then there's obedience. That kind of tension has not fully understood what Paul is trying to tell you when he's proclaiming to you the gospel. Listen, don't be surprised when he gets to Colossians and he's saying the same thing. Listen keenly to him. Colossians 1, now, I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake and in my flesh I'm filling up what is lacking in Christ's affliction for the sake of his body, that is the church. Get this, there's a lot to be said here, but he's all about the church. Right? Of which I became a minister, a minister of the church, according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you. What's this stewardship, Paul, that was given to you by God for the church? To make the word of God fully known. This thing right here, teaching it, preaching it, applying it, the word. But let's press farther. Look at verse 26. What do you mean the word of God? What's that last phrase? Fully? Fully known. Fully known. You're on the periphery of it. You kind of are getting an idea of it, but Paul is not content with that. He wants you to truly get it. You're in grade five right now when it comes to physics and he really wants you to understand physics properly. Get it, well keep pressing. What's this idea of fully knowing what the word of God is teaching? The mystery. hidden for ages and generations, but now revealed to the saints. To them, God chose to make known how great among the gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery. Which is Christ in you. The hope of glory. Let's listen to what Paul has just said. Paul has just said, The climax, the apex, the heartbeat, the center of this word is Christ in you. The story that God is unfolding, that he is writing, this redemption, when it reaches its height, here's going to be the articulation of it. Christ in you. And what is that? What does that mean? The hope of glory. The hope that individuals who once upon a time were sinners, dead in their trespasses and sins, will one day reflect nothing less than the glory of God. You see yourself today Christian? Or you little weak human? Struggling with your alarm in the morning? Snooze, my devotions are waiting, snooze. Huh? Battling with sin, desiring to grow in kindness and gentleness and self-control. Do you know what end God has destined you to? Do you know what end? Not you will do a little better one day, keep it up. Do you know what end God has destined you to? Glory. There is coming an end, this is my third point, I'm saying to you quite early. There is coming an end one day when you will reflect the perfections of God in your life. And here's how you will attain that end, Christ in you. So pause here, let me say it this way. Right now you might be like, yeah, sounds really cool, but I'm not really sure what you're talking about. That's what Paul's job is. When he labors, in the book of Colossians, in the book of Romans, when he's writing, that's the job he's doing. He's wanting to get you to understand the nature of the salvation that God has worked on your behalf. Keep reading to the end here. Christ in you, the hope of glory. Look at verse 28. Him we proclaim, warning everyone, teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone what? Mature in Christ. You hear him? Guys, this is your answer to the parable of the sower. This is what you want. This is the difference between the one seed that produces fruit, 30-fold, 60-fold, 100-fold, and the ones that don't. There's something that is happening in this that Paul wants to see, the obedience of faith. He wants to see people become mature, but you will always notice he's phrasing, in Christ. For this I toil. Struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works in me. Go back and look at this little phrase again. Verse 28, who does he proclaim? Christ. Question, when we proclaim Christ, is it when we are proclaiming grace and mercy and forgiveness for sinners like us? Or is it when we are proclaiming the necessity of obedience? What is the answer? Yes is the answer. Because listen to Paul. Paul is saying, him we do what? Proclaim doing what? Warning everyone. Are you hearing him? Not him we proclaim and also we warn everyone. Him we proclaim, warning everyone. One thing, not two separate things. What he's wanting to see happen among the Gentiles is the obedience of faith. One thing, not two separate ones. And understanding that, How are these two elements not separate, but one is the thing that Paul is laboring for, is toiling, is striving for with all of God's energy, because he can't do it alone. So that in the book of Ephesians, he's going to say, I pray, I pray, I pray, I pray. I pray that God might open up, give you understanding, strengthen you in the inner man, so that you can be able to get how this gospel is one thing and it is what will help you to mature in Christ. So, let's briefly look at these three points. One, the grip. I've just given you kind of an overview. Let's break it down now and get into the heart of it. One, notice the grip. The grip. Paul is going to articulate powerless sources of righteousness. powerless sources of righteousness. This is not the place to go to if what you're pursuing is true righteousness. So there's a lot of fake righteousness available out there. If you want the real stuff, parable of the sword, if you want the real stuff, don't go here. Listen to him in 2.16. Therefore, and this actually begins all the way back in verse 8, but listen to 2.16. Therefore, let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink with regard to a festival or a new moon or Sabbath. These are a shadow of things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. Where shouldn't you go for righteousness? The law. The law will never produce righteousness. What it will produce again is grand articulation of the gospel in the book of Romans. It will show you that the law, all it will produce is an awareness of your sin. It cannot produce righteousness. Run, Johnny, run, the law demands, but gives neither wings nor hands. That's the law. This is a poem that John Piper wrote. He says, run, run, run, but he can't give you the strength to do it. Paul here is saying, don't go to the law. No help there. It was never meant to produce this righteousness. Look at chapter two, verse eight. Human tradition. See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy or empty deceit according to human tradition. This is the way we do it here. Did you want to grow? Just get in line. Just toe the line. We have a tradition of how we go about things here and if you follow our tradition, The way we operate, you will become a good boy. You will become a good girl. So just stop misbehaving. Just stop it. And become like the others. That kind of conformity does not produce the kind of righteousness the parable of the sower is talking about. The kind of fruit the parable of the sower is talking about. Secular views spoken of in the same verse. It was about philosophy. In my country, psychology is the new big thing. A very different understanding of who a human being is. How can I change? Manipulate a couple of things and you will become a better person. Won't work. Mysticism in chapter 2, verse 18. Worship of angels and other things that are there. Strictness. 2.18. Look at 2.18 again. This is a favorite one. Let no one disqualify you insisting on asceticism, worship of angels, going on in details about visions, mysticism, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind and not holding fast to the head. Asceticism, just a guy who's just like really strict. What is the path to true holiness? Great strictness. Amen? No. Imagine not. You might have the idea right now as you're sitting here that the really good Christian is that guy who does nothing. You know those guys who do nothing? Nothing, like nothing. You know? Like the only kind of music he will listen to is like from the Psalms. Hey, anything else outside of that is impure, is not quite good enough. Even the national anthem is, you know, maybe that one at least has a little God inside of it. Just strict. I can't do that. No, no, no, no, no. That's your idea of what? No. That will not produce the fruit spoken of in the parable of the sword. That is not, in fact the vision, that vision of a holy man in the Bible is that of a happy man. Imagine that. It's one who's whole and complete and happy and good. It's one who's really come to understand the blessedness of God. There's a wholeness and a fullness that's not produced by asceticism. A mere strictness. So question I'm asking again is, what is the source of true righteousness? I hope you're feeling a little desperate for that. So if it's not the law, just like try and keep the commands of God. If it's not strictness, if it's not human tradition, where do I get it? What will produce it? Guys, the good news for you is that's exactly what this is all about, Book of Colossians. All your provision for the new life is found in Christ. All of your provision for the new life is found in Christ. The answer to your question is you produce true righteousness by recognizing, by realizing the implications of your union to Christ. What is the only source, I need to add that, only source of true righteousness? It is the path of realizing or recognizing the full implications of your union to Christ. Now we can go home. Here's the thing with what I've said, and I'm saying it twice because there's no way we'll unpack all of it today. What you want to do, friend, is read your Bible with that eye. That idea of union with Christ, go back to chapter 1 verse 27, is what Paul is articulating as the apex of the scriptures. is what Paul is saying is the mystery that has been unfolded, is what Paul is describing as the stewardship that has been given to him, that he is striving to help the church understand. So quite quickly, what does it mean that I have been united to Christ? So that I'm being asked, you want to grow? You want to grow? Point number one. Don't look for growth from these things. Tradition, law, strictness, mysticism. Don't go there. Do you see what it says there? Look at the last verse of chapter 23, chapter 2, sorry. Why don't go there? Look at verse 23. These have indeed an appearance of wisdom, in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but what? No value. They are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. Don't go there. So Paul, where do I go? Listen to him carefully. This is where you go. Chapter two. And verse eight, see to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy or an empty deceit according to the human tradition, elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ, and not according to Christ, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of the deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him who is the head of all rule and authority. In him also you are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands by putting off the body of flesh by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you are also raised with him. through faith in the powerful working of God who raised him from the dead. And you, who were once dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses by cancelling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This is set aside in nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame by triumphing over them in him. Question, my dear Zambian friend. Why didn't Paul just say the gospel? Did you hear all the things he said? Did you hear? That's a lot, eh? It's like too much. See, Paul, I mean, if you mean the gospel, he just said the gospel. This is set aside by Christ dying on the cross, amen? Why not just say that? Oh yes, you were once a sinner, but now you're no longer a sinner. Now you're in grace, because Christ has died for you on the cross, and your sins have been forgiven, so keep remembering that. Why doesn't Paul just, Paul says so much more. One, point number one. Point number two. Are you hearing the imagery Paul is using? He's using imagery of circumcision. Why are we doing such work? I'll tell you why. Because Paul is trying to show you, you see this whole thing, this whole Bible, it's all coming to a head at the cross. When you understand the full implications of the cross, you understand how everything else that has come before was always headed there, and everything that has come after is looking back there, and you need to understand what that means for you. So let me give it to you in brief. I hope you make this a study point. Would you please? I have a couple of book recommendations for you. on the union with Christ, because there's no way I'm going to give it all to you in the next couple of minutes. But listen to the basic framework of this that is just articulated here. One, it means that through your union with Christ as a believer, all your sins have been punished. In what way have I received forgiveness? The means through which I've received forgiveness, don't just summarize it or come up with your own shorthand. The means through which I've received forgiveness is by being united to Christ. And then in my union with Christ, all of the judgment, all of the wrath that I deserve has been poured out. So that when it says the wages of sin is death, The answer is, I have died. The punishment actually has been fully meted out. Since past, present, and future, completely atoned for. How? Through my union with Christ. So that his death has become my death. Because I deserve to die. And in Christ, you know the Christ? I have died. Listen carefully to that language. Change that language up and you're already undermining your maturity in Christ. This also means that the self has been brought to an end. You know that self? You remember that old self? That old self who, quite keenly, listen, the Ephesians chapter two verse one, totally depraved self, who could not obey God, who was positively inclined towards evil, you remember that self? That self has come to an end. That self has died, together with Christ on the cross. So that when you speak about a Christian, I don't know if you're here yet, depends on how long you've been a Calvinist. If you've been a Calvinist in the earlier days, you'll still say we are all totally depraved. No, you're not totally depraved if you're a Christian. You were totally depraved before you became a Christian. Now you're no longer totally depraved. The totally depraved you was put to death on the cross. And it's over, that's the old man. I saw Paul using that phrase, the old man. The old man has been brought to an end. I know you have questions, hold them for the round circle. What did you call it? The thing, the panel thing you're going to have later. Here's what the Bible is teaching you. Here's how corrupt the old self is. There's no improving it. There's no self-improvement mechanisms of getting from the old self to one who's bringing forth fruit. Uh-uh. So if that's where you are, you're hearing obedience, you're saying, yes, I really want to, you're hearing maturity, fruitfulness, you're like, I really want to, I'm going to put some grit. Listen, you can't. The only thing to do to the old self is to completely destroy it, which is what has happened to the cross. Have you ever seen a cloth so stained? The only fitting thing that you look like you can do with it is burn it. Hey, not even put it in the trash. That's our old selves, guys. That's the totally depraved self. It had to be put to an end, and that is what has happened in union with Christ. It has died. All the hard work can't get that stain out of it. But then secondly and most importantly, I have been united to Christ and I have died with him. But also in as much as he has been raised from the grave, so too have I been raised in newness of life together with him. This is what it means to be born again. This is what it means to be converted, to be regenerated. What does it mean? Those are familiar phrases I threw out at you. Here's what those phrases mean. Those phrases mean I now possess, hear me right, a new life. A what? Get me right. You're not trying to improve the old life. No, no, no, no, no, no. That was put to death. Here's what the Christian possesses. The Christian possesses a new life. And that new life is nothing short of the very life of Christ in me through the Spirit. I know, you signed up for Antioch. You even paid money for this. So I can give you a lot of hard work. It's a lot of hard work I'm giving you. You have to think, because that's what Paul is doing here, guys. What is the Christian life? It is not an improved version of the old life. Can't work, guys, can't work. That old life is so corrupted, it's so polluted, it's hard to die. Good news, if you believe in Jesus, you're united to Christ, and that old life died, was put to an end. What life do I now have? A brand new life. Which life is this? The very life of Christ in me. That is what the Spirit has given to me. That's the gospel. Listen to Paul in Galatians 2.20. Listen to him keenly, don't go there. I have been crucified with Christ. Listen to Paul. It is no longer I who live. But Christ lives in me. Does that agree with the stuff I've just come from saying? But do you see how that is just kind of confusing mumbo jumbo with our other kind of simpler gospel? It kind of messes up the simple gospel. We were like, what are you saying? I live in this. So we just said the gospel. Let's keep it simple. Keep it simple will not produce a mature Christian life. He needs you to understand this, which is why he's writing it in the Bible. I have been crucified with Christ. Old depraved I, dead. It is no longer I who live. The old I, gone. The old self, completely finished. The power of the old self in me, broken. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Is that verse 21? I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. If righteousness were through the law, Christ died for no purpose. Listen to Paul again. Listen to Paul again. In Romans chapter 6. Remember Romans? What is Paul aiming for? Now we all know the correct answer. Can we say it out loud? The? Okay, I know we're all in our 20s now. In the 20s the voices keep getting lower, you know. I mean, eventually, just you say it in your heart. I know you said it in your heart, all of you. I want us to say it out loud. What is Paul aiming for? The obedience of faith. Ken wants that. I don't know about you guys. I want that. That's the stuff I want. I don't want the obedience of the law. That's the stuff that crushes me or makes me self-righteous. I don't want that. I want the obedience of the law. I want maturity in Christ. I want the kind of fruit that the Spirit produces. How does that come? Listen to him in chapter 6 verse 4. This is the book of Romans. It's not enough that he simply said, you're a sinner, Christ died for you on the cross, you're forgiven. That's not Paul in the book of Romans. Please don't simplify him. This is the problem with wanting to minimize everything to a tweet. Hey, give me the book of Romans in a tweet. No. It's 16 chapters because he wants to produce the obedience of faith so he doesn't stop at chapter three with propitiation. or with justification, he continues on, because there's a lot more to be said, which oftentimes we're not interested in, because we already got the gospel. Listen to him in chapter six. This is six four. We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. You hear him right. How will you walk in newness of life? Nothing short of union with Christ. Nothing short of union with Christ, to be united with Him in His death so that the old self can be put to death and to be raised together with Him so that you have the new life that can only come from Christ. For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His. We know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. This is the point of Romans. This is how obedience of faith will be produced by you being united to Christ. And this happens through faith. Believe in the gospel. Secondly, how do I grow? Recognize, realize the true implications of being united to Christ. So how does true change happen? How do I grow in true righteousness? Colossians chapter two verse six. Here's your theme for the conference. Listen to him, chapter two, verse six. Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith just as you were taught abounding in thanksgiving. Be rooted in Christ, the one in whom the old man has been put to death. the one whose life is now in you. The only way to make progress in true righteousness is by growing deeper, is by remaining rooted in what you have become in Jesus. Listen to chapter two, verse 19. How do I make progress? Not the law, not be a really strict dude or dudette. who does nothing, you're just like this old and he's like, eh? That doesn't produce life, uh-uh. Tradition, the law, how do I grow? How do I make progress? Well, he's going to say let no one pass judgment. But listen to him, verse 19, what's the contrast? Those guys are not holding fast to the head. From whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with the growth that is from God. That's what you want. You want to grow with the growth that is from God. So what do you want? You want to grip. That's a grip. Hold on to Jesus. This is the whole sermon, guys. Hold on to Jesus. Hold on to Jesus. Grasp what has been done through his death, through his burial, through his resurrection. Let me tell you this, each and every one of us here, starting with Ken, me, oh my goodness, we can all press so much deeper into Christ, so much deeper into this gospel, into this reality. Another way of saying it, our minds are used to thinking about ourselves, not in accordance to the truth of what we are in Christ. You have habits and patterns, you have views that are contrary to the reality of what you have become in Christ. And so what Paul says is job number one is to have your mind renewed so that you can grasp what it is that has actually happened. And so that you can labor and pursue sanctification from the right foundation. So brothers and sisters, Hear this, do you want to make progress in true righteousness? Grow in the gospel. Renew your mind daily in the gospel. Trace down lies in your mind that view yourself, view your life in ways that are contrary to the truths that have just been articulated. Namely, you wake up in the morning and you say to yourself, I'm such a mess. I'm just a useless person. I'm just, you know, I'm just such a sinner. This is how I've always been. I will never change, but I'll try my best today, eh? Just keep a positive outlook on life, eh? It will be okay. And then you attempt to change. It's not the way Paul is calling you to operate. Paul is saying you've sinned, you need to repent of your sins. And you need to understand, actually, that what your sin was, was a contradiction to what you truly are. that what you truly are is you have life in you that is nothing short than the life of Christ. That's the life that is in you. And what God is calling you in your sanctification is to act out what God has actually walked in. Is to do that which is most like you as a Christian. So that sanctification for the Christian is not a seeking to become what I'm not. actually seeking to live out what I have become in Christ. And that's the truth you need to hear from God's word, and that's the truth you need to speak to each other. This is not what God has done for you. Are you hearing Paul now speaking like that? Do you not know? First Corinthians chapter six, addressing immorality. You are united to Christ is really the implication there. In prostituting yourself, you're basically uniting Christ to a prostitute. Paul, why not just say impurity is bad? You might get a child out of wedlock. Amen? Let's stop there. Why isn't he saying that? Isn't that how we speak to each other? Paul is not saying that. Paul is saying, wait, what did you do? What did you look? Do you not know what you are? This is what you are, what are you? You are one with Christ. The sermon is done. So here are your two points as far as appendix. Look at chapter three and see what the grind looks like. When he tells them now to walk out their faith, listen carefully to the language he uses. He gives them imperatives. Chapter three, verse five, put to death. Chapter three, verse eight, put away. Chapter three, verse 12, put on. Listen, those imperatives are not anti-gospel. Are you seeing how? They're not, I now told you the gospel, and now, sadly, now I have to tell you the bad stuff. You need to fight sin. No, he told you the gospel. You died. You have a new life in you. Imperatives, leave it out. This is the gospel. This is the glory that God has destined you for. So imperatives, warnings. Chapter three verse six, are you seeing him warning in chapter three verse six? He said in chapter one already that he warns everyone. Chapter six, he actually warns them. On account of these, the wrath of God is coming. Guys, is that the gospel? Paul maybe needs a class on grace, eh? Are you seeing how it's all one to him? Him, we proclaim, warning everyone. And he makes distinction in chapter three, verse seven. But this life is different from a Muslim's life. This morality is not like a Muslim's who's just going to be a good guy or a good girl. The kind of morality produced for a Christian comes out of the reality of Christ in their lives. So look at chapter 3 verse 3, chapter 3 verse 9, and chapter 3 verse 12. Where do those instructions come out of? The reality of what they've become in Christ. Colossians 3 verse 3. For you have died, and your life is hidden with God on high. Colossians 3.9, look at 3.9. Don't lie. Why? Because lying is bad. That's the law. That's just be strict. Why not lie to one another? Seeing as you have put off the old self. 3.12. Put on then as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness. How do I grow in kindness, compassion, kindness and meekness and patience? Knowing that I am God's chosen one. Knowing that I am holy and beloved. There is no shortcut to true righteousness apart from recognizing the full implications of what you have become in Christ. So embrace that. Be rooted in that. Growth in Christ is preceded with a grip on Christ. It is empowered by your standing in Christ. It is informed by the very image of Christ. And brothers and sisters, it's that glory that you're aiming for. The destiny that God has ordained is that you will one day look just like Christ. This is the gospel. that Paul proclaims. To wrap up with that last verse again in chapter 1 and see what is the hope that is yours today. What is the hope that Paul is extending to you and I right now? To them, God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the reaches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Christ in you, the hope of glory. I don't know where you're at, at this conference. I don't know if you think to yourself, I'm a mess. These other Antioch attendees look like they're really good boys and girls. Me, I'm just an imposter here. You might be, if you're not a Christian. And if you're not a Christian, you hear me right. The way to change is not through your hard work. Repent and believe in Christ Jesus. The kind of problem you have is so big, you cannot fix yourself. So if you come here today and you say, I'm an unbeliever, but I don't want to be like those first three soils. I want to be the one who's bringing forth fruit. Point number one, do not look to yourself. Do not look to the law. You cannot change yourself. Place your faith in Christ. Repent of your sins and place your faith in Christ. That's Joel and Genesis. But if you're a Christian and you've maybe been a Christian for a couple of years and now you still feel like an imposter, you're like, you know, Ken, I did that a while back. I repented of my sins, and I believed in Jesus, and I still feel like a mess. I feel like I'm not really making progress in my life. I'm reading the parable of the sower, and I have doubts in myself. I'm like, I mean, there's 30-fold, and 60-fold, and 100-fold. Pastor Ken, is there an option for like a 0.2-fold? Because maybe the fruit in my life is really, really little. I'm not really sure or confident because of my struggles with sin. Here's what Colossians is telling you. Go back to the very beginning. You heard what I said to the unbeliever? You are way too messed up to help yourself. What you need to do is repent and believe in Christ. Only he can save you. Only he can help you. You need a new life that can only come from him. Don't fix yourself. Now that you've been a Christian for 15 years, are you trying to fix yourself? Are you now looking to yourself? You wouldn't make progress that way. Go back to the beginning and be rooted in the same realities that saved you. For it is only out of holding fast to the implications of your union with Christ that you can make progress in true righteousness. Ask yourself, how am I thinking of myself? Have I realized the full implications of being united to one so holy? Do I realize that actually the job has been done? There is a life in me. Have I realized the end to which I have been called? Not only has God walked this walk in me, the life of Christ is in me. The end is I will shine bright with the very glory of Christ emanating from me. And you are in the middle of those two points right now. Life of Christ in you and the day when you shall reflect perfectly the image of Christ through you. You're in the middle here. To use some Swahili for you. Some tongues. Do you realize that? If you think of yourself as one who is not even a Christian, if you think of yourself as one who is in the old man and you're working very hard with your accountability and your Bible memorization until you become holy, that is a different means of sanctification. The only means to making progress into righteousness is by recognizing, realizing, reckoning what you have become in Christ, amen? Lord, would you do this for us? Would you help us see and understand what we have truly become? Pray for the unbeliever who's here that you might grant to them faith and repentance. Would you grant that they would not leave this room today without calling upon the name of the Lord that they might be saved? We pray for the discouraged, disheartened believer who has been struggling in their path of sanctification. Lord, would you keep them from looking to themselves? Would you help them instead to look at what they have become in Jesus? Would you expose their lies? Would you keep them from not listening to the accusations of the enemy? Would you redeem them even from that imposter syndrome? Would you help them instead to recognize the depth, the power, the effects of the salvation that is theirs today? Would you cause them to put both feet firmly on the rock that is Christ and recognize and proclaim that indeed that old man has been put to death and that they have in them right now the wherewithal to grow in patience and kindness and self-control, to pursue the holiness that you have already walked in them? Would you cause that the rest of this conference would be used by you towards those very ends? We pray this in your son's name, amen.