“United We Stand!”
Exploring The Mystery Of Our Union With Christ!
Introduction:
1. IE: Several Months Now - If You Drive Down Main Street In Greenfield, Met With Patriotic Banners - Red, White & Blue - Phrase: “United We Stand!” - Set Up To Show Support For Our Nation & Our Troops, Fighting For Freedom In Faraway Lands - Important & Powerful Truth - Christ Said “If a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand” (Mark 3:24-25) - There Are A Great Many Benefits To Standing United!
- There Is Strength (IE: Ganging Up Against Bullies)
- There Is Power (IE: Politicians Getting Most Votes)
- There Is Comfort (IE: “Misery Loves Company!”)
2. For Christians, However, There Is Another Unity – Greater Than Any National, Social, Or Familial Bond Combined!
- Christians Are United With Their Savior Jesus Christ!
- For The Christian, There Are Also A Great Many Benefits To Standing United With Christ – Too Many To Count (IE: As The Sands On The Seashore!)
3. The Doctrine Of A Christian’s Union With Christ:
- Is A Great Blessing For Christians!
- Because It Is A Fact!
- 1 Corinthians 1:30 - “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus!”
- Your Union With Christ Is Personal! God Himself Placed You There! (“Of Him”)
- Your Union With Christ Is Present! It Is Something That You Possess In Your Life Right Now! (“Are”)
- Your Union With Christ Is Permanent! It Is Secure, And There Will Never Be A Separation! (“In”)
- Also, Is A Great Mystery For Christians!
- You May Have Questions About Your Union With Christ!
- How Can I Be United With Christ?
- What Does It Mean To Be United With Christ?
- How Do I Experience This Unity With Christ?
- The Bible Speaks Of This Union As A Mystery (“Something Hidden, Something Beyond Human Knowledge” - Charles Hodge)
- Ephesians 5:31-32 - “For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.”
- 1 Corinthians 1:26-27 - “Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:”
4. We Are Going To Explore The Mystery Of Our Union With Christ!
- IE: “Clue” Game - A Murder Has Been Committed - Each Player Travels To Different Rooms Inside The Mansion (The Playing Board) - In Each Room, They Can Gather Clues Which They Can Piece Together To Understand More About The Mysterious Crime, And Eventually Solve It!
- The Entire New Testament Is The Mansion Through Which We Will Travel, From Room To Room Gathering Clues About The Mystery Of Our Union With Christ!
- But, Unlike “Clue”, You Will Never Be Able To Completely Solve This Mystery! So Why Explore?
- To Believe In Your Union With Christ More!
- To Understand Your Union With Christ Better!
- To Experience Your Union With Christ Better!
5. In Our Exploration, We Will Look At:
- The Definition Of Your Union With Christ
- The Conditions For Your Union With Christ
- The Components Of Your Union With Christ
I. What Does It Mean To Be United With Christ?
A. Your Union With Christ Is Broad!
- It Covers Many Facets Of Your Life As A Christian!
- IE: Like The Cutting Of A Diamond
- Millard Erickson: “In One Sense, Union With Christ Is An Inclusive Term For The Whole Of Salvation; The Various Other Doctrines Are Simply Subparts!”
- The More You Learn About What Makes Up Your Salvation, The More You Learn About Your Union With Your Savior, Jesus Christ!
B. Your Union With Christ Is Biblical!
- Several Phrases Used In The New Testament To Help You Search Out And Explore Your Union With Christ!
- “In Christ” / “Into Christ” (78x)
- If You Are A Christian, You Are In Christ!
- “Christ In You” (Colossians 1:27)
- If You Are A Christian, Christ Is In You!
- “As Christ” (8x)
- If You Are A Christian, You Are Like Christ!
- “With Christ” (9x)
- If You Are A Christian, You Have Fellowship With Christ!
- Other Terms & Phrases & Illustrations Throughout The NT That Describe Your Union With Christ! (IE: Get Out Your Concordance Or Bible Search Program & Look Them Up!)
C. Your Union With Christ Is Beneficial!
- As It Says In Psalms 103:2 - “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits!”
- By Exploring The Mystery Of Your Union With Christ, You Are Remembering & Maybe Even Discovering Innumerable & Immeasurable Blessings & Benefits To You!
- My Prayer Is That As You Explore The Mystery Of Your Union With Jesus Christ, You Will Rejoice With Paul As He Did In Ephesians 1:3 - “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ!”
D. Your Union With Christ Is Bonding!
- Because It Is A Relationship!
- Wayne Grudem Sums Up Its Meaning: “Union With Christ Is A Phrase Used To Summarize Several Different Relationships Between Believers And Christ, Through Which Christians Receive Every Benefit Of Salvation. These Relationships Include The Fact That We Are In Christ, Christ Is In Us, We Are Like Christ, And We Are With Christ!”
* Are You Ready To Explore The Mystery Of Your Union With Christ?
- You Will Learn More About Your Soul!
- What You Were Really Like Were Before Being United With Jesus Christ!
- You Will Learn More About Your Salvation!
- What Really Happened When You Were United With Jesus Christ!
- You Will Learn More About Your Savior!
- Who You Were United To!
- You Will Learn More About Your Service!
- What Really Happens After You Are United With Jesus Christ!
II. What Does It Take To Be United With Christ?
- Ephesians 2:12-14 - “That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;”
A. You Must Understand What It Is Like Without The Union!
- “That At That Time Ye Were Without Christ”
- The Opposite Of “Union With Christ” Is “Without Christ”!
- Dr. A. T. Pierson, “In Christ,” Describes A Christian’s Union With Christ - “He Is To The Believer The Sphere Of This New Life - A Sphere Rather Than A Circle - A Circle Surrounds Us - A Sphere Encompasses, Envelopes Us, Surrounding Us In Every Direction And On Every Plane!”
- IE: A Hamster In An Exercise Ball - Outside The Ball Is Potential Danger & Trouble - No Benefits From His Owner
- “Strangers / Aliens / No Hope / Without God!”
B. You Must Believe What It Is That Creates The Union!
- “But Now In Christ Jesus ye Who Sometimes Were Far Off Are Made Nigh By The Blood Of Christ!”
- Only Jesus Christ Could Create This Union!
- Only His Blood Could Make Possible This Union!
- IE: The Hamster Can’t Put Himself Into That Exercise Ball - Neither Can A Person Put Himself Into Christ - He Must Be Placed Into Christ - He Must Believe In Who Did It & How He Did It!
C. You Must Experience What It Is Like With The Union!
- “For He Is Our Peace, Who Hath Made Both One, And Hath Broken Down The Middle Wall Of Partition Between Us!”
- Blessings - Peace / Unity / Fellowship!
- IE: The Hamster Is Safe, Free, And Able To Receive Benefits At The Hand Of Its Owner!
* Do You Have What It Takes To Be United With Christ?
- Do You Understand Your Need To Be United With Him?
- If You Are Not “United With Christ” You Are “Without Christ”!
- Do You Believe In The Jesus Christ And His Blood?
- Do You Experience A Growing & Closer Union With Him?
III. What Is It Like To Be United With Christ?
- Look More Closely At The “Benefits” Or The “Components” Of Your Union With Christ In The Next Several Weeks, But Briefly:
A. It Is A Personal Union!
- You Can Experience A Close & Personal Relationship & Fellowship With Jesus Christ! Union Produces Communion!
- IE: Like A Marriage Union Provides An Opportunity For Fellowship Like No Other Relationship!
- Philippians 3:10 - “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;”
B. It Is A Positional Union!
- When God Looks Upon You, You Are In His Sight One With Jesus Christ!
- IE: An Eclipse
- 2 Corinthians 5:17 - “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
C. It Is A Permanent Union!
- Once United, Always United!
- IE: Neither Party Can / Will Secede, Unlike The Confederate States Prior To The Civil War
- Colossians 1:27 - “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:” (We Can Only Have This “Hope Of Glory” If The Union Is Permanent!)
D. It Is A Practical Union!
- When You Are United With Christ, You Will Live Like Christ!
- IE: Who Do You Serve? The Ones Closest To You! (Family / Work / Church)
- Ephesians 2:10 - “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
- Other Facets As Well!
Conclusion:
1. If You Are A Christian, The Mystery Of Your Union With Christ Is “A Foretaste Of Glory Divine!” (Fanny Crosby - “Blessed Assurance”)
- Are You ABLE To Explore This Union?
- Are You “In Christ” Or “Without Christ”?
- Are You READY To Explore This Union?
- Spend Time Learning More About Your Soul, Your Salvation, Your Savior, And Your Service!
2. “May The Grace Of Christ Our Savior” (John Newton)
May the grace of Christ our Savior
And the Father’s boundless love
With the Holy Spirit’s favor,
Rest upon us from above.
Thus may we abide in union
With each other and the Lord,
And possess, in sweet communion,
Joys which earth cannot afford.
