Wrought in Christ

In this part of the sermon: Transitioning to verse 20, Martin stresses that the various acts of God's power in Christ (raising, setting, subjecting, giving) are a unified complex of redemptive activity, all…

The complex process of returning prisoners of war, involving distinct but connected activities, illustrates how the various acts of God's power in Christ (raising, setting, subjecting) are distinct but form a single unit of redemptive activity: the exaltation of Christ.

Let me illustrate. We're thinking a lot and talking a lot, and I hope lifting up our hearts in thanks to God a lot for the return of the prisoners of war. Now when you use the term the return of the prisoners of war, that term refers to a connected complex of distinct activities. First of all, the North Vietnamese, or the Viet Cong, must turn the prisoners over to the American authorities.

8:25 - 8:56 Read in full sermon

Driving home: So this distinction between the inherent dignity of the person the second person of the Godhead and that which he takes by a voluntary assumption of an office are two distinct things and if you don't understand that dist…

The story of identical twins, equal in every way, who assume different roles (president and production manager) in a corporation, illustrates the distinction between Christ's essential equality with the Father and his voluntary assumption of a subordinate role in his messianic office.

So this distinction between the inherent dignity of the person the second person of the Godhead and that which he takes by a voluntary assumption of an office are two distinct things and if you don't understand that distinction you won't understand your Bible. Let me illustrate. Here's a set of identical twins. Let's call them Mr. A and Mr. B.

19:42 - 20:11 Read in full sermon

The point: When reading about Christ's life (temptation, crucifixion, resurrection, seating), say 'and I was there,' recognizing your union with him.

The historical reenactment TV show 'And You Were There' is used to encourage believers to read their Bibles with an imaginative identification, saying 'and I was there' when reading about Christ's temptation, crucifixion, resurrection, and seating at God's right hand, emphasizing their union with him.

of those tremendous concepts of the intimacy of our union with the Lord Jesus Christ oh may God make precious to us in the coming days what it means it's the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe which he wrought in the Christ some of you perhaps in the past and I don't know why they got rid of it it seems like they increasingly get rid of any television programs that are worth watching and I used to enjoy watching that half hour on Saturday at noon whenever I could that historical study called and you were there some of you perhaps remember it when significant events in the ...

45:10 - 46:38 Read in full sermon