Place in the Plan of Salvation

Driving home: In other words, no one, ever enters into personal possession of that Christ-centered salvation apart from vital union with Christ who is the Savior and has procured the salvation.

Martin reads Ephesians 1:1-14 with 'grotesque emphasis' on 'in Christ' phrases to underscore how central and pervasive the doctrine of union with Christ is in the passage.

a portion which it is not my intention to expound, but simply to read as an introduction to the great theme that has been assigned to me for this conference ministry, the doctrine of union with Jesus Christ. And I shall read the portion, giving to certain parts of it a rather grotesque emphasis as I read, but I do this simply to underscore in your minds how central, how pervasive is the doctrine of union with Christ. As I'm sure many of you are aware, this first paragraph in the letter of Paul to the Ephesians, after the introduction, is a great eulogy, a hymn of praise to God, Father, Son, an...

0:13 - 1:36 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Union with Christ is really the central truth in the whole doctrine of salvation, not only in its application but in its once-for-all accomplishment in the finished work of Christ.

Martin recounts listening to Colossians and 1st and 2nd Thessalonians, stopping the tape recorder every time an 'in Christ' concept appeared, illustrating the doctrine's pervasive presence in Paul's letters.

In him, in whom, in Christ, in our Lord Jesus Christ. And Ephesians 1 verses 1 to 14 was but a random sampling of the writings of the Apostle Paul. And in this brief passage of 14 verses, no fewer than 11 times, in him, in whom, in Christ, came before us. Driving down this morning, my wife and I listened to a reading of the entire book of Colossians and 1st and 2nd Thessalonians.

9:05 - 9:42 Read in full sermon

The point: Seek a good dose of the terror of the law and take God's holiness and justice seriously to find true peace of conscience through union with Christ.

Martin quotes a poem that beautifully summarizes the believer's union with Christ in His tomb, resurrection, triumph, and session, making the theological concept more accessible and memorable.

he died, we died. When he was buried, we were buried. When he was raised, we were raised. When he was seated, we were seated. And when he shall be manifested in glory, we shall be manifested in him and with him in glory. Again, someone has sought to put this in the more attractive and sometimes illuminating structure of poetry. One in the tomb, one when he rose, one when he triumphed or his foes, one when in heaven he took his seat while seraphs sang all hell's defeat. With him their head they stand or fall, their life, their surety, and their all. If ever the Lord Jesus was bound to his peopl...

30:03 - 30:56 Read in full sermon

The point: Seek a good dose of the terror of the law and take God's holiness and justice seriously to find true peace of conscience through union with Christ.

He uses the analogy of looking at God's holiness with one eye and Mount Calvary with the other, to explain how union with Christ allows a pacified conscience, knowing God's wrath fell on Christ in our place.

And so if you want peace of conscience, my friend, you begin to get a good dose of the terror of the law. You begin to take God's holiness seriously. Take the inflexible justice of his law seriously. Begin to contemplate something of the character of God and the foulness of your own heart. You're not going to be satisfied with just some vague notion that somehow, somewhere, in some place, Jesus did something that somewhere or another fixes me up.

32:22 - 32:54 Read in full sermon

The point: Recognize that there can be no fruit-bearing, reproduction of graces, or usefulness in Christ's kingdom apart from union with Christ and maintaining its vigor and experimental awareness.

He uses the analogy of the vine and branches from John 15 to illustrate the intimate, vital relationship between Christ and believers, emphasizing that fruit-bearing flows from this shared life.

And he says, this truth has filled your heart with sadness. And then he begins to tell them they should not be sad, because though he is going as to his person, as the theanthropic mediator, the God-man there before them in human form, he said, I'm leaving you, but I'm going to send the Comforter. And as the Comforter comes, I and my Father come to you as well. The most natural thing to the human mind would be to say, all right, if Jesus is leaving and the Spirit is coming, then we as disciples must completely reshift our whole thinking about what it means to be disciples of Christ, attached t...

42:05 - 43:30 Read in full sermon