Union with Christ in Scripture

In this part of the sermon: Using a marriage analogy, the sermon illustrates how Christ in eternity married Himself to His people, assuming their liabilities and conferring His assets, making believers joint…

The sermon uses the analogy of a man marrying a woman to explain how Christ in eternity married Himself to His people, automatically taking on all their liabilities (debts, sin, wrath) and conferring all His assets (righteousness, glory).

And what he married himself to to was not a pure and spotless virgin. He married himself to a bride that was laden with ugliness and liabilities in herself. Let me illustrate. When a man commits himself to marry a woman he automatically takes upon himself all of her legal debts all of her liabilities if she is sickly if she is not so pretty to look upon he must dwell with her homely face for the rest of his days.

18:29 - 19:09 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The sermon traces union into time, showing how Christ's incarnation, life under the law, and obedience (culminating in His death) were done in identification with His people.

A stanza from Toplady's hymn is quoted to express the concept of Christ being our surety and grace being given to us in Him before the world began.

to the Lord Jesus Christ they are chosen in him. Toplady expressed it in this poem very beautifully to thee O Lord alone is due all glory and renown ought to ourselves we dare not take or rob thee of thy crown thou wast thyself our surety in God's redemption plan in thee this grace was given us long ere the world began.

22:20 - 22:53 Read in full sermon

Driving home: was Jesus Christ crucified Galatians 2.20 Paul says I have been crucified with Christ

A poetic verse is quoted to summarize how believers share in Christ's experiences: one in the tomb, one in resurrection, one in triumph, one in heavenly seating.

that he uses the preposition separately in all of the others so intimate is the union that we are with him crucified we are with him dead with him buried with him quickened with him raised with him seated and we shall be with him glorified again the Christian poet has tried to capture these strands of thought in the phrase or in the in the verse one in the tomb one when he rose one when he triumphed over his foes one when in heaven he took his seat while seraphs sang all hell's defeat with him their head they stand

29:34 - 30:19 Read in full sermon

The point: Your present Christian life is lived in union with Christ, even your body is a member of Christ.

Martin recounts his personal reflection on Paul's teaching in 1 Corinthians 6, marveling that his physical body, subject to illness and pain, is considered a member of Christ.

problem of fornication and he says what don't you know your bodies are members of Christ shall I take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot and I sat there and I looked at my hands and I said you mean God you're telling me that this body this soma this thing that I can touch and feel and if I pinch it it hurts is vitally joined to the son of God and God says isn't that what I said isn't that what I said if he said your spirit that would have been a little easier to grasp because I don't know what my spirit is anyway but my body I know what it is that's that hunk

37:00 - 37:45 Read in full sermon