Union With Christ

Let's bow in prayer and ask the Lord's blessing. Father, again, we bow before you and know how powerful your word is. It opens our heart. We all had hearts of stone. But by your spirit, you revealed yourself to us in a way that is amazing. Father, we thank you for the privilege.

I thank you for the privilege of being able to minister your word. Give me clarity of thinking, Father. And open your scriptures, I ask in Christ's name. Please turn to Colossians 3. A few years back, we, in Men of Faith, we went through a book. If I can remember his name.

Rankin Wilborn. I don't know how to spell that right off. I wrote it down because I wanted to give him credits. Because it opened some things in my mind to the union of Christ we have. this union that the Puritans, quite frankly, brought out. I have a book that was given to me by John Owen. And many of the Puritans, when you look through the epistles, and especially John, as John writes the book where he calls about this abiding in us, him abiding in the Father, and us abiding in him, It brought some things to light in our own hearts as we studied this.

So let's look at Colossians 3. Follow along. If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God when Christ who is your life appears then you also will appear with him in glory Put to death then what is earthly in you sexual immorality impurity passions evil desires and covetousness which is idolatry On account of these, the wrath of God is coming.

In these you too once walked when you were living in them, but now you must put them all aside. anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is no Greek, Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, sentient, slave-free, but Christ is all in all. put on then as God's chosen ones holy and beloved compassionate hearts, kindness humility, meekness and patience bearing with one another if one has complained against the other forgiving each other as the Lord has forgiven you so also must forgive and above all these put on love which binds everything together in perfect harmony and let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts to which indeed you were called in one body and be thankful.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word and deed, do to everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. What was lost in the garden is regained in Christ.

Our very identity, who I am, our destiny, where I'm headed, our purpose, what I shall become, and hope, what I can hope for in the distance are the things that drives us to this relationship we have with Christ. In this first part of it, of chapter 3 in Colossians, he says, if then this question to our own hearts if you have been raised with christ seek the things that are above where christ is seated seated at the seated at the right hand of god and as i thought through this i had to put it together with john i just you to turn there but let me just read this because it what ties these all together In this great connection we have with Christ, he says, I am the vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, He takes away and every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes that it may bear more fruit.

Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine and you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he is it that bears much fruit. For apart from me, you can do nothing.

And he goes on in the latter part of this chapter. He says, these things I have spoken you that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be full. He says, you are my friends. If you do what I command you, no longer do I call you servants. for the servant does not know what the master is doing. In this raising up, this resurrection of the will, we were all dead in our sin, and when Christ raised us up from the dead and made us new, made us born again by the Spirit, he revealed something to us that the unbeliever, he can't comprehend. this gives us understanding as we go in the everyday life as we work with our unbelieving friends as we make friends with our unbelievers to know that we have a different view because of the Holy Spirit we have been raised with him and now we know the Father's will we have clarity in thinking though it's clouded because we're still and that's why this is all in this context of putting to death put to death this old self and as the writer of the hebrews says this sin that hinders it hinders it hinders our prayers it hinders our our especially our union with christ our relationship with the Lord When we turn to those old ways and we all have those old ways we all have those tendencies of maybe envy or anger or sexual immorality and passions, even good desires that pull us away from the glory of God.

How important songs are. I was just thinking about a song today as I'm driving, and I'm seeing the sunset, sunrise, and the sun is like a beautiful orange. And I said, I will glory in my Redeemer. I will glory in my Redeemer. And it brings us to a place of what he's done and what he's going to accomplish in our life. this union in Christ which reminds us of our old self that had no thought of God.

We were just like what Psalmist writes in Psalm 10. The unbeliever has no thought of God. See, it always goes back to the cross, doesn't it? But we've got to think farther back in the life that Christ, as we contemplate the law of God and how it's pushed aside now, and we live in this realm of grace, and our tendency in grace, which Paul instructs a lot, of just falling back into our sin.

Well, God's forgiven it. We're good here. No, with this union of Christ, It brings us to this place where we are most satisfied in God. And he is most glorified by us being satisfied. And this is the joy that he talks about in John. As he told his disciples, make my joy complete.

Paul writes this and John writes this again and again in 1 John. This abiding. And this is that union. we must comprehend but we doubt at times John 7.38 says out of my heart will flow a wellspring of life living water we're promised an abundant life but when tough things happen come, we have a tendency to doubt God's goodness. And if God is sovereign over all the good things which we delight in, we should understand, not be giddy, but take heart to what God is doing in our life.

God is a loving Father who loves us beyond what we can comprehend. Did you listen to the Psalm 139? The vastness of your thoughts, O Lord. The vastness. That a God of this universe runs the day-to-day things of the universe. And came down to love me.

You. See, these are the same things that resound. We talk about grace a lot, don't we? Amazing grace. See, this journey from our heart and mind, our heart and mind, got it backwards. It's something that the author calls the gap.

And this guy, this author, you've got to get this book because he has a lot of things. He talks about this gap. But it gets you thinking about it. I just think about the verse in Isaiah. It says, they worship me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. See, that gap must be closed in, that conviction of heart in our knowledge.

Oh, we believe, but what's that doing? And what that is going to do as this union with Christ is strengthened by our obedience. yes obedience oh what a cold word look what sin has to offer just look at those sins sexual immorality, impurity, passions, evil desire, covetousness and idolatry on account of these the wrath of God is coming wow no glory to God it's a stern warning but quite frankly stern warnings don't bring us to God any closer you know people can be fearful of that but understanding who God is there is a good fear but we turn our fear to this adoration of who He is now how He revealed Himself in His Son He's revealed Himself. Quite frankly, were we chasing after God? the very fact that the Spirit of God came and took your heart and made it a heart that would worship Him is amazing to me.

What did we worship before? You can all think in your mind what you worshipped. Well, I worshipped these. We have that tendency to... Well, we worshipped just good times with our friends. but to worship him for all his glory. So set your mind on things above.

This union brings us to this place of obedience that we know our hope is driving us to that place. Let's go on. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off your old self with this practice. and put on a new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is no Greek, Jew, circumcised, uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave-free for Christ is all in all.

He brings us into a fellowship of believers that are closer than our own immediate family. He ties us into this love where there is no, you see that bond? There's no racism. Here's the answer to racism right here, the gospel. You know we have all the things in the knowledge of our creator that will solve every economic woes. every sorrow is in this book we can take care of it how are we praying and more importantly let go on we not solo Christians We got to be reminded that that God has bought us and brought us into a body of believers In this, we, I think of the doldrums, I put this down because it was from the book, but it had a lot of good biblical meaning. we go in those dry periods in our life where we need to be strengthened by the knowledge of our Redeemer whether we feel like it or not feelings are deceptive because out of our heart there are many deceptive you know those questions I just talked about earlier you know being doubtful what's God's plan in my life some of you are young at age looking at a future.

Some are retiring. Some are struggling with illnesses. What's God planning for me? Helping us through that dark period, we have to keep in the habit of nurturing that union. We have to keep nurturing it with this, this living and active Word of God. And we can find a lot of encouragement from the Psalms, the things we are going through and how it relates to our own heart.

But sometimes we have to just be in the habit of keep doing it. Be in the habit of meeting together. This pandemic has been tough on not just meeting together and having that freedom. But it's been a test for the church. God is using this to refine his church there's churches that are shutting down because they don't preach the word of God because people come and be entertained but I know this flock enough that I know you love Christ I see your lives I know the struggles you go through and I know you love him so we press on In those dry areas, do you guys ever have dry areas?

Raise your hand if you ever have those times when, well, I don't think I'm going to go to church today. I not going to go to a flock meeting No I just don feel like it Feelings Our heart must be drawn near to God We need him He is the source of our happiness and joy True happiness and joy are only found in him as we savor him. As we go on, we'll go on and talk about the body, but individually, let me put this in your thought.

We see repentance as sinning against God and feeling the shame, and we know we have repentance. but I want you to think of repentance as this turning and emptying of yourself and turning back to the only one who can renew you and change you and transform you what he has started he will complete what's it mean that he's the author and perfecter of our faith he is the author and perfecter of our faith that each and every day he is orchestrating a life that is chiseling and molding you to his conformity because his glory is at stake. His glory, his name, his name is chiseled on our hearts. We shouldn't even have to say we're a Christian.

They should know that. It should be impermanent how we deal with people on the outside. Are we gracious? Are we kind? Are we looking out for the needy? Are we doing the things he's told us to do?

Drawing them near to Christ. Building relationships. Our relationship goals should always be driving them to the truth of God that will transform them out of the life of darkness into his glorious light. And we don't do it perfectly. And he knows that. we're bound by the perfection of his son that's what unites us in him that's what unites our very hearts where we come to repentance we go Lord we failed and the father says yeah I know carry on I will provide you all the grace to endure in your weaknesses you will become strong you will be what I've started out to I got to read this because it just because we have to get this perspective of this world.

Well, my hero is Jonathan Edwards, because he thinks more boldly and greater than I could ever think. and I would urge you to read the old Puritans from Thomas Watson, David Brainerd. These guys got it. They spoke with an intimacy to God that it just is amazing. It strengthens me to read it. In their frailty and humility, The beams of glory come from God and are something of God and are refunded back again to their original so that the whole is of God and in God and to God.

And God is the beginning, middle, and the end of Pharaoh. See, that's what Paul also writes here. He is the image of the invisible God in chapter 1 of Colossians. He's the firstborn of all creation. By him all things were created. Heaven and earth, visible and invisible, invisible.

Whether thrones and dominions and rulers and authorities, all things are created through him and for him. As we mark this journey in our life, we must mark that on our hearts. nothing is out of control things seem out of control but God is perfectly in control he knows the hearts of men he directs the heart of the king like a water course in a creek he is sovereignly working each and every day and more specifically in our lives let's go on in the Colossians put on then, put on then as you are dressing yourself. But we dress ourself with the word of God, which we must implant in our hearts as God chosen ones holy and beloved compassionate hearts kindness humility meekness patience bearing with one another And if one has complained against another, forgiving each other as the Lord has forgiven you.

So you must forgive and above all these put on love which binds everything together in perfect harmony. and let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts to which you were called to one body and be thankful. There's our activity in the body there. There's what we're called to achieve because quite frankly we need practice. We need practice of humility and bearing with one another. but this also overflows to our unbelieving world as we go out if we're not forgiving someone in the body then we shouldn't even participate in the sacrament of communion that's how serious that is God wants harmony, he wants unity because his name is glorified by that unity people will be drawn near to us because of that unity how we call ourselves brothers and sisters on the street, how we are together.

I just loved our sings this summer as we sang outside and sang praise to our God. But more importantly, it was just a sweet time of fellowship because we're just practicing here. Our hope is the great consummation where everything will be right again. So we put these things on, and that's significant, and we've went through these time and time again. We read through them, and they become common to us.

But in that common, let's be right in our thinking. We have to deal with the put off. before we put on. Because if we aren't true to our Lord, He not going to let us be satisfied in His holy pleasure this fellowship we experience in the body of Christ The word of God is effective It is powerful. We can't be what James says. We look at the word of God and we turn away and we forget what it says.

Like the man who sees his faith. What do I look like? We can't read the word of God like that. Put to death. Cut it off. Get rid of it.

We can sound legalistic in putting these things off, and that's all right. Put them off, but we have to. The real truth is we have to put on this. As God's chosen one, holy and beloved. That is a powerful word. Now, you married men know what it's like to have a beloved.

We are God's holy and beloved. Why do we want to put these things off? Because I'm a new creature in Christ Jesus. I want union with him. I want him to be honored because he loved me first. Those simple truths come into our thinking again and again.

He loved me first. I didn't do anything to draw. All I can think about is, now I'm not going to gross you out too much, but we were dead. There was nothing in us. God initiated it before the foundations of the earth to show how great and abounding his love is and here's our responsibility not only to forgive and to nurture that heart that he is purchased we are a new creation we are his being his we have a responsibility and we have this responsibility as we've already read as forgiving one another putting off the old there no selfish ambition as Paul wrote in Philippians 2 Put that off and let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another with all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

And whatever you do in word and deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. We were once not a people. Turn back to 1 Peter. Chapter 2, verse 9. but you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

But you are, you, me, We are chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a nation set apart, set apart that God's glory would be manifested in us. As you're walking in your schools, in your shops, in your universities, you are this. You are a holy priesthood, a holy nation. Well, I don't feel like it. And that's where we have to say what God says is right.

That we don't see it right now, but we are. we are what he calls us because of Christ because the only one who can bind us in him as we abide in him and we find union with him and we find this joy in our obedience and we find joy in those little victories of obedience because we know he's put his spirit in us to testify of the son and bring us to this unity also to the father cry out and say, Abba, Father, Daddy, thank you. Thank you for the good gifts you give me. Thank you for life.

This is a full life. I could be enslaved by the wages of sin. I could be, you name it. I could be that murderer. see every sin that is known to man you could be dead in that sin there was nothing in you I don't care if your upbringing was in a I'm not picking on you Levi pastor's family or Catholic family or you know God awakes us all that unity is He speaks about in this royal priesthood is something that's so supernatural the world will never know it.

So our identity personally as Christian is in this union. Our identity in the body. And then our identity as we go out in the world. which is most important at times when we're in our workplace and we're calm maybe we fail maybe we fail and we have enough humility to say you know what, I need to ask your forgiveness the unbelieving world whether they receive it or not need to hear it what this forgiveness about well my redeemer died for me he purchased me I have a new life Maybe I have a chance to tell you about that someday How about right now?

So it's very important. In 1 Peter here, he goes on, Once you were not a people, but now you're God's people. Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable so when they speak against you as evildoers they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

And we can go on and on to the and we've got to understand when these epistles were written and they were suffering. We might suffer sooner than later. How will we be prepared? How will our union with Christ and our relationship with him carry us through those tough days? And when things are easy, how will we as a people love one another, there's a waiting I want you to look at Psalm 62 you know as we wait for things it's kind of weird seeing you guys in masks I look even weirder in a mask these are things to meditate on your own look at the psalmist in Psalm 62 For God alone my soul waits in silence For him comes my salvation He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress.

I shall not be greatly shaken. How long will all of you attack a man to batter him? Like a leaning wall, a tottering fence. The only plan to thrust him down from your high position. They take pleasure in falsehood. They bless with their mouths, but inwardly they curse.

For God alone, oh my soul, wait in silence for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress. I shall not be shaken. Oh God, test my salvation and my glory. My mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in him all times, O people.

Pour out your hearts before him. God is a refuge for us. These of low estate are delusion. In the balances they go up. They are together lighter than a breath. But no trust in extortion.

No vain hopes in robbery. If riches increase, they set not their heart on them. Once God has spoken. Twice I heard this. that power belongs to God and that in you oh Lord belong steadfast love for you will render to a man according to his work awaiting making God our refuge how intimate a refuge he is as he says in Isaiah under the shadow of his wing in his right hand he offers mercy to us each and every day I believe when Jeremiah was writing in Lamentations that he was thinking about the gospel God by his spirit says your mercies are new every morning.

We should wake up each and every day regardless of the circumstances. God has something for me because he's not against me. Whether it's going to be death, illness, prosperity, or being poor, I am rich in him. He is able. And what he has started, he will finish. Let's pray.

Let's pray. Father you are a fortress but yet you call us brothers and sisters in you you are who you say you are in your word quite frankly many times we wonder how you love us so much and then you remind us it's because of your son that he purchased the people and we have much to be thankful for. Thank you for the prosperity of knowing you. Help us fend off the things of the world and know that you are the only source of joy and happiness and we praise you in Christ's name.

Amen. Thank you.