Embracing Confidence in Christ Through Triumphs and Trials

And because we are united with Christ -- this wonderful doctrine of union with Christ -- we, then, are brought in, and we participate in the full benefits of that which Christ receives and which Christ has. We like to celebrate that. In fact, if you look with me at Philippians chapter 3, verse 10, we see the first half of verse 10 as a very positive thing; of what it means to be in Christ, and what it means to participate in all that He accomplished. [00:00:28]

But also being united with Christ means that we share in His sufferings and that, as Paul says here, we become "like Him in His death." Now, what does this mean? And I especially want to think in terms of the implications of this in this moment we find ourselves in. So if we could go back a generation -- let's just go back a generation and we'll start it at the 1970s. [00:02:01]

And so we have new questions to ask about what it means to be a Christian in culture. In many ways, I think -- as we anticipate where things are going, and we see where things are going culturally, and what it means for folks who stand on genuine biblical conviction -- in many ways, we may be having more in concert with the pages of the New Testament than in previous generations; especially, I'm thinking here, of the American church, or the church in the West. [00:04:25]

The cross, we now have it nice and shaped as jewelry, and it's fine, and we use fine, precious metals to make crosses. It was an execution symbol in the first century. And not only that, but it was reserved for the lowest of the low. In Roman culture, the cross was very simply a symbol of shame. The cross represented the ultimate social outcast who was pushed not only to the margins, but pushed even outside of the margins. [00:06:22]

On the one hand, we see that Christ currently reigns as king. We speak of Christ as holding the three offices -- Prophet, Priest and King -- and so, as king, He reigns. He reigns over all things. And that is certainly a basis for us to have confidence. Christ is king. Christ rules. It's not that He will rule; He rules now. And so that's a basis for confidence. [00:07:23]

But there's also another basis for confidence, and it has to do with this idea of what the cross represents; what embracing those things that seem very counter-intuitive -- embracing the suffering and the shame -- that seems so counter-intuitive, but in fact, I think, is presented to us in the pages of Scripture as very much at the core of who we are and at the center of our identity. [00:07:55]

So, this is Paul. And what's going on here? Well evidently, Paul is not really that great of a spokesperson. Now, we've got to put this in the first century context. Rome was a culture that valued strength, that valued the physical form, the perfect physical form. Paul, apparently, was anything but that. There's this understanding he's going to talk about his "thorn in the flesh." Maybe Paul had a bad back, right? [00:09:42]

So what we're going to see here in chapter 12 is he's going to boast about his weakness. Now, this is very counter-cultural, what he's doing here, this move. If I were his PR guy, I would recommend he take a different approach if he's trying to win over the Corinthians. So he says, "I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. [00:11:07]

And the lesson is this: "My grace is sufficient for you." And so what the chronology tells me is that this is not about coming to grips with our weakness so that we recognize our utter dependence upon Christ, so that we can have our sins forgiven and His righteousness imputed to us, so that we can stand before a holy God. This is not about conversion. This is about living the Christian life. [00:17:13]

Everything about the incarnation points away, again, from what was valued the most in the first century. And everything about the incarnation is counter-intuitive. First of all, we even have to start before the actual birth of Christ, which itself is remarkable, with Mary. Mary is not a good choice. She's likely a poor, unknown, we would say 'socially marginalized' young lady. And yet that's where the story of the incarnation begins. [00:18:49]

Even the disciples -- the closest, intimate relationship with Christ -- even they could not grasp this idea of the cross. King, who dies on the cross is the king of a very strange kingdom. You know, at the end of Calvin's Institutes, in book four -- and I'm so convenient to have the Institutes right here when I need them; don't leave home without them! At the end of book four, Calvin's talking about the state. [00:21:20]

We can have confidence in Christ because Edwards -- Edwards spoke of the -- let me make sure I get this right -- the "admirable conjunction of divine excellencies in Christ Jesus." Do you know what that means? That means that He is the reigning king who is king over all things, and He is a helpless babe in a manger. And it is in Christ that we put our confidence, so that we may know Him, the power of His resurrection, and also that we share in His sufferings and we understand what the cross fully means. [00:24:36]