Union with Christ: The Holy Spirit's Transformative Work
Summary
In our exploration of the work of the Holy Spirit in the application of redemption, we delve into the profound doctrine of the Union of the believer with Jesus Christ. This union is intrinsically linked with the doctrine of regeneration, as both occur almost simultaneously. Our union with Christ is the source of our spiritual life and all that we receive in our faith journey. This doctrine is one of the most sublime in the Christian faith, reminding us that we are partakers of the divine nature.
The nature of this union is not a blending of our essence with Christ's, as some mystics suggest, but rather a spiritual union where we remain distinct individuals. This union is not merely a shared interest or sympathy but a profound spiritual connection facilitated by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It is a mystical, vital, organic, personal, and indissoluble union. The Holy Spirit joins us to Christ, making it a living, dynamic relationship where we draw life from Him.
This union is established primarily by the work of the Holy Spirit, with our faith playing a crucial role in sustaining and deepening it. It is not mediated by the church or sacraments, but directly through the Spirit and our faith. The consequences of this union are both federal and spiritual. Federally, we are crucified, buried, and risen with Christ, seated in heavenly places, and complete in Him. Spiritually, we experience fellowship with Him, transformation into His image, and participation in His sufferings.
Understanding and embracing this union is vital for our spiritual growth and holiness. It is not about subjective feelings but about grasping the objective truth of our position in Christ. This realization should stimulate our faith and encourage us to live out our high calling. As we meditate on this truth, we are transformed and become more like Christ, bearing fruit and sharing in His sufferings. May the Holy Spirit open our eyes to this wondrous doctrine and help us live in its reality.
Key Takeaways:
1. The union with Christ is a spiritual connection facilitated by the Holy Spirit, not a blending of essences. This union allows us to remain distinct individuals while being deeply connected to Christ, drawing life and sustenance from Him. [04:35]
2. Our union with Christ is not merely a shared interest but a profound spiritual relationship. It is a mystical, vital, and organic union that involves active participation and contribution from both Christ and the believer. [07:41]
3. The union is established by the Holy Spirit and sustained by our faith. It is not mediated by the church or sacraments, emphasizing the direct and personal nature of our relationship with Christ. [23:29]
4. Federally, we are crucified, buried, and risen with Christ, seated in heavenly places, and complete in Him. This objective truth forms the foundation of our spiritual life and identity in Christ. [33:27]
5. Spiritually, our union with Christ leads to transformation into His image, fellowship in His sufferings, and the bearing of spiritual fruit. This ongoing process of becoming more like Christ is central to our Christian journey. [39:19]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:11] - Introduction to the Doctrine of Union
- [00:42] - Union and Regeneration
- [01:17] - Scriptural Terms for Union
- [02:27] - Nature of the Union
- [03:50] - Misconceptions of Union
- [06:04] - Spiritual and Mystical Union
- [09:19] - Vital and Organic Union
- [11:23] - Personal and Indissoluble Union
- [22:08] - Establishing the Union
- [25:21] - Role of Church and Sacraments
- [27:29] - Consequences of the Union
- [29:08] - Federal and Objective Results
- [37:34] - Spiritual and Subjective Results
- [43:29] - Fellowship in Sufferings
- [44:21] - Closing Prayer
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. 1 Corinthians 6:17 - "But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him."
2. John 15:5 - "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."
3. Galatians 2:20 - "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
#### Observation Questions
1. What does 1 Corinthians 6:17 suggest about the nature of our union with Christ? How is this union described in the sermon? [08:27]
2. According to John 15:5, what is the result of remaining in Christ, and how does this relate to the concept of bearing fruit mentioned in the sermon? [39:53]
3. In Galatians 2:20, Paul speaks of being crucified with Christ. How does the sermon explain the federal aspect of our union with Christ in relation to this verse? [31:44]
4. How does the sermon describe the role of the Holy Spirit in establishing our union with Christ? [22:38]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the concept of a "spiritual union" in 1 Corinthians 6:17 challenge or affirm your understanding of your relationship with Christ? [08:27]
2. In what ways does the metaphor of the vine and branches in John 15:5 illustrate the organic and vital nature of our union with Christ as discussed in the sermon? [12:00]
3. How does the idea of being "crucified with Christ" in Galatians 2:20 impact the believer's identity and daily life according to the sermon? [31:44]
4. The sermon emphasizes that our union with Christ is not mediated by the church or sacraments. How does this perspective influence one's personal faith journey? [25:21]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your personal experience of being "one spirit" with the Lord. How can you cultivate a deeper awareness of this spiritual union in your daily life? [08:27]
2. Considering the vine and branches metaphor, identify one area in your life where you feel disconnected from Christ. What practical steps can you take to remain in Him and bear fruit? [39:53]
3. How does understanding your identity as "crucified with Christ" change the way you approach challenges and decisions in your life? [31:44]
4. The sermon mentions that our union with Christ leads to transformation into His image. What specific aspect of Christ's character do you feel called to reflect more in your life, and how will you pursue this transformation? [39:19]
5. How can you actively participate in the "organic" nature of your union with Christ by contributing to the body of Christ, the church? What unique gifts or talents can you offer? [16:53]
6. Reflect on a time when you felt the fellowship of Christ's sufferings. How did this experience deepen your understanding of your union with Him, and how can you support others going through similar experiences? [40:08]
7. The sermon encourages us to meditate on the truth of our union with Christ. What specific practice or habit can you incorporate into your routine to help you meditate on this truth regularly? [44:59]
Devotional
Day 1: Spiritual Connection with Christ through the Holy Spirit
Our union with Christ is a profound spiritual connection facilitated by the Holy Spirit, allowing us to remain distinct individuals while being deeply connected to Christ. This union is not a blending of essences but a relationship where we draw life and sustenance from Him. The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in establishing this connection, making it a living and dynamic relationship. As believers, we are called to recognize and embrace this union, understanding that it is the source of our spiritual life and growth. This connection is not about shared interests but about a deep, spiritual bond that transforms us and sustains our faith journey. [04:35]
Ephesians 2:18-19 (ESV): "For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God."
Reflection: How can you actively seek to deepen your connection with Christ through the Holy Spirit today? What practical steps can you take to draw life and sustenance from Him?
Day 2: Mystical and Organic Union with Christ
Our union with Christ is not merely a shared interest but a profound spiritual relationship. It is a mystical, vital, and organic union that involves active participation and contribution from both Christ and the believer. This union is characterized by its dynamic and living nature, where believers are called to engage actively with Christ, drawing life and strength from Him. It is a relationship that goes beyond mere sympathy or shared goals, inviting us into a deeper, more intimate connection with our Savior. This mystical union is a source of spiritual vitality and growth, encouraging us to live out our faith in meaningful ways. [07:41]
Colossians 1:27 (ESV): "To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."
Reflection: In what ways can you actively participate in your relationship with Christ today? How can you contribute to this mystical and organic union in your daily life?
Day 3: Direct and Personal Relationship with Christ
The union with Christ is established by the Holy Spirit and sustained by our faith. It is not mediated by the church or sacraments, emphasizing the direct and personal nature of our relationship with Christ. This union invites us to engage with Christ on a personal level, relying on the Holy Spirit to guide and sustain us. Our faith plays a crucial role in deepening this relationship, as we trust in Christ and His promises. This direct connection with Christ is a source of strength and encouragement, reminding us that we are not alone in our faith journey. [23:29]
Hebrews 10:19-22 (ESV): "Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water."
Reflection: How can you cultivate a more direct and personal relationship with Christ today? What role does your faith play in sustaining this connection?
Day 4: Federal and Spiritual Identity in Christ
Federally, we are crucified, buried, and risen with Christ, seated in heavenly places, and complete in Him. This objective truth forms the foundation of our spiritual life and identity in Christ. Understanding our position in Christ is crucial for our spiritual growth and holiness. It is not about subjective feelings but about grasping the objective reality of our union with Him. This realization should stimulate our faith and encourage us to live out our high calling, knowing that we are complete in Him and seated in heavenly places. [33:27]
Ephesians 2:4-6 (ESV): "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus."
Reflection: How does understanding your federal identity in Christ impact your daily life? In what ways can you live out this objective truth today?
Day 5: Transformation and Fellowship in Christ's Sufferings
Spiritually, our union with Christ leads to transformation into His image, fellowship in His sufferings, and the bearing of spiritual fruit. This ongoing process of becoming more like Christ is central to our Christian journey. As we meditate on the truth of our union with Him, we are transformed and become more like Christ, sharing in His sufferings and bearing fruit in our lives. This transformation is not about subjective feelings but about embracing the objective reality of our position in Christ and allowing it to shape our lives. [39:19]
2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV): "And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit."
Reflection: In what areas of your life do you need transformation to become more like Christ? How can you embrace fellowship in His sufferings and bear spiritual fruit today?
Quotes
In our consideration of the work of the holy spirit in the application of redemption the Redemption that has been worked out and purchased by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we've arrived now at a consideration of the doctrine of the Union of the believer with the Lord Jesus Christ. I was at pains in introducing this Doctrine last Friday evening to emphasize is the fact that it is a Doctrine which of necessity must be taken always in conjunction with the doctrine of regeneration. [00:00:41]
The nature of the Union, what is the character or the nature of this union? Now the very terms that are used in the scriptures with respect to it and of which I've just reminded you in a sense give us the key to the understanding of the character the nature of the Union but again perhaps we'd better start with a negative. [00:02:27]
We must not think of this Union between the believer and Christ as if it involved a kind of confusion of persons. The union must not be thought of in the sense that our substance or the essence of our being becomes merged and lost in the substance or the essence of the being of our law. [00:02:56]
The union between the believer and Christ is not merely a union of sympathy or a union of Interest. It isn't merely a loose General Association of separate persons who happen to have the same interest or the same enthusiasm if you like. Now that again is very important because there are some who in their anxiety to avoid the errors of mysticism have represented this Union as merely being some kind of General external sympathetic Union of interests. [00:06:04]
The first thing we have to say here is that it is a spiritual union. Now this is where the doctrine of the Holy Spirit of course is so vitally important. We are joined to Christ and we are in Union with him by means of the indwelling of the holy spirit in us. It is the function the work the special work of the Holy Spirit to join us thus to Christ and we are joined to Christ by his presence in us. [00:07:41]
The next way of describing the union is to say that it is a vital Union and this is obviously of the greatest importance. What I mean by saying that it's a vital Union is this that our spiritual life is drawn from the Lord Jesus Christ directly. It's a vital Union we draw our life from him indeed we are sustained by him through the indwelling Holy Spirit. [00:11:23]
The next term therefore that I must use is the term organic. Now the difference between organic and vital is in a sense just this that the term organic suggests if I may use a current phrase that it's a kind of two-way traffic that it is a union of a type in which we give as well as receive. [00:15:21]
The union is not established by the church or through the church. You notice how the Roman Catholic Catholics would teach that without mother church you can never be born at all you can never become a Christian the church is absolutely essential at that point. We deny that strenuously there's nothing to indicate it in the scriptures and equally we must be at pains to emphasize that the union is not established by the sacraments either. [00:25:21]
The consequences of the Union what a glorious subject this is it's an endless subject it should be always the great theme of preaching to Believers and yet how infrequently do we do so and how infrequently is it done the consequences of the Union of the believer with his Lord. [00:27:29]
There are certain things that result we are told from our Union with our Lord quite outside the realm of our experience they apply to our status our standing our position. Now this term Federal is the term that Paul has in his mind of course in that fifth chapter of the epistle to the Romans that we read together at the beginning. [00:29:08]
We are told on the other side and you notice the parallelism in the teaching that we were Christians are in that precise relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ we are federally related to him. What is that mean well here is what it means we have been crucified with him now don't interpret that verse the sixth verse of the six of Romans in a subjective or experimental sense it isn't his objective. [00:31:19]
We are told that we are complete in him who is the head that's obviously again a federal statement a legal statement or if you like the other term a forensic statement. I'm sure that there's nobody in this congregation in this service at this moment who feels that all this is bewildering and baffling my dear friends I'm telling you the greatest things you'll ever hear. [00:33:27]
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