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 Christ and 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 facilitated by the Holy Spirit. This union is not merely a shared interest or sympathy but a profound spiritual connection. It is a mystical union, akin to the relationship between a husband and wife, and a vital union, as our spiritual life is directly drawn from Christ. This union is also organic, involving a two-way relationship where we both give and receive, and personal, emphasizing our individual connection with Christ.

The union is indissoluble, meaning it is permanent and cannot be broken. It is established by the Holy Spirit and sustained by our faith, which helps us to realize and deepen this union. Importantly, this union is not established by the church or sacraments but is a direct work of the Holy Spirit.

The consequences of this union are both objective and subjective. Objectively, we are crucified, buried, and risen with Christ, seated in heavenly places, and complete in Him. Subjectively, we experience fellowship with Christ, transformation into His image, and the ability to bear fruit. We also share in His sufferings, experiencing a deep spiritual concern for the sin and lost condition of humanity.

May the Holy Spirit open our eyes to this wondrous doctrine and help us to live out its truths in our daily lives, recognizing our position in Christ and drawing upon His fullness.

Key Takeaways:

1. The union with Christ is a spiritual connection facilitated by the Holy Spirit, not a blending of essences. This union is vital, mystical, and organic, emphasizing a profound and living relationship with Christ. [08:02]

2. Our union with Christ is indissoluble, meaning it is permanent and cannot be broken. This assurance provides a foundation for our faith, knowing that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ. [21:54]

3. The union is established by the Holy Spirit and sustained by our faith. It is not dependent on the church or sacraments but is a direct work of the Spirit, emphasizing the personal and individual nature of our relationship with Christ. [23:47]

4. The consequences of our union with Christ are both objective and subjective. Objectively, we share in Christ's death, resurrection, and heavenly position. Subjectively, we experience transformation, fruitfulness, and fellowship in His sufferings. [32:46]

5. Understanding and meditating on the doctrine of union with Christ can transform our spiritual lives, encouraging us to live out our high calling and privileged position in Christ. This realization leads to a deeper spiritual life and practical holiness. [39:09]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:11] - Introduction to the Doctrine of Union
- [00:44] - Union and Regeneration
- [01:19] - Scriptural Terms for Union
- [02:29] - Nature of the Union
- [03:01] - Misconceptions of Union
- [05:54] - Spiritual and Mystical Union
- [08:02] - Role of the Holy Spirit
- [11:23] - Vital and Organic Union
- [15:28] - Personal and Indissoluble Union
- [22:11] - Establishing the Union
- [27:29] - Consequences of the Union
- [32:46] - Objective and Subjective Results
- [39:09] - Transformation and Fellowship
- [44:07] - Prayer and Benediction

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: The Union of the Believer with Christ

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. Ephesians 2:5-6 - "Even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus."

---

Observation Questions:

1. What does 1 Corinthians 6:17 suggest about the nature of our union with Christ? How does this union differ from a physical or material connection? [08:34]

2. In John 15:5, what is the significance of the metaphor of the vine and branches in understanding our relationship with Christ? How does this imagery help us grasp the concept of a vital union? [11:38]

3. According to Ephesians 2:5-6, what are the implications of being "made alive together with Christ" and "raised up together"? How does this passage describe our current spiritual position? [33:17]

4. How does the sermon describe the role of the Holy Spirit in establishing and sustaining our union with Christ? [23:47]

---

Interpretation Questions:

1. How does the concept of a "mystical union" with Christ, as described in the sermon, challenge or affirm your understanding of your relationship with Him? [10:39]

2. The sermon emphasizes that our union with Christ is not established by the church or sacraments. How does this perspective influence the way we view our personal faith journey? [25:25]

3. What does it mean to be "crucified with Christ" and "risen with Him" in a federal or objective sense, as explained in the sermon? How does this understanding affect our identity as believers? [32:06]

4. How does the sermon explain the subjective consequences of our union with Christ, such as transformation and bearing fruit? What role does personal faith play in experiencing these outcomes? [39:09]

---

Application Questions:

1. Reflect on your personal relationship with Christ. How can you cultivate a deeper awareness of your spiritual union with Him in your daily life? [39:09]

2. The sermon mentions that our union with Christ is indissoluble. How does this assurance impact your confidence in God's love and your security in salvation? [21:54]

3. In what ways can you actively participate in the "organic" aspect of your union with Christ, where you both give and receive? Consider specific actions you can take within your church community. [15:28]

4. How can you practically draw upon the fullness of Christ in your life, as described in John 1:16? Identify one area where you need His strength or wisdom and plan a specific step to seek it. [12:44]

5. The sermon highlights the importance of personal faith in sustaining our union with Christ. What practices can you incorporate into your routine to strengthen your faith and deepen your connection with Him? [23:47]

6. Consider the subjective consequence of sharing in Christ's sufferings. How can you develop a deeper spiritual concern for the sin and lost condition of humanity in your prayers and actions? [40:12]

7. Reflect on the metaphor of the vine and branches. What specific "fruit" do you feel called to bear in your life, and how can you remain connected to Christ to achieve this? [11:38]

Devotional

Day 1: The Spiritual Connection with Christ
Our union with Christ is a profound spiritual connection facilitated by the Holy Spirit. This union is not a blending of our essences but a vital, mystical, and organic relationship that emphasizes a living connection with Christ. It is akin to the relationship between a husband and wife, where both give and receive, highlighting the personal and individual nature of our bond with Him. This connection is the source of our spiritual life and all that we receive in our faith journey, reminding us that we are partakers of Christ and the divine nature. [08:02]

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: Consider how you can deepen your spiritual connection with Christ today. What specific steps can you take to nurture this relationship and draw upon His fullness?


Day 2: The Assurance of an Indissoluble Union
Our union with Christ is indissoluble, meaning it is permanent and cannot be broken. This assurance provides a foundation for our faith, knowing that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ. This permanence is established by the Holy Spirit and sustained by our faith, offering us a sense of security and confidence in our spiritual journey. It is a reminder that our relationship with Christ is not dependent on external factors but is a direct work of the Spirit. [21:54]

Romans 8:38-39 (ESV): "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Reflection: Reflect on a time when you felt distant from God. How does the assurance of an indissoluble union with Christ change your perspective on that experience?


Day 3: The Spirit's Role in Establishing Our Union
The union with Christ is established by the Holy Spirit and sustained by our faith. It is not dependent on the church or sacraments but is a direct work of the Spirit, emphasizing the personal and individual nature of our relationship with Christ. This understanding highlights the importance of the Holy Spirit in our spiritual lives, guiding us to realize and deepen our union with Christ. It encourages us to rely on the Spirit's work rather than external rituals or traditions. [23:47]

1 Corinthians 12:13 (ESV): "For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit."

Reflection: How can you become more attuned to the Holy Spirit's work in your life today? What practices can help you rely more on the Spirit's guidance?


Day 4: The Objective and Subjective Consequences of Union
The consequences of our union with Christ are both objective and subjective. Objectively, we share in Christ's death, resurrection, and heavenly position, being crucified, buried, and risen with Him. Subjectively, we experience transformation into His image, fruitfulness, and fellowship in His sufferings. This dual aspect of our union with Christ enriches our spiritual lives, allowing us to live out our high calling and privileged position in Him. [32:46]

Colossians 3:1-3 (ESV): "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."

Reflection: In what ways can you actively participate in both the objective and subjective aspects of your union with Christ today? How can you seek transformation and fruitfulness in your daily life?


Day 5: Living Out the Doctrine of Union with Christ
Understanding and meditating on the doctrine of union with Christ can transform our spiritual lives, encouraging us to live out our high calling and privileged position in Him. This realization leads to a deeper spiritual life and practical holiness, as we draw upon Christ's fullness and recognize our position in Him. By embracing this doctrine, we are empowered to live in a way that reflects our union with Christ, experiencing the fullness of His love and grace in our daily lives. [39:09]

2 Peter 1:3-4 (ESV): "His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire."

Reflection: What specific actions can you take today to live out the doctrine of union with Christ? How can you demonstrate practical holiness in your interactions with others?

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. [00:00:11]

We are regenerated in a sense because of our Union with Christ it is from him we derive our life it is from him we derive everything and therefore we are looking together at one of the most glorious of all the doctrines of the Christian faith there is none which is more Sublime than this in which we are reminded that we really are made partakers of Christ that we are partakers of the divine nature. [00:00:56]

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 of the being of our Lord now I emphasize that again because of the teaching of the mystics the mystics all always tend to think of this Union in terms of a a blending of our being and our Essence and our very substance. [00:03:07]

The scripture teaches very clearly that you and I will exist as entities and as individuals throughout the countless ages of Eternity we do not become lost and absorbed in God we ourselves as persons will not only always be and exist but we shall enjoy the beatific Vision we shall enjoy seeing God and we shall enjoy being in his glorious presence we do not become lost or merged or disappear thus even in the Eternal Essence. [00:04:33]

The union between the believer and Christ is not merely a union of sympathy or a union of Interest it 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]

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 so I say that it is a spiritual union. [00:07:48]

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 unit we draw our life from him indeed we are sustained by him through the indwelling Holy Spirit the there is nothing more important I think in the Christian life than to realize this that our Union with him is a vital one. [00:11:30]

The difference between or 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 now the statement of this the best statement of this in many ways is the one that's to be found in the fourth chapter of the epistle to the Ephesians. [00:15:26]

The union is not established by the church or through the church you notice how the Roman Catholics would teach that uh 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. [00:25:19]

The consequences of the Union of the believer with his Lord now we can subdivide this fortunately in the two main hings you can think of this objectively and you can think of it subjectively or let me give you parallel terms put by the side of objective Federal Federal put by the side of subjective spiritual now let us just cleans at these things I can't do anything more tonight than just give you a list. [00:27:40]

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 I'm telling you the truth about yourself and about myself thank God. [00:33:38]

May God through the Holy Spirit open our eyes to this wondrous doctrine of the Union of the believer with his Lord and may we be at Great pains to work it out in detail to apply it to ourselves to tell ourselves I am crucified with him I am planted in the likeness of his death I've died with him I've been buried with him I've risen with him I'm seated in the Heavenly places with him that's my position it is true of me because I am in Christ and join to him. [00:43:20]

Chatbot

  • I'm an AI bot trained specifically on the sermon from May 24, 2017. Do you have any questions about it?

Transcript
What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?
Were there any personal stories shared?