Union with Christ
A Sermon on Union with Christ
Scripture
Sermon Description
In this sermon on union with Christ, Dr, Martyn Lloyd Jones states that “The union of the believer with Christ is one of the most glorious doctrines of the Christian faith.” What makes this biblical doctrine extremely beautiful and incredibly vital to one’s understanding of Christian living? How does it differ from the false views of eternity and spirituality? In this sermon, Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches what it means to be permanently, irrevocably united with Christ. Christians are now partakers of the divine nature, complete through His priestly work. Their relationship with God is personal and individual. There is no need for Catholicism’s idea of an intermediary as the relationship is not dependent on a church or priest. Beginning with the mystics, a view of eternity and spirituality has emerged that reduces a person after death to no more than a part of the spiritual aura surrounding the universe. Dr. Lloyd-Jones cuts through this false view and demonstrates the beauty of the Christian worldview where Christians maintain a distinct personhood throughout now and eternity, while still enjoying the divine nature due to the union with Christ.
Sermon Breakdown
- The union of the believer with Christ is not a confusion or intermingling of substance. The believer and Christ remain separate entities.
- The union is not merely a union of sympathy or interest. It is much deeper than that.
- The union is a spiritual union, established by the Holy Spirit.
- The union is a mystical union, comparable to the union between husband and wife.
- The union is a vital union. The believer draws spiritual life directly from Christ.
- The union is an organic union. There is a mutual giving and receiving between Christ and the believer.
- The union is a personal union. Each believer is individually united to Christ.
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The union is an indissoluble union. Nothing can separate the believer from Christ.
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The union is established by the work of the Holy Spirit and the believer's faith.
- The union is not established by the church or sacraments.
- Federal consequences of the union: The believer is crucified with Christ, buried with Christ, risen with Christ, seated with Christ, complete in Christ, redeemed in Christ.
- The believer is sealed with the Holy Spirit and adopted as God's child.
- Spiritual consequences of the union: Fellowship with Christ, being conformed to Christ's image, bearing fruit, fellowship in Christ's sufferings.
Great Biblical Doctrines
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.