By Two Sundays ago the sermon was on the topic of union with Christ, as detailed by Paul in Ephesians 1:3-14. As believers in Jesus Christ, our spiritual union with Christ is an objective fact, more true than we usually realize, anchored in eternity-past, and secured by the blood that Jesus shed when he died on that Roman cross. Our union with him does not change from one moment to the next, from one day to the next, based on how we feel, or even what we do.
In Colossians 1:27 Paul wrote, “To [the saints] 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.” Ponder for a few moments how Paul in this verse describes union with Christ (Christ in you): “how great . . . are the riches of the glory of this mystery . . .” It has been observed that Paul could hardly write a paragraph without referring to our union with Christ – Christ in us, and we in Christ.
- How often, if at all, do you think of your salvation as being in union with Christ? Has that changed since you heard the sermon on January 23?
- How might your day-to-day life change if you made a conscious effort to take a few moments each day to remind yourself of your union with Christ?
- “Imperatives (commands on how to live) become safe after reinforcing the indicatives (facts of the gospel – i.e. union with Christ).” Do you think this is true? If so, might it be helpful for you?
- Because you are in union with Christ – Christ in you and you in Christ – you are no longer under the dominion of sin. Once you’ve grasped that truth, how will it affect your sanctification, your pursuit of and progress in holiness?