Union with Christ

Introduction

Last week, we looked at what it means to be dead to sin and how sins power over the believer is broken by the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. Vs 3-5 are going to tell us how that happened.

Have you ever seen something odd or out of the ordinary and thought how did that happen? I remember one time I was biking along a country road out in Yukon and I came across a farm that had flooded and there was this goat just standing on the top of a smaller shed. All I could think was how did he get up there? Have you ever set out to do something that you really thought was impossible, but eventually it got done? Looking back you think how did I ever get that done?

When it comes to sin in the believers life, it can feel like an impossible task. If we were honest, we all can probably think of some stubborn sin that we have struggled with so often. Hebrews 12:1 “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,” We easily fall prey to it. It can be what we would call big things like pornography, lying, stealing or it can be things we would think of as little things like anger, worry, insecurity, or being critical of others. If you have for any length of time taken your Christian walk seriously, you know there are those persistent sins in our lives.

So how does the believer gain power to overcome his sin? That is the question we are answering this morning. We are dead to the power of sin, but how did that come about. The key phrase in Romans 6:3 “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?” Somehow we are In Christ and that has an effect on our victory over sin, so we are going to look at what that means, how it happened and what the result is.

What does it mean to be in Christ?

We must start with that phrase baptised into Jesus Christ. But what does it mean to be in Christ? Let’s do a brief survey of some passages that talk about this because the NT is full of references to being in Christ.

Ephesians 2:5–6 “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:” Prior to salvation you were dead in sins: separated from God. We walked according to the course of this world- we just did what everyone else was doing even if it was sin. We were under the power of Satan as the prince of the power of the air. We just did whatever we wanted to do and because of that were under God’s wrath. As we saw in Romans 5, we were enemies of Christ. But in christ, we are made alive instead of dead, we have been raised up and given positions of authority in Christ. In vs 13, Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” Those two words But now show us that there is a moment when everything changes and that is the moment we place our faith in Jesus Christ.

2. Colossians 2:12 “Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation (power) of God, who hath raised him from the dead.” We become in Christ at the moment of salvation when we place our faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

3. Romans 12:5 “So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.” Because of that we are placed into a new family, a new group of people: the body of Christ the Church.

4. 1 Peter 1:3–4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,” And we receive an inheritance.

So what ever it is it makes us alive again, it redeems us, it places us into a new family and in guarantees an inheritance all because we are in Christ.

Being in Christ means we are related to Him in such a way that what He does has an impact on us as believers. This may seem like it is just a metaphor, but it is more than a metaphor. It is a spiritual reality by which we are connected to, related to Christ so that what is true of Jesus is true of us. In our world we have a tendency to believe that only physical things that we can lay our hands on are real and we disbelieve untangible things. And yet we experience non physical realities all the time such as love, relationships, intellect.

There are two ways in which we are in Christ:

As our representative

The life of Christ in us affects us in such a way that what he did applies to us

As we saw in Chapter 5, Christ is our new federal head. He is our new representative; so what he does affects us as his people. It is like being part of a new nation. Once we were out of the club and nothing the nation did hand any impact on us. When they elected new presidents it didn’t bother us. Their taxes didn’t have anything to do with us. But now that we are part of this new nation, decisions made by the head of the group do affect us. So when Jesus died to sin, we died to sin in Him. He did it for us.

But there is a greater way in which we are in Him- This is more than just something Jesus did on our behalf. We are vitally connected to Jesus Christ because he lives his life in us through the Spirit. Our lives are inseparably connected to Jesus Christ by His Spirit living in us. Galatians 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

John 17:20–26 “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

So our salvation is more than just being declared righteous. It is more than a piece of paper giving us access to heaven. When we get saved we are united to Christ. This phrase is used atleast 170 times in Paul’s writtings to describe what our life is like because Jesus actually lives in and through us by His Spirit. There is so much that is tied to this. So when I pray in the morning, I don’t have to ask God to come down and be with me because he already is. I can relationally draw closer to him, but he’s there. Tied to this is also the idea that my sin and fruitlessness isn’t going to separate me from union with God. It may hurt the closeness of our relationship, but I am eternally united to Christ. When I struggle with sin, I have everything I need to overcome sin because I have Jesus living in me. Union with Christ impacts every area of our Christian life.

Think of it like a wagon wheel. At the center is Union with Christ and radiating out from it are all the benefits of salvation: peace with God, sanctification, eternal life, holiness a new creation.

How are we in Christ?

So how did all this happen? What connection do I have as a believer that makes me in Christ? I don’t remember actively joining a new nation, when I got saved I wasn’t necessarily asking the Holy Spirit to come inside me; so how did this happen?

The answer is found in that word baptized into Jesus Christ. Romans 6:3–4 “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

How many of you have been baptized by immersion since you accepted Christ as your savior? Is this what that means that when you went under the water you were placed in Jesus Christ? So baptism has this special work that it accomplishes. Not all are agreed whether this is a water baptism or what I will argue for: a spirit baptism. The argument in favor of water baptism is that it was unheard of that a Christian was not baptised since baptism was performed immediately. Normally they would view this as shorthand for salvation. But does baptism in water have some magical power that places you into Christ.

Arguments against this being water baptism:

Not all believers are baptised immediately

The text says teaches that victory is the result of this baptism; so an unbaptized believer would be condemned to living without victory

Paul’s implication is that these truths are true of all believers

We take place in Christ’s death by a spiritual union with Christ not a physical union with Christ.

baptism is used elsewhere in a metaphorical sense 1 Corinthians 10:2 “And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;”

An extreme version of this view leads to baptismal regeneration- a comprehensive view of being in Christ shows that it produces regeneration, election, forgiveness ect. All parts of salvation. Thus water baptism would logically lead to a belief in baptismal regeneration.

Spirit Baptism

So if this is not a water baptism what is it.

1 Corinthians 12:13 “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” Teaches that we are baptized into one body but notice the how this happens: by one Spirit.

Romans: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary We Are Baptized into Christ

The introduction or placing of a person or thing into a new environment or into union with something else so as to alter its condition or its relationship to its previous environment or condition”

Union with Christ happens through the Spirit which is our vital connection to the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.

Galatians 3:27 “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”

At this is true of all believers because all believers have the Holy Spirit.

Romans 8:9 “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”

What are the results of being in Christ?

Romans 6:4 “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

Paul’s main point is that our union with Christ has caused all of us to be dead to sin as we talked about last week, but another side affect it that in Christ we are also raised to walk (live) in newness of life. Because of our connection to Christ, we are a new creature and God has enabled us to live differently than when we were lost.

like as- notice that it says in the same way that Jesus was raised we are raised to walk a new life. but how did Jesus rise from the dead? In this verses, it says it was by the glory of the Father. Glory is the manifestation of God’s greatness and splendor, but specifically it is by the power of God that Jesus was raised from the dead.

Application: Listen to this, last week we saw that we don’t have to sin because we are dead to the power of sin. The whole point of the message this morning has been driving toward this conclusion that not only do you not have to sin because its power over you is broken, but also, you can do the right thing because you have God’s power living in you through the Holy Spirit. We don’t have to be slaves to sin and we can be more than conquerors because Christ lives in us. My wife’s life verse is:

Galatians 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

Conclusion

Believers, not only do you not have to be a slave to sin, not only do you not have to be stuck in a repeated pattern over and over again doing the same things; but also, you have all the power you need to overcome that temptation. God’s Holy Spirit living within you connecting you to death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, connecting you to the power of God has provided everything you need to be a conqueror. This morning I would like us to sing We are more than conquerors while we have a time of invitation. Next week, we will look at the results of our union with Christ in more detail and then the week after we will talk about how we lay hold of that power to change our lives.