Union with Christ

Welcome: Good morning Crosspoint. Welcome to those who are here in person and those who are online. My name is Kent and I’m one of the pastors here at Crosspoint. I wanted to share some other Crosspoint Family News. As a church body we grieve with those who grieve and rejoice with those who are rejoicing. Today I want to share with you that Amber and I are rejoicing and praising God as we are expecting our first child in early Feb. of 2023. We would appreciate your prayers for Amber and I during this ministry year and as we embark on a new season of life and in our marriage.

This is the last Sunday of a series called this truth changed my life. To set the stage for this sermon, you first need to know something about my life in order to know how a gospel truth has changed it.

Introduction

Ok here we go, I am (pause) an extrovert. I know some of you might be shocked but it’s true. I have been described as someone who is highly relational and social. I’m the person on a plane that will start a conversation with a random person. I see the person I sit next to as a captive audience for at least an hour at a minimum. Some people like that, others are annoyed by it. I’ve had both reactions. Yes, I’m the stereotypical type A, number 2 on the enneagram, highly relational, classic extrovert.

That’s something on the surface level that people would describe who I am. Now if you allow me to be a little more vulnerable with you, me being an extrovert stems from a fear of mine. The fear of being alone. The fear of being rejected. The fear of not being truly known on a deeper level by other people. It’s true, I hate being alone. If I’m by myself in a car or in my house, I’ll turn the radio on, listen to a podcast, or put on some music just to rid of the silence so I don’t feel alone.

I know that I’m not the only one who has struggled with feelings of being alone. According to a study done by the Barna Group, 31% of US adults feel lonely at least some of each day. That’s 3 out of 10 people feel lonely at least some of each day.

This fear of being alone has been one I’ve dealt with the majority of my life. I’m the second of 4 kids in my family. I had the classic middle child syndrome. Even though my parents loved each of us very much, in my own self-centered heart growing up, I felt like I had to out perform my siblings to get attention and affirmation. I felt like I was stuck between living in the shadow of my older brother’s successes and trying to overcome the attention that my youngest sibling got.

Then as I got older and moved into middle school and high school age, my fear of being alone and being rejected revealed itself in the sin of people pleasing. Doing things so that people would like me more. Because of this, gaining more affection from people was the motivation behind many of my actions. This attitude of people pleasing for affection, which is really work-based relationships with no concept of grace, this works based attitude was in my mind when I got saved and started following Jesus my sophomore year in high school.

Now I knew that when I was saved that it was by grace and only by God’s forgiveness of my sins through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross that I was able to enter into a right relationship with Him. But at the same time I also thought that it was up to me to keep the relationship going. For example when I sinned, I felt like I had to do something good to somehow enter back into a good standing before God. Why? Because I didn’t want to be separated from God. I feared being alone in my sin and God rejecting me. I struggled with this mentality for the first few years of being a Christian. I was operating under a works based relationship and I didn’t even realize it. I didn’t fully understand what grace is, I didn’t fully understand certain doctrines of Christianity. I had yet to fully understand what it meant to be in a Union with Christ and the implications that come with that.

Maybe you can relate with me. Maybe you too fear being alone. Maybe you’ve felt this fear of being separated and rejected by God. Maybe some of you are wrestling with this fear this morning.

Transition statement: I have good news for you. God loves you and desires a relationship with you. For believers, God is always with you. You can feel secured in Christ this morning. For believers we have this truth that we are in a union with Christ and that nothing can ever separate us from the love of God.

This morning we will address two points

What does it mean that believers are in a union with Christ?

How believers should live out their union with Christ

We see these two points in Romans 8. So if you have your bible with you please open it and meet me in Romans 8. Romans 8:31.

Read v. 31-34

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 8

31 What, then, are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He did not even spare his own Son but gave him up for us all. How will he not also with him grant us everything? 33 Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies. 34 Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised; he also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us.

I want to pause here for a moment. As we see in these few verses glimpses of our first point.

1. What does it mean that believers are in a union with Christ?

When you hear the word “union”, I want you to think of when two things joining together.

So when we hear union with Christ, we should think of how we are joined together with Jesus.

Pastor and theologian John Piper defines union with Christ this way: “The reality of all the ways that the Bible pictures our human connectedness to Christ, in which He is indispensable for every good that we enjoy”

In the verses we just read we see three of the many ways that we are connected to Christ.

1. Believers are chosen by God in Christ.

v. 31-33

2. Believers are justified by God in Christ.

v. 33-34

3. Believers have an advocate in Christ.

v. 34

1. Believers are chosen by God in Christ.

Romans 8:31-33

Re-read v. 31 & 33

Believers are God’s elect. They are chosen by God. Just like how we elect or choose government officials. God has elected people to be his chosen followers. The difference is instead of many people electing one person we see one God electing many people. God has casted his ballot which includes people of all time who are believers and followers of the one true God through Christ Jesus. Old Testament saints, believers in the early church, followers of Jesus who have passed away, current believers, and people who in the future will put their trust in Jesus as their Lord and Savior; all are part of God’s elect.

We know this to be true because of what Paul writes previously in Romans 8.

Romans 8:28–30 CSB

We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.

It’s from these verses that Paul writes then if God is for us, who is against us, who can bring an accusation against God’s elect, God is the one who justifies. It’s because we are chosen by God that we can be confident that God is for us.

I know that it can seem like a simple truth. But if I can be honest for a moment, when life is crazy busy, stress is high, family drama is happening, the effects of living in a sinful fallen world is in your face, when you feel alone, when illness takes effect on your life or a loved one’s life. Sometimes I just need to be reminded that God is for me, God is for you. He is for all who believe in Jesus as their savior. Sometimes I just need to hold onto that simple truth for comfort that God is for me. And it’s not just a random for me or based off of my performance for me or how good I am for me. God is intentionally for me and you because believers are chosen by God in Christ.

I just want to note that how that all happens, of believers being chosen by God in Christ, is highly debated among Christians. Even though the how is debatable, it is important to affirm the truth that believers are chosen because that is what revealed to us in scripture. If you want to talk on a deeper level of the how believers are chosen, email, text me. I would love to have that deeper discussion with you.

Transition statement: A second way that we are connected to Christ is that believers are justified by God in Christ.

Believers are justified by God in Christ.

Show point slide here

Romans 8:33-34

Re-read v. 33-34.

Here we see that God justifies believers.

When we see the word justify we should think of a court room.

In the court room, we see God as a just judge. He has the ability to declare who is righteous and who is guilty of their sin.

We also see that there is a defendant, the person who is being accused of a crime. That defendant is you and me and all humanity. We are all have accused of sin. For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Rom. 3:23.

What this truth of justification looks like is if we, the defendant is standing before God the Father guilty of our sin. We know that the punishment of our sin is death. Rom. 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death” or in other words eternal separation from God. We stand guilty and our punishment has been declared but then Jesus comes into the court room and says to you, I have decided to take on your punishment. You no longer need to pay the penalty for your sin. I will stand in your place so that you are no longer guilty but innocent and righteous. So if we trust in what Jesus says and has done through His death on the cross, then we will be justified before God the Father.

This is the picture when we say that God justifies the believer. That a person who puts their faith in Christ can stand before God innocent and righteous because Christ paid the penalty for their sin.

Again God justifying believers might sound like a simple truth. But how many of have tried to justify yourselves before God. Either in the positive or negative. First an example of trying to justify yourself in the negative, let’s say you said something that was sinful (gossip or lied), you looked at something that was sinful (porn), or you did an action that was sinful (lazy, glutton, being controlled by a substance). Your first thought might be, “There is no way I can approach God, I just totally blown it big time with this sin.” So you go and try to do “good things” in order to gain back a good standing with God. This would be an example of trying to justify yourself in the negative.

An example of trying to justify yourself in the positive would if you had just done something really good. You might think to yourself, “I just served at VBS for an entire week, or God haven’t you seen how I’ve sacrificed for my family today, or God you know that I’ve served in the student ministry for over 5 years, or God you know I tithe a lot, therefore I deserve something good in return.” This would be an example of trying to justify yourself in the positive.

In either example negative or positive you are either trying to take away from Christ’s sacrifice as you think God loves you less or your trying to add to Christ’s sacrifice as you thing God can love you more.

God loves the believer because they are justified in Christ. You cannot add nor take away from the work that Jesus did on the cross to make you justified before God. It is simply because of Jesus’ work on the cross that you are declared innocent not any of your good works.

In this way believers are justified by God in Christ. And we need to remind ourselves of that truth daily.

Transition statement: The third way we see in Rom. 8:31-34 how believers are connected to Christ is that believers have an advocate in Christ.

Believers have an Advocate in Christ.

Show point slide.

Romans 8:34

Re-read v. 34

In this verse we see that our union with Christ is much more than just what Jesus has done in the past of choosing believers and dying for them. We see that He is presently active in interceding for believers.

Louis Berkhof says this about Christ’s intercession in His Systematic Theology

Systematic Theology 3. The Session at the Right Hand of God

He is ever making intercession for those that are His, pleading for their acceptance on the basis of His completed sacrifice, and for their safe-keeping in the world, and making their prayers and services acceptable to God.

It is a comforting truth to believers that Jesus isn’t just sitting back, well I already did my part, now human it’s your turn to do your part. No, Jesus isn’t sitting back, He is active in the present moment interceding for us, being our advocate to God the Father. Which means that whatever is on your heart, Jesus knows and He is advocating for you. This is something that I need to be reminded of when I feel alone, scared, exhausted. Christ knows my heart and is interceding on my behalf to God the Father.

Show point slide.

Now these are just three ways we see believers being connected to Christ in Rom. 8:31-34. There are many more implications of being in a union with Christ. These are just a few.

Transition statement: Since we have covered What does it mean that believers are in a union with Christ, let’s now look at how believers should live out their union with Christ as it relates to Rom. 8.

2. How believers should live out their union with Christ

Read Rom. 8:35-39.

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 8

35 Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:

Because of you

we are being put to death all day long;

we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered.

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In these closing verses of Romans 8. We see that believers should live out their union with Christ with confidence. Not confidence in themselves but rather confidence in Christ. We should have confidence that for believers nothing can separate us from His love.

Re-read v. 35

We can easily say can stress, being made of fun for what we believe, can a pandemic, can economic failure, or inflation, can war, what about when people close to us die? Can those things separate us from the love of Christ. No.

Re-read v. 37-38

v. 38 - death nor life- which means wether we are here on earth or if we die and go to heaven

nor angels nor rulers- no spiritual forces, no earthly kings or presidents, or prime minister,

read v. 39

There is nothing that can separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Brother, Sister in Christ you can feel secured in your relationship with God today. Not because of anything you’ve done, but because of everything Jesus has done. Amen and Amen.

This past Friday night, we had a church-wide movie night outside in the backyard space here at Crosspoint. We watched 7 days in Utopia. In that movie was an acronym S.F.T. that the main character would put on his golf ball. S.F.T. is see it, trust it, feel it. S.F.T. served a dual purpose. One purpose was for how the character approached each golf swing. Visualize the shot in his mind, feel the mechanics of how to swing, then trust that we he had been taught will help his golf swing. Later in the movie the main character learns a spiritual understanding of S.F.T.

See God’s face, Feel His Presence, Trust His love.

We need to remind ourselves of S.F.T. when things in life can distract us. Satan can easily tempt us with worry and fears. He tempts us with lies and deceptions. Like, if you don’t do this how do you know that God loves you or what you did last night was such an awful sin, how can you even think to approach God this morning, or if God truly loves you, why doesn’t answer your prayer requests right now. If God will truly never leave me, why do I feel so distant from Him?

When Satan tempts us with these thoughts when need to remember S.F.T.

See His face- To see God’s face is another way to say know who God is. recognize His character. Tell yourself truths in scripture about who God is and how He views you.

Feel His presence- For believers, we have the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of us. God is ever with us. Put any distractions aside. Sit and be still before God and focus on Him.

Trust His love- Don’t trust in yourself or own abilities or good works, trust in His love for you in Christ displayed on the cross over 2000 years ago and is present love for you as He intercedes for you.

Maybe you’re sitting here today and have never trusted in Jesus as Lord and Savior of your life. Maybe you’ve always tried to justify yourself before God by your own good deeds. I pray that today would be the day that your eyes are opened to the gospel of Jesus and you See his face, feel his presence, and trust his love. If this is you, would you tell someone today that you desire to have a right relationship with God. Talk to an elder or pastor, a friend, or a parent this morning. If this is you, I want you to have confidence in Christ’s love for you.

It is with confidence and boldness that believers should live out their union with Christ.

Communion

Today is communion Sunday- When Crosspoint offers communion to all believers who are here in attendance today. First impressions teams will pass out the elements.

Communion is designed only for believers wether you call Crosspoint home or not. It’s a time to one remember Christ’s sacrifice and love for us. Two it serves as a time to self-examine. Ask the Spirit search your heart for any sin in your life or to reveal any distractions that are keeping you from experiencing the present reality of God dwelling with you. Then repent and seek forgiveness of those things as we remember together the sacrifice that Jesus gave so that we can be forgiven of our sin and be justified before God. Take few moments and then we will take the elements together.

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 11

23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Pray

Benediction

Christian Standard Bible Jude

24 Now to himar who is able to protect you from stumblingas and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, without blemishat and with great joy, 25 to the onlyau God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord,F be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time,G now and forever. Amen.