April 24, 2022 – Sunday Service Live Stream (Part 2)

Ascension Presbyterian Church Longwood

Subscribe

Download

Share

00

00:47

And I know that was a little awkward, it was new to us, but what rich teaching and words in the singing of the

00:54

Psalms. We need to maybe practice that one again and work on it and sing it again sometime. Please open your

00:59

Bibles and remain standing for the reading from Jeremiah chapter 10. Jeremiah chapter 10.

01:18

Hear the word which the Lord speaks to you, O house of Israel. Thus says the Lord.

01:24

Do not learn the way of the Gentiles. Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, for the

01:29

Gentiles are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are futile. For one cuts a tree from the forest, the work of the hands of the workmen with the ax.

01:40

They decorate it with silver and gold. They fasten it with nails and hammers so that it will not topple.

01:47

They are upright like a palm tree, and they cannot speak. They must be carried because they cannot go by themselves.

01:54

Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, nor can they do any good. And as much as there is none like you,

02:02

O Lord, you are great and your name is great in might. Who would not fear you, O King of the nations?

02:08

For this is your rightful due. For among all the wise men of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is none like you.

02:16

But they are altogether dull -hearted and foolish. A wooden idol is a worthless doctrine.

02:22

Silver is beaten into plates. It is brought from Tarshish and gold from Euphaz.

02:28

In the work of the craftsmen and of the hands of the metalsmith, blue and purple are their clothing.

02:34

They are all the work of skillful men. But the Lord is the true God. He is the living

02:40

God and the everlasting King. At his wrath, the earth will tremble, and the nations will not be able to endure his indignation.

02:49

Thus you shall say to them, the gods that have not made the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under these heavens.

02:58

He has made the earth by his power. He has established the world by his wisdom and has stretched out the heavens at his discretion.

03:06

When he utters his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth.

03:13

He makes lightning for the rain. He brings the wind out of his treasuries. Everyone is dull -hearted, without knowledge.

03:20

Every metalsmith is put to shame by an image, for his molded image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.

03:28

They are futile, a work of errors. In the time of their punishment, they shall perish. The portion of Jacob is not like them, for he is the maker of all things, and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance.

03:40

The Lord of hosts is his name. Gather up your wares from the land, O inhabitant of the fortress, for thus says the

03:48

Lord. Behold, I will throw out at this time the inhabitants of the land, and will distress them that they may find it so.

03:56

Woe is me for my hurt. My wound is severe, but I say, truly this is an infirmity, and I must bear it.

04:03

My tent is plundered, and all my cords are broken. My children have gone from me, and they are no more.

04:10

There is no one to pitch my tent anymore or set up my curtains, for the shepherds have become dull -hearted and have not sought the

04:17

Lord. Therefore, they shall not prosper, and all their flock shall be scattered. Behold, the noise of the report has come, and a great commotion out of the north country to make the cities of Judah desolate, a den of jackals.

04:31

O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself. It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.

04:38

O Lord, correct me, but with justice. Not in your anger, lest you bring me to nothing. Pour out your fury on the

04:44

Gentiles who do not know you, and on the families who do not call on your name, for they have eaten up Jacob, devoured him, and consumed him, and made his dwelling place desolate.

04:54

This is the word of the Lord. Let us now confess our faith by singing together the

05:04

Apostles' Creed. ♪ In God the

05:17

Father, in Jesus Christ, his only begotten

05:30

Son, ♪ ♪ Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born, ♪ ♪

05:41

Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified.

06:51

♪ Please take up the hymnal and turn to number 261. What wondrous love is this, 261.

09:36

Please prepare for the prayers of the people. And seeing the multitudes,

09:56

Jesus went up on a mountain, and when he was seated, his disciples came to him.

10:02

Then he opened his mouth and taught them, saying, blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11:06

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

12:21

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

14:12

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

15:48

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

15:54

Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for my sake.

16:13

Amen. Please stand and take up the bulletin insert and find our

16:23

Psalm of the month, Psalm 22. Be not far off, for grief is near.

16:32

Psalm 22. Amen. Please turn in your

19:16

Bibles to Romans chapter six. Romans chapter six.

19:26

I'm going to resume our study in second Corinthians in two weeks.

19:32

So next Sunday after Presbyterian will be another one -off message. This message is actually connected to last

19:40

Sunday's resurrection theme. And then we'll consider second

19:45

Corinthians again, Lord willing, in a few Sundays from now. I want to remind you that as we open the scriptures, our hearts should rejoice and tremble because this is

19:58

God's holy and infallible word. Romans chapter six.

20:06

What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?

20:12

Certainly not. How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

20:20

Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

20:28

Therefore we were buried with him through baptism into death that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the

20:37

Father, even so we should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of his death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of his resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

21:03

For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now, if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him, knowing that Christ having been raised from the dead dies no more, death no longer has dominion over him.

21:23

For the death that he died, he died to sin once for all, but the life that he lives, he lives to God.

21:31

Likewise, you also reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus, our

21:40

Lord. Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it and its lusts.

21:49

And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.

22:04

For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law, but under grace.

22:10

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law, but under grace?

22:16

Certainly not. Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness.

22:32

But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.

22:41

And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh.

22:52

For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.

23:06

For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed?

23:17

For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from sin and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness and the end everlasting life.

23:34

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus, our

23:43

Lord. May the Holy Spirit come upon us in power today.

23:51

May our hearts be changed, sins be repented of, comforts enjoyed.

23:58

Please pray with me. Lord, we need a fresh work of your spirit in our lives.

24:12

We need to see the great truth, the reality of who we are now in Christ and that fruits of righteousness, that holiness would abound, all flowing out of this glorious union with Christ.

24:29

We ask this in Jesus' name, amen. Please be seated.

24:41

I read a Scottish preacher a number of years ago that said the ideal thesis statement or the great overarching theme of your sermon is best when it's about five words long.

24:55

And I thought that's an incredibly difficult thing to do, to have a thesis statement that's only five words.

25:03

But today, my Scottish preacher friend would be happy because I have three words.

25:09

So I've eclipsed it. I've done better today for the first time. These three words, children, all of you,

25:15

I want these three words to rattle around in your hearts and brains and minds and every cell of your body, the entirety of the message and carrying on to this week.

25:25

These three words, write them down if you need to. Union with Christ. Union with Christ.

25:35

The title of the message today is a glorious enslavement, a glorious enslavement.

25:43

I have an outline for some of you who like to take notes first. There is an undergirding,

25:49

I should start over. This is the number one point of outline. The principle of covenantal representation.

25:56

Write that down. The principle of covenantal representation. The principle of covenantal representation.

26:11

Number two, the problem of sin. The problem of sin.

26:23

The problem of sin. Number three, the life he lives. Number three, the life he lives.

26:32

And number four is the title of the message, a glorious enslavement.

26:38

Quickly again, number one, the principle of covenantal representation.

26:46

Number two, the problem of sin. Number three, the life he lives.

26:54

And number four, a glorious enslavement. And number five would be application.

27:04

Since the resurrection of Christ is fresh on our minds, today we're going to consider the implications of that glorious work, that resurrection of Christ, and in particular, our union with him and the glorious enslavement that we now live by in virtue of that union with Christ.

27:30

There's resurrection language in our text, but as I mentioned, I want the drumbeat of your mind to be union with Christ.

27:39

I want that to be ringing in your ears. Union with Christ. First, we're going to have to look at context in Romans chapter five.

27:49

This is going to be very brief, but I want to establish this idea of covenantal representation.

27:55

There are two men in history to whom we can be covenantally aligned.

28:03

There are only two in this grand sense. The first is

28:08

Adam, and the second is Christ. Look at Romans five, beginning at verse 12.

28:16

It says, therefore, just as through one man, sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because all sinned, for until the law, sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed where there is no law.

28:37

Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of him who was to come.

28:55

Now, I'm going to pause here for just a moment. God has created a world where there is headship and representation.

29:06

Adam is our first parent, and Adam is responsible for allowing, in his disobedience to God, for sin to enter into the world.

29:21

It says there in our text, in Adam, through one man, sin entered the world.

29:28

This is covenantal. You say, that doesn't seem to be very fair. This is the world that God created.

29:37

This man bore the responsibility of walking justly according to God's command in the garden.

29:45

The weight of responsibility rested on him alone to perform this duty, and he failed, and he fell into sin.

29:59

And we can say that his wife, his children, and all that follow after him, according to ordinary generation, have fallen in sin in Adam.

30:12

We have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

30:18

But there is a clue in verse 14, speaking of Adam. Adam is typological of a capital

30:26

H, him, which is Christ. Adam, who is a type of him, who was to come.

30:35

Then the explanation again. But the free gift, verse 15, is not like the offense. Covenantal representation.

30:43

Listen, children. For if by the one man's offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one man,

30:54

Jesus Christ, abounded to many. And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned.

31:04

Now I'm gonna skip down to verse 18, trying to establish this idea firmly in our minds.

31:12

Therefore, as through one man's offense, judgment came to all men.

31:17

Because of Adam's offense, judgment comes to all mankind, resulting in condemnation.

31:26

Even so, referring to Christ, federal headship, through one man's righteous act, the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.

31:41

For as by the one man's disobedience, many were made sinners, so also by one man's obedience, many will be made righteous.

31:53

We may have protested in the beginning that it didn't seem fair that Adam would carry our fate in his hands, in his body, because of this covenantal relation.

32:06

But now we have a different perspective. Because now our fate is in the hands of the

32:12

God -man, Jesus Christ. God in the flesh, incarnate, coming down to be the greatest

32:19

Adam. Sin reigned and death, but now grace reigns through righteousness to eternal life through Christ Jesus, our

32:34

Lord. Federal headship in Adam, federal headship in Christ, that covenantal representation applied in verse 19.

32:46

One man's disobedience, many are made sinners, and by one man's obedience, many will be made righteous.

32:54

The world that our God has made and redeems is covenantal. This is the reality of how things are.

33:07

So it takes us to point number two, and why union with Christ is everything.

33:15

When I say union with Christ is everything, I really mean union with Christ is everything. The problem of sin, we learned in verse 12 of chapter five, that through this one man, sin entered the world.

33:32

And with it, death comes into the world through that sin, and death spreads to all men, because all sinned.

33:43

In verse one of chapter six, we have the interrogatory question, shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?

33:52

As you know, that Paul has been dealing with this subject of law righteousness, and it obviously repudiates that idea in favor of faith and grace as revealed in Christ in his gospel.

34:05

The answer, of course, is certainly not in the exclamatory. There's no way that we can say that it's okay that we can continue in sin.

34:16

How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

34:22

How can Paul say that we have died to sin? You haven't died.

34:30

How can we have died to sin? Union with Christ. That's how we died to sin.

34:40

We can't live any longer in it. Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

34:54

We had a little baby baptized here not so long ago, a few weeks ago. How is

35:01

Amberlynn baptized into the death of Christ? That's a long time ago.

35:08

We're approaching the 2000th anniversary of his crucifixion. It's possible because of union with Christ.

35:21

How could we be buried with him? We weren't around. We weren't in Israel.

35:27

We're not Jews. How is it possible that we could be buried with him through baptism into death?

35:34

How could we die that death with him? The only answer is we have union with Christ.

35:48

And it says that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the father, even so we should also walk in newness of life.

36:02

These things are only possible if there is a real union with Christ.

36:09

It's not just an example. It's not just an illustration.

36:15

The people of God in Christ are bound to him. They are united to him.

36:22

They have a one -flesh union with him. But there's a problem of sin, a problem we hope to confront today in the message.

36:38

We all would acknowledge this lofty theological axiom, but do we recognize it has a very real, very earthy application?

36:54

We have to look at the end of verse four. We have to walk in newness of life.

37:03

So we're soaring rhetorically in the theological heavens with Paul. And we're all affirming and we're all loving this idea of covenantal representation, but we miss maybe the earthy reality that we have to walk in newness of life, the problem of sin.

37:28

What about our sin? Well, we've just been instructed. Look again at verse five.

37:35

For if we've been united together in the likeness of his death, how is that possible? Only through union with Christ.

37:45

It's as if we were there dying with him. Just as in Adam, we were in the garden sinning with him.

37:56

In his loins, we were there sinning with Adam in the garden.

38:05

But here, it's as if we suffered the death of the cross with Christ because of our vital union with him.

38:22

If we have been united together in the likeness of his death, union with Christ, it must also follow that we shall also be united to the likeness of his resurrection.

38:35

Last week, we thought about an empty tomb and we thought of the historicity of it and the importance of atonement and all those wonderful things.

38:43

But did you realize how important it was for you that Christ is risen?

38:50

Again, not just as an illustration, not just a picture of salvation.

38:55

Your life, your eternity rested on Christ coming out of that grave.

39:04

Why? Covenantal representation. Union with Christ.

39:11

But here it comes again. This is so hard to reckon and understand. Verse six, knowing that our old man was crucified with him.

39:22

How is it possible that the body of sin might be done away with?

39:30

That's the problem for us today. The body of sin might be done away with.

39:39

And here it is, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

39:46

I don't know if my wife remembers this, but in my early days of being a

39:51

Christian, I started reading the Bible in very large quantities, amazing amounts of Bible.

40:00

And I had a period where I would describe as a mountaintop season. But then

40:06

I had a moment of disillusion and I don't remember what the sin was. It wasn't certainly anything scandalous, but it may have been the rearing of my pride's ugly head or some kind of thing.

40:17

And I thought to myself, I thought, oh Christ, that you dealt with this sin.

40:23

And here it is again. Some time of little bit of disillusion. I thought this was more efficacious to my life that I would be transformed irrevocably.

40:33

I'd never look back, never stumble, never fall again. Doesn't seem to be how it is for us.

40:45

I want you to catch the argument. Body of sin has to be done away with, verse six.

40:51

We should no longer be slaves of sin, verse six. And there's verse seven.

41:00

For he who has died has been freed from sin. Christ has died.

41:07

He takes on the curse and the burden of sin and he's overcome it. The cross, burial, resurrection, ascension.

41:16

But what about you? You're not yet dead. Or are you?

41:23

Because of union with Christ. This is perplexing because it seems categorically, definitively, there's this truth, this reality of union with Christ and his benefits and salvation and heaven and glory and holiness.

41:40

But another side, another component. I'm still, you're still battling and wrangling and fighting and striving against your sin.

41:52

And I'll say it again. Union with Christ is salvation.

42:00

There is no salvation without union with Christ. You have been united to Christ, the second and far superior

42:10

Adam. So I want to see if you'll play along with me, children, people like Riley and Jonathan, Hazel and Ruth.

42:18

Answer this question in your mind. Which of these is greater?

42:26

Adam or Christ? Christ is greater than Adam.

42:36

Which is greater? Sin or grace? God's grace is greater than all of our sin.

42:48

What is greater? Adam's fall or Christ's incarnation in sinless life?

42:56

Christ's incarnation is greater than Adam's fall. What is greater?

43:05

The tomb or the resurrection? Death or new life?

43:12

Which is greater? The resurrection, the new life is greater than death and the tomb.

43:21

But here is my problem as I was trying to prepare this message and it hit me very forcefully.

43:29

I hope it does for you as well. Why do we live and act?

43:37

And I mean this in a very practical sense because theologically we think right about this, but why do we live and act as though Adam's headship is greater than Christ's and more powerful?

43:51

When we fall into sin, don't we say, oh, we're just, we're falling in Adam. Throw our hands up.

43:59

Everybody's doing it. We've fallen in him. I can't, it's just human condition.

44:06

Do you mean to tell me that Adam's covenantal headship is more consequential practically for the life of the

44:14

Christian than Christ's? May it never be so. But we kind of live that way in some sense.

44:26

Christ's victory over sin is greater than Adam's and our sin.

44:33

Why do we practically believe that our sin is greater than God's grace?

44:39

You don't believe that theologically, but practically. Oh, just a sinner.

44:47

That's what sinners do. The question I have for you today in light of last

44:53

Sunday, why do we and our sin crawl back into Christ's empty tomb and seal it with a stone?

45:09

Why do we seal ourselves with that death? And you'd say, I would never do that.

45:16

I say you do it because you run back to the slavery of sin.

45:24

We were bound and shackled with iron stocks around our throats and our wrists and our ankles and heavy chains and weights.

45:34

And maybe we were attached to a dim dungeon wall, but we've been set free in Christ.

45:44

So why do we crawl back and put the stocks back on?

45:52

We believe that Christ's atoning work is efficacious for final salvation, but we deny its efficacy for living righteously.

46:06

That's true. It's true for every person in a very practical way. You don't think wrongly about this.

46:13

You act wrongly about this. When we take up again the rotting corpse of our old man, we practically deny that we are new creatures in Christ.

46:32

We don't really believe in resurrection power. We don't really believe that we've been united to Christ and his righteousness.

46:43

Again, in a practical way. The Westminster Larger Catechism, question 69, asks this question.

46:54

What is the communion and grace which the members of the invisible church have with Christ?

47:00

I want you to listen to this again. What is the communion and grace which the members of the invisible church have with Christ?

47:12

Listen, this is the answer. The communion and grace which the members of the invisible church have with Christ is their partaking of the virtue of his mediation, first in their justification, adoption, and sanctification.

47:35

And I love this because of the brilliance of the Westminster Divines and whatever else.

47:45

If there be any righteous good thing, it flows out of by virtue of our union with Christ.

47:52

Justification and union with Christ are not at odds with one another. Justification comes because we have union with Christ.

48:01

It says, finally, whatever it is, justification, adoption, sanctification, whatever else we have in this life manifests itself in their union with him.

48:18

So you believe you're gonna go to heaven when you die because you believe in the efficacy of Christ's sacrifice.

48:27

You believe that you are adopted as his sons and daughters because of your union with Christ.

48:37

But I wonder how many of us believe that we can have sanctification because of our union with Christ.

48:47

All of these things flow out of, manifest, their union with him.

48:53

Let's look at verse eight. It says, now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more.

49:13

Death no longer has dominion over him. The tomb is empty and Christ has ascended and reigns and rules from on high.

49:27

You and I are not in the tomb, but we're united to Christ. The third point is the life that he lives.

49:45

It says in verse 10, for the death that he died, he died to sin once for all, and you are, if you be in Christ, united to that death to sin, but the life that he lives, he lives to God.

50:04

This should be true for us. How much of our time, we've been talking about stewardship, Mark has been teaching on stewardship in Sunday school, in this section on the spiritual disciplines.

50:15

How much time have we devoted in our lives to things other than living for God, living for Christ?

50:27

How much time? I don't really have time to read my Bible, person would say, after watching seven hours of YouTube and social media,

50:39

I don't have time. We have been united to Christ and by virtue of that union, we should also be living a life that Christ lives in service to God.

50:57

The death that he died, he died to sin once for all. And then there's the imperative, look at verse 11, it says, likewise, you also reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus, our

51:16

Lord, which is greater, our former life or the new life in Christ? We know what the answer is, but practice it, oh, it's so hard to get rid of that old man.

51:30

Is it really as hard as we've made it to be? And I'm not arguing with some heretical perfectionism here, but have we excused our sin under the headship of Adam, when we have the headship of Christ?

51:51

We cannot continue in sin because we have been united to Christ.

51:58

And here it is again, verse 12, therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey it and its lust.

52:10

Does Paul give this command saying, this is impossible, you can't do it, but I'm going to command you to do it anyway?

52:17

It doesn't seem to have that tone at all. In verse 13, do not present your members, think about your eyes, your ears, your hands, your feet, your minds as instruments of unrighteousness.

52:38

What have you looked upon? What have you heard or entertained? What do you think about? What do you long for in your heart?

52:46

Do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey it and its lust.

52:54

But you are to present yourselves to God as those who have been made alive in the resurrection of Christ.

53:02

After all, you are united to him for sin shall not have dominion over you.

53:20

It takes us to our last point, title of the message, a glorious enslavement.

53:30

I told you that there is a world that God had created a universe. And I will say this now, the black holes that swallow up the galaxies and the cosmos, that violence happens because of the fall of man.

53:50

Can you imagine? So how is that connected?

53:56

Man is the steward of creation. He's the representative of the created order. That's why there's black holes and that's why animals attack each other.

54:09

That's why there's murder. That's why there's hurricanes and tornadoes and hailstorms.

54:14

It's because of the sin of man. It's crazy, isn't it? God has created a world, a covenantal world where he has placed heads.

54:29

And another truth is that you are a slave. A word you can't even say in our culture.

54:37

It's not politically correct. I'm here today to say to you and all who are listening, you are slaves.

54:46

Slaves. There's two covenantal heads, two options,

54:55

Adam or Christ, two enslavements.

55:00

Only two options. There's not a middle road. There's not a third way. Verse 15, shall we sin because we are under the law, but under grace, certainly not.

55:16

Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one slaves whom you obey?

55:27

There's only two. You're a slave to sin, which leads to death, or of slave to righteousness.

55:38

A slave of disobedience or a slave of obedience. You're all slaves.

55:48

Answer the question, ask the question today for yourself. Who is my master? Is the world corrupted by sin, under the sway of the enemy's devices and intents?

56:03

I should argue, I think the enemy has seated the church with this doubt that we can have an efficacious sanctification.

56:13

It wouldn't be just like him to say, you really can't be obedient ever. You really can't be a slave of righteousness.

56:23

But Paul says, inspired by the Holy Spirit, we can, and it's time for us to think more rightly and more accurately about our place in Christ.

56:35

We have been united with Christ. Who are you presenting yourselves to as slaves?

56:46

You're either a slave of sin, leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness.

56:56

But then the exclamation, but thanks be to God, verse 17, that though you were slaves of sin, you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.

57:08

You believed in Christ, you believed in his gospel, therefore you were set free from the bonds of sin.

57:16

And you have become slaves of righteousness. Brethren, the reprobate,

57:27

I can see it's medieval in my mind. They have shackles and stocks, chains binding their necks, binding their hands and binding their feet.

57:44

But those united to Christ have been set free. The question has to be asked, why do we go and try to climb back into those horrible things?

58:02

When my children, when my older children were little, I remember a couple of times that dollar store handcuffs would make their way into our house.

58:14

They were plastic and they were cheap and they didn't fit very well around my wrist. I learned a few times because it hurt when they would put me in there.

58:24

And it seems to me that the old man in Christ, that dead corpse which we mentioned before, it's insanity that we would go and put that dead corpse on again.

58:34

Brethren, you know that intellectually, but you do it. How insane is it for us to go into the dark dungeon prison and climb into the stocks to put the yoke, the steel around our neck again?

58:55

For the reprobate, those are fixed, they are welded, but for us, they're like dollar store handcuffs.

59:01

We could just push a button and take them off. Why would we ever go back there again?

59:11

In verse 19, it says you formally presented yourselves and your members as slaves of uncleanness and lawlessness and of moral lawlessness leading to lawlessness.

59:26

So now you have to present yourselves as slaves of righteousness for holiness.

59:33

Leviticus, Peter say, be holy as I am holy.

59:40

That is a command that is expected to be obeyed. Don't we make it a principle, an axiom, rather than a reality?

59:51

I can't really be holy. I can't really be entirely consecrated to Christ and his service.

59:58

I can't, that can't really happen. This is hyperbole. I don't think it is. He's commanding us to do something that in the power of the spirit is in some measure achievable.

01:00:17

All of this seems very impossible, but it is a present reality for all of you who are sitting here who are united to Christ.

01:00:29

This union is so powerful. You're gonna love this, a few of you.

01:00:36

It even transforms the covenantal head, Adam. The namesake of condemnation is redeemed because of the glorious headship of Christ.

01:00:49

Even the man whose name the curse is on is redeemed in Christ. Do you remember when this powerful union, past, present, and future, so strong that even the man who plunged the race into sin and death is united to Christ and his righteousness?

01:01:16

You say, well, what evidence would you give to that? Well, God sacrificed an animal and clothed

01:01:23

Adam in skins, typifying the sacrifice of Christ.

01:01:31

I believe all of the redeemed will enjoy fellowship with Adam and Eve in heaven because of the glorious victory that there is in Christ.

01:01:40

Isn't that astounding? The guy who brought ruin and sin into the world is redeemed by the blessed blood and righteousness of Christ.

01:01:53

It seems that he is willing to atone for man's sin and to unite men, women, and children to Christ.

01:02:03

When you were enslaved to sin, you were free with regard to the righteousness, and it was an inglorious freedom.

01:02:15

The people, the pagans roaming the streets outside right now, they are free when it comes to righteousness.

01:02:24

What an inglorious freedom. What a terrible freedom to have no bondage to righteousness in Christ.

01:02:34

In your former life, you had no acquaintance with righteousness. Verse 21, what fruit did you have in those things of which you are now ashamed?

01:02:45

My sin of my former life brings me shame and tears in my eyes. It's of no good thing.

01:02:53

The end of those things is death. Verse 22, but now having been set free from sin, there's a glorious enslavement.

01:03:14

What wonderful words, six words, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness and the end everlasting life.

01:03:35

You believe in God, you believe in Christ, I should say, for final salvation, but do you believe in him for making you holy today?

01:03:49

In the power of his spirit and in your joyful obedience? It's time that we have a grander, greater view of that element of our very present salvation.

01:04:08

What life we have in Christ Jesus our Lord. You remember the chains, the bondage of the reprobate?

01:04:17

What about those who are united to Christ? You are now shackled and chained with bonds of love to Christ and his righteousness.

01:04:36

You're slaves. What a glorious enslavement to be taken as the slave bride of Christ.

01:04:50

Union with Christ is everything. I have a few words of application and we'll close.

01:05:00

First, union with Christ is the sum and substance of salvation.

01:05:09

If you are united to Christ, abide in him. If you are not united to Christ, cry out to God for his mercy that he might grant you new life and union with Christ.

01:05:30

Adam just ruined the world and God clothed him in righteousness.

01:05:40

It's astounding. Number two, stop living as though the tomb was not empty.

01:05:56

Stop believing that Adam's sin is greater than God's grace. Stop believing that Adam's covenantal headship is greater than Christ's headship.

01:06:09

All of those answers to those questions, which is greater, every time it fell on the side of Christ. We need to stop believing the lies.

01:06:22

And finally, do not put on again that dead old corpse, that old man, nor put on the shackles of the reprobate and all of their worldly lusts, but put on the new man that is united to Christ.

01:06:41

It only makes sense because you are in perfect union with him.

01:06:50

It seems to me that there's no better expression of our union with Christ than to feast at his table.

01:06:58

Let's consider that as we pray. Oh Lord, I thank you for federal headship.

01:07:14

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for slavery. Thank you for binding us to yourself with those bonds of love and grace and mercy.

01:07:32

Help us to appreciate that we are so loved by you that before the foundation of the world, you selected us for this great redemption.

01:07:43

Who can fathom these things? And oh Lord, I pray that you in the power of your spirit bring heavy conviction on us for the slothfulness we have shown in our pursuit of sanctification.

01:08:03

We have acted as though your servant Adam was greater than Christ, that sin and death, the tomb, were greater than the resurrection, that your righteousness was less than Adam's sin.

01:08:23

Oh Lord, forgive us for thinking wrongly in this very practical way, the way that we live. And I pray, oh

01:08:30

Lord, that Christ would be exalted in our eyes. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, that we would fall on our knees in our hearts and worship you and praise you and give thanksgiving and adoration to you for this great work that you have done.

01:08:51

And oh Lord, I pray that we would, operating from grace and the salvation and this love that you've shown, that we'd get to work, that we would build lives that bring glory to you and that we would mortify all of our sin.

01:09:10

It seems impossible, oh Lord, but we know it's a reality because we have union with Christ.

01:09:18

It's in Jesus' name that we pray, amen. Let's continue our worship with a presentation of tithes and offerings.

01:09:46

The young men, let's pray together.

01:10:05

Oh Lord, what a beautiful life you have given to us. We are filled with ingratitude,

01:10:13

Lord, for the things you've given. Oh, what a beautiful life you've given. We pray that these tithes and offerings would be used for the rapid advance of your kingdom, that the gospel would go out to the ends of the earth and that your people would live fruitful, holy lives that bring you glory as a result.

01:10:33

We ask this in Jesus' name, amen. Let us now, because of the great things the

01:10:42

Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit have done, let us sing earnestly and zealously the Gloria Patri.

01:11:32

Lord be with you. Lift up your hearts. We lift them up to the

01:11:38

Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord. It is right and a good and joyful thing that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to you, oh

01:11:52

Holy Lord, Father Almighty, Everlasting God, because you sent your beloved

01:11:58

Son to redeem us from sin and death and to make us heirs in him of everlasting life, that when he shall come again in power and great triumph to judge the world, we may without shame or fear rejoice to behold his appearing.

01:12:16

Therefore, with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven, we praise and magnify your glorious name, evermore praising you and singing.

01:13:57

Please be seated. Please pray with me.

01:14:09

Almighty God, you are the creator and Lord of all things. You are the sovereign majesty whom we have offended.

01:14:20

Against you, oh Lord, against you only have we sinned. And yet you are our most loving and merciful

01:14:29

Father who has given your Son to reconcile us to yourself, who has ratified the new covenant, the covenant of grace with his most precious blood and has instituted in this holy sacrament to be celebrated in remembrance of him until he comes.

01:14:55

We ask that you would sanctify these, your creatures of bread and wine, which according to your institution and command, according to biblical language, oh

01:15:06

Lord, we set them apart to this holy use, that they might be to us sacramentally the body and blood of Jesus Christ, crucified for us.

01:15:17

Amen. Our Lord Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed took bread.

01:15:32

Likewise, he took the cup after supper saying, this cup is the new covenant in my blood. Drink from it, all of you.

01:15:39

For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death. Therefore, we proclaim the faith.

01:15:49

Christ has died, Christ will come again.

01:15:56

Let's approach the table now by praying together in unison. We do not presume to come to this your table, oh merciful

01:16:06

Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in your manifold and great mercies.

01:16:14

We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under your table, but you are the same

01:16:20

Lord who always shows mercy. Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of your dear son,

01:16:29

Jesus Christ, and to drink of his blood, and our souls washed through his most precious blood, and that we may evermore dwell in him and he in us, amen.

01:16:47

Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. The gifts of God for the people of God.

01:27:59

It's beautiful how unintended elements of the liturgy on front and the back all come together and bring this cohesive unity.

01:28:10

Surely this is the Lord's doing and his kindness to us. Let's make this commitment together in unison.

01:28:18

Almighty and ever -living God, thank you for feeding us with the spiritual food of the most precious body and blood of your son, and for assuring us in these holy mysteries that we are living members of the body of your son and heirs of your eternal kingdom.

01:28:43

And oh Lord, grant us this other benefit, that you will never allow us to forget these things, but having them imprinted on our hearts, may we grow and increase daily in the faith which is at work in every good deed.

01:28:59

Now, Father, send us out to do the work you have given us to do, to love and serve you as faithful witnesses of Christ our

01:29:08

Lord. To him, to you, and to the Holy Spirit, honor and glory now and forever.

01:29:17

Please stand and raise your hands and your hearts and your voices to give glory to our

01:29:24

God. You have been united to Christ.

01:30:06

What blessings has God withheld from you? Nothing. Receive the

01:30:12

Aaronic blessing. The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you.

01:30:22

The Lord lift up his countenance on you and grant you peace.