 So as you know, we've been going over union with Christ in the Bible. It's a biblical theological theme So this morning we find ourselves in the book of Galatians So if you would open up your Bible to the book of Galatians and there should be handouts in the foyer I believe And I think somewhere already Handed out so we're gonna be pretty strictly following the handout this morning. So as you see we're gonna be looking at six sections We're gonna be looking at one the background of the letter to Union with Jesus Christ that is we're gonna talk about what union with Christ actually means Three we're gonna talk about What it means to be crucified with Christ as it's found in the end of Galatians chapter 2 Then we're gonna look at Galatians chapter 3 where it talks about substitution. That is Christ becoming a curse for us And then the end of Galatians chapter 3 We're gonna talk about being baptized into and clothed with the person of Jesus Christ And then lastly we're gonna talk about what it means to be severed from Christ severed from his person That's in Galatians chapter 5 so We talked about Three different characteristics of union with Christ we've talked about those three characteristics over and over and over again in This series so if anybody can remember what are those three different? characteristics Don't be shy Pastor Michael participation identification and Incorporation yeah, very good. So we're gonna talk about those three things Specifically at the end of Galatians chapter 3 it is really really clear at the end of Galatians 3 So that's gonna be our main text, but we're gonna just walk through the book of Galatians and you'll see it over and over again But all three of them are right there at the end of Galatians 3. So we'll talk about that in a minute So first the background of the letter in the book of Galatians Paul is speaking to a Group of people Christians who are looking to go back to Judaism. So in Galatians chapter 4 He talks about two covenants the old covenant and the new covenant so There's the bond woman and the free woman So throughout the book of Galatians you're gonna see this theme coming up the old covenant the new covenant and then the modes of Entering into those covenants. So a little bit of an analogy On your left-hand side, you've got a door and above the store. It says the old covenant and There's a key to this door the key to this door is being born a Jew Circumcision Keeping the law that's the key to get into this door and behind this door are some blessings the physical land of Canaan A land flowing with milk and honey Being blessed with your kneading bowl. I don't even know what that is, but it's in Deuteronomy 28. So All kinds of physical temporal blessings behind this door, okay? And then on your right-hand side, you have a door and above it says the new covenant and The key to get into this into this door the mode of entering into this covenant is faith and behind this door lies Christ and All of the eternal blessings that come with him our eternal inheritance so What that? Galatians are trying to do as you can see in Galatians chapter 1 is they're distorting the gospel and the way that they do that is They're trying to open up this new covenant door with an old covenant key They're trying to use the mode of entering into the old covenant They're using that mode, which is circumcision and keeping of the law Natural generation being born a Jew. They're trying to use those modes to enter into the new covenant and Paul says He says I am amazed that you're so quickly deserting him who called you by the grace of Christ for a different gospel It's actually a different gospel if you try to enter into the new covenant in any other way than what God has prescribed in his word So that would include circumcision that would include trying to enter into covenant with him by baptism that would include trying to enter into covenant with him by praying a prayer or By doing good works by adhering to the law None of those things are prescribed as modes of entering into the new covenant with God The the prescribed mode is repentance and faith and specifically in the book of Galatians Faith okay, so Let's look at number two Union with his person What actually is Union with Jesus Christ Here's a question look at Galatians chapter one in verse 18 Paul says he's speaking about his ministry. He's he is Proving himself to be a true apostle a true authority Okay, and he says in verse 18. He says three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas and stayed with him 15 days But I did not see any other of the Apostles except James the Lord's brother now in what I'm writing to you I assure you before God that I am not lying Then I went into the regions of Syria and Selecia. I was still unknown by sight To the churches of Judea which were in Christ That's really important But only they kept hearing he who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith which he once tried to destroy And they were glorifying God because of me There's a lot there About Paul's ministry, but specifically what I want to focus on as we're talking about union with Christ is that little phrase the churches of Judea which were in Christ and The Bible talks about Or our confession talks about two different Ways of looking at the church you can look at the church as an invisible church Which is the body of Christ the one body of Christ the one church of God all the saved saints throughout the world in all of history or Visible churches like this one so When Paul speaks of the churches of Judea which were in Christ. He's talking about specific physical places Physical people who are united to one another in fellowship. Okay, and These churches are in Christ. So here's the question are we united to Jesus's human nature Are we united to his divine nature or We united to both which one of Christ's natures are we united to that's the question. It's a little bit of a trick question Lee We're United to his divine nature, but being united to his divine nature. I think we were united to his human nature, too We are we are united to both natures But it was a bit of a trick question because of the way that I worded it. Do you want to? Yeah, Pastor Michael. I think a good way to think about it is that we're united to his person. Yeah, and He's one person with two two natures a divine nature and a human nature. So we are united to him We are united to the whole Christ. Amen. Yeah, that's exactly right. So you see in Galatians chapter 1 it says I Was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea which were in Christ it doesn't say in his human nature or Churches united to his divine nature or the churches united to God only it doesn't say that it says the churches of Judea Which were in Christ? So as Christians when we exercise saving faith in God saving faith in Jesus Christ We're actually united to his person. So if you look at your outline the way that I've put this is number two union with His person number three crucified with his person number four substituted by his person and so on We're united to the person of Jesus Christ Now real quick This is really relevant. Okay to the study of union with Christ and it gets really really applicatory really fast, okay? so What is the difference when we're talking about the Trinity? When we're talking about the hypostatic union and these things what is the difference between an essence and a Person because we say that there is one God one essence and we say that there are three persons So what's the difference between those two things an? essence is a what and A person is a who really simply, okay? If you want to really boil it down an essence is a what and a person is a who so if somebody came up to me and They didn't know who I was They might say they might say who are you and I would say I'm Tyler Renfrow, okay? But if somebody came up to me and they said what are you that's a little bit of a different question And I would say if I'm thinking rightly I would say I'm made in the image of God I'm a body and a soul united in one person. I'm a human being right? That's what I am Jesus Christ has two natures in other words. He has two beings ever thought about it like that He has two essences He has a divine essence and he has a human essence and they're united together in one person so why does this matter it matters because When somebody becomes a Christian their initial Feeling of distance from God is usually because of sin They see themselves as distant from God because of how much they've sinned right and that gap is closed when They come to a saving knowledge of the gospel. They realize that God has made provision for that distance in the gospel He separated my sins as far as the east is from the west, right? But then it might become a little bit more difficult when you start thinking about What God is God is omnipresent I'm confined to a little space. God is self-sufficient. I'm in need of him at every moment God is omniscient. I have a really really really tiny bit of knowledge of him and of the rest of the world I mean I am Miniscule in comparison to him So a Christian might see that God has made provision for the distance between him and God by means of the cross But they might not see how the gap is closed with respect to what we call his Incommunicable attributes, they might not see how the distance is how the gap is closed between God's infinitude and their finitude God has made provision for that in union with with Christ How can how close can a man get to God as Close is the human nature of Christ is to the divine nature That's awesome, right when you become united to Christ you become united to God the father Why because indirectly being united to the son His human nature and his divine nature are united in that one person that you're united to amazing, right? That's awesome. That becomes That becomes a sweet sweet aroma when you're reading the word when you're reading John chapter 17 and Jesus is praying for you In in God's presence. It's a very sweet thing to a Christian So before we move on anybody have any questions about that It's a tough topic, but it is is a really precious thing and we should know these things We should know them like the back of our hand This is this is the foundation of our Christian walk This is the foundation of all of our happiness and all of our joy and all of our peace and all of our hope in the Christian walk This is really really important. You should understand this So any other questions? Okay Let's move on to number three. So now that now that we've talked about what union with Christ is Let's look at what it means to be crucified with this person so open up to Galatians chapter 2 and We're gonna start at verse 15. Actually, we'll start at verse 11 again Peter is He is a buttressing his own a foster ship Okay, he says in verse 11 But when Cephas, that's just an another name for Peter When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face because he stood condemned For prior to the coming of certain men from James. He used to eat with the Gentiles but when they came that is when when the Jews came when Jewish leaders came He began to withdraw and hold himself aloof Fearing the party of the circumcision So let's take a little bit of a step back as we're moving forward in Galatians chapter 2 If you remember the the context of the book of Galatians, there's two covenants, right? There's an old covenant and a new covenant Peter in Acts chapter 10 He sees a big blanket drop from the sky with all kinds of animals in there pigs and everything else things that Jews were Not supposed to eat and God says what I've made clean you should no longer consider unclean and so The application of that text is that Peter can That the gospel that the covenant people of God has expanded its scope to include not only the Jews But the Gentiles for God so loved the world not just Jews But people from every tribe and tongue and people and nation the covenant people of God Includes people from every tribe tongue people in nation. Okay, so Peter Recognizes rightly that he can have fellowship and eat with a Gentile who under this door under the old covenant door that would be considered Eating or fellow shipping with sinners. You see because a Gentile was someone who was outside of the people of God So they were considered sinners to the Jews So when the circumcision comes when religious Pharisees come Peter is concerned that He would be perceived by these Jews as having fellowship with sinners Him being inside the door and these other people being outside the door And so he fears that they'll consider him Again having fellowship with sinners so look at verse 13 the rest of the Jews these are Jews who have entered into both doors Jews who were previously under the old covenant and now I've moved into the new covenant So when he says the rest of the Jews he's speaking of Christian Jews He says the rest of the Jews joined him in Hypocrisy with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy But when I saw that they were not straightforward About the truth of the gospel. I said to Cephas in the presence of all if you being a Jew Live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews. How is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews? He says we're Jews. This is really important. He says we're Jews by nature and not Sinners from among the Gentiles now somebody under the old covenant was considered a sinner if they were not circumcised on the eighth day if they were not raised a Jew an old covenant Person of God an old covenant God fear They were considered a sinner. So that's somebody who eats it bacon. That's a sinner in a Jews. I okay So he says we're Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles Nevertheless Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law But through faith in Christ Jesus even we Jews have believed in Christ Jesus so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law Okay What Paul is saying essentially is justification. Is it a is that an old covenant blessing or is that a new covenant blessing? It's a new covenant blessing, right? So what Paul is saying is We're Jews by nature. We're not sinners from among the Gentiles Nevertheless knowing that this new covenant blessing is not received by the same means as Old covenant blessings. We are justified by faith What Paul is doing is he's distinguishing between an old covenant mode of Receiving blessings and a new covenant mode of receiving blessings the old covenant mode being circumcision natural generation from Abraham biological relation to Abraham and Works of the law. That's an old covenant mode of receiving old covenant blessings The new covenant mode for receiving new covenant blessings receiving Christ receiving justification here in Galatians chapter 2 his faith so he says However because this is the objection right in verse 17 While seeking to be justified in Christ while seeking to receive this new covenant blessing We ourselves also have been found sinners is Christ then a minister of sin and we when he says sinners there He's not referring to breaking the 10 commandments He's referring to being a Gentile being outside of the old covenant he says if If while seeking to receive a new covenant blessing we're found to be outside of this door over here Is Christ then a minister of sin may it never be why? Here's why he says For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed I prove myself to be a transgressor a transgressor not of the old covenant But of the new covenant if you try to enter into the new covenant through old covenant means You're a transgressor Why because when the new covenant came with better Blessings with better promises it made the old covenant obsolete right So if I rebuild what I once destroyed the old covenant being destroyed I Prove myself to be a transgressor of this new covenant. You see he says in verse 19 for through the law Here's here's where it starts to get to union with Christ. Okay through the law I died to the law so that I might live to God look at your outline Verse 19 the law an instrument leading to Extrospection you've heard of introspection before that's morbidly looking at yourself, right? So what the law does the law acts like a mirror and it causes you to see all your defects all your abnormalities All of your failures you see all the things worthy of reproach. That's what the law does and By doing so it causes you to Extrospect to look outside of yourself. I recognize That I'm not able once you try that key that old covenant key trying to get into this new covenant door And you realize it hasn't worked in other words When you're trying to look in yourself to receive new covenant blessings like justification you realize that you fall Far short that's what the law does for you is it shows you how fall how far you fall short you see So it causes you to look outside yourself. That's why Paul says through the law I died to the law so that I might live to God if you've ever If you've ever looked at the law for any period of time, especially the Ten Commandments You recognize that you've broken every single one of them, right? I'm a coveter I'm an idolater an adulterer a Liar a thief I've got other gods other things that are more important than God at certain times right It should cause you to loop lose hope in and of yourself So that you look outside of yourself for hope That's why you die to the law. You die to yourself You die to the old covenant means of entering into relationship with God So verse 19 through the law. I died to the law So that I might live to God. That's the extra inspection. You see So that I might look outside of myself to be able to live to God verse 20. I have been crucified with christ. There's union with him I've been crucified with christ It's no longer I who live but christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of god who loved me and gave himself up for me I do not nullify the grace of god for if righteousness comes through the law then christ died needlessly Why did jesus christ have to die? If the way of entering into the new covenant and receiving new covenant blessings was through the same means as the old covenant Why do you have to die? If you believe that your own righteousness is going to cause you to be justified Then christ never had to be sent You see how um, there's no need for good works in the new covenant um, the new uh good works are Never in the new covenant meant to be meritorious. They're always meant to be um acts of thankfulness For what christ has already done so verse 20 I've been crucified with christ That's a kind of participation. You see in your outline participation. I've been crucified with christ So how do I participate in the death of jesus christ? through union with him jesus christ on the cross uh Takes the blame for all the ways that I've broken his law I've coveted so jesus christ on the cross um takes The the works that I have and he puts them on and the father looks upon me I'm sorry. The father looks upon christ as though he did all the sinful coveting that I did all the sinful adultery that I did all the sinful lying that I did And so the father punishes jesus christ on the cross as though it were me So I therefore have been crucified with him. That's a that's the beautiful result of union with christ She caused you to breathe as a christian, right? I no longer have that big burden on my back I no longer have this um extreme insurmountable responsibility Uh this insurmountable means of entering into covenant with god I would never be able to uh open up that new covenant door with an old covenant key So that's participation participation with christ at his death. Let's look at um Galatians chapter three And we'll start at verse one Okay Paul says you foolish galatians. Why? Because they were trying to enter into the new covenant with old covenant means, okay You foolish galatians. Who's bewitched you really strong language? Before whose eyes jesus christ was publicly portrayed as crucified He calls him foolish because they know there's a new mode But they're still trying to enter into the uh new covenant through old covenant means They saw jesus christ crucified and he says if righteousness comes through the law. Why was he even sent in the first place? You see? They're foolish This is the only thing I want to find out from you Did you receive This spirit what does he mean by receive the spirit? What do you think? What do you think he means by receive the spirit? You think he means like speaking in tongues like that kind of thing Oh open up for uh the the mic What does he mean by receive the spirit? Don't be shy I've been talking for a long time. It's more simple than than you think This is the only thing I want to find out from you Did you receive the spirit by the works of the law or by hearing with faith? When somebody hears the gospel and they exercise saving faith in jesus christ They receive the spirit and what kind of a work does the spirit do in them? Regeneration that's exactly right. The holy spirit causes us to be born again You ever wonder why he says born again in john chapter three It's not necessarily because like um as a human being i'm i'm born a physical human infant It's because of what the jews believed about entering into covenant with god jews entered into covenant with god by natural generation biological birth If you were born a jew like like in um in the book of matthew when john the baptist is speaking against those Pharisees He says don't think that you can say to yourselves that that uh, we're children of abraham God is able to bring up children of abraham from these rocks Don't think to yourself that you can enter into this new covenant with god through natural birth You got to enter into this new covenant with god through spiritual birth you see Receiving the spirit so paul says how did you receive this spiritual generation? By hearing with faith not by works of the law Okay So he says in verse four. Did you suffer so many things in vain if indeed it was in vain? Uh, so then does he who provides you with the spirit and works miracles among you do it by works of law Or by hearing with faith Hearing with faith of course, so spiritual generation is by new covenant mode faith Even so abraham even abraham the father the biological father of all the jews Even so abraham believed god and it was reckoned to him as righteousness righteousness a new covenant blessing Justification why is that a new covenant blessing? Because when we become saved when we receive salvation, we're receiving a righteousness. That's not from ourselves um Galatians chapter four says jesus christ was born of a woman Born under the law. Why so that he might redeem those who were under the law You see when we're um born as human beings made in the image of god were required by him to perfectly conform to his moral law and um, so he sent his son so that he would uh Perform all of those ordinances all of those statutes all of those commandments On our behalf. You see That's why we receive a righteousness the righteousness of jesus christ, okay Therefore in verse seven be sure that it is of those Who are of faith who are sons of abraham now this this would boggle a jew's mind A jew would say wait a minute. I'm a son of abraham because my father was uh, my father's name was I don't know jewish name backbuck and his father's name was boogie And his father's name was you know belchazar. I don't know Um, they would trace their genealogy all the way up to abraham. You see So you're telling me that I can become a son of abraham through faith Yes um That's why galatians chapter four Mentioned these two women these two wives that abraham married sarah and hagar And they represent two covenants the covenant of works. I'm sorry, um the old covenant and the new covenant Paul says we are children of abraham Under the new covenant by faith abraham is the father of the faithful So verse eight the scripture for seeing that god would justify the gentiles by faith And not by circumcision not by natural generation not by keeping the law by faith Preach the gospel beforehand to abraham saying All the nations will be blessed in you not just jews, but all the nations will be blessed in you blessed with new covenant blessings So then those who are of faith are blessed with abraham the believer. Okay makes sense Yes, got it verse 10 We're getting into union with christ now For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse for it's written Cursed is everyone Who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law to perform them um It's really common not only for jews, but for people today to think that they can um Be justified by works of the law by baptism Uh, I pray every day. I read my bible every day. I go to church. I go to small group You know, I help granny cross the street All kinds of things people try to justify themselves by good works paul says okay If you want it to be on the basis of the law look at the law Deuteronomy chapter 28 it says this cursed is everyone No exceptions cursed is everyone Who does not abide by All things no exceptions All things written in the book of the law to perform them If you don't perform every statute every ordinance Every commandment in the law you are cursed and what is this curse? The bible um again and again and again and again Um holds forth Uh two perspectives that god has on man. You're either cursed or you're blessed You either receive salvation or damnation You see That's what it means to be cursed. So that's a really really controversial thing That's a really really a counter cultural thing to talk about If you do not abide by every single statute every single ordinance every single commandment in the bible You're cursed and you're gonna go to hell if you lie one time. Have you abided by all things written in the book of the law to perform them? No You're cursed. You're gonna go to hell. You see So what's the answer because there are some people go to heaven Did they do it by abiding by the works of the law? No Verse 11 now that no one is justified by the law before god. You see how he's speaking in terms of um Like exclusivity like every single without exception No one is justified by the law before god He says for the righteous man shall live by faith. There's a new mode It's not Circumcision works of the law natural generation. It's um Circumcision of the heart or regeneration It's faith You see It's spiritual generation He says in verse 12 The law is not a faith. Don't try to mix them Don't try to mix them. That's what people do all the time They're totally mutually exclusive faith and works Totally different different nature different substance Entirely different one looks within and one looks without you can't have both There's only one basis It's either going to be your own works or christ He says the law is not a faith stop trying to mix them on the contrary He who practices them shall live by them if you practice the works of the law You live by the works of the law if you uh In verse Let's see In verse 11 the righteous man shall live by faith. You see you're either going to live by faith or works of the law One or the other that's all that paul is trying to say is they're totally mutually exclusive verse 13. Here's union with christ christ redeemed us from the curse of the law Having become a curse for us That's where we find substitution in the bible. You see in the fourth point there Substitution by his person That's what union with christ does for us. That's another result So at the beginning we talked about what union with christ actually is it's a uh, a mystical union with his person Not with one or the other of his natures But what union with christ is is a unit uh being unified to his person mystically And in that the result of that we see substitution. He gets to take our place Jesus christ Redeems us from the curse of the law Having become a curse for us Any questions as we're moving on The background is really important. That's why I spent so much time in it is because it fills all the spaces That um come at the end with the conclusion of union with christ. You see Okay Questions Yes No I want it to be interactive if possible. So Yeah I don't want to detract from what you were just saying about union with christ You had said something a little while ago and I just want you to Clarify, you know, so i'm not trying to sidetrack you or anything When you ask the question about um that that paul poses to them Having uh, did you receive the spirit by the works of the law or by faith? You had you had communicated that In that context receiving the spirit Like equate is equated with regeneration Right, and then you had made the con and then you had made the comment that um What paul says is you receive the spirit by faith So in a sense communicating in that way, I know what you believe. I know what you believe I know what you believe, but I just wanted you to clarify what you said Because that kind of communicates. Well, how do you receive regeneration? Yeah, yeah by the means of faith which would communicate, you know faith precedes regeneration So like um, can you care clarify? You know, is that what you're saying? Is that not what you're saying? um, and What like what does um, what is he really really doing there? Is he is he saying? You received regeneration by faith or or is he um Just painting a contrast because what he says is having begun in the spirit Are you now being made perfect by the flesh? So the he's really not focusing on uh necessarily Faith as it relates to regeneration but how Their relationship to god how it began how their acceptance with god You know was was received, you know by a work of god not by a work of the flesh And uh, how that's that's contrasted. So I think maybe It might be hard for you to go back and remember exactly, you know, what you said and what you're not saying and what you did say But um, it's it seems like he's talking about They're thinking that they're going to be you know, um made perfect Or uh as as christians That they're going to continue In the faith and persevere to the end By means of the law Um, so if you will like would you just clarify? Yeah, no, that's that's really helpful I'm I'm really thankful that you said that um because faith is is not a um, it's not a work of the flesh you know faith is um Clearly in the bible described as a gift from god and as a um, uh as a logical Outcome of regeneration so faith Faith comes after regeneration logically. Um, so I again. Yeah, I don't think that um I don't think that he means that like Somebody by the work of their own mind and their own strength and their own resolution and those kinds of things are going to Cause them to be born again um But I think what he means by like receiving the spirit Is like god's communication of grace to them like in um, matthew chapter seven he says um Anyone who knocks Anyone who asks anyone who seeks um, or i'm sorry. He says um will not uh Will god give to his son a rock if he asks for a fish So um, he's going to give the holy spirit to those who ask him. He doesn't mean like uh, I pray that I'll be um regenerated But what he means is anyone who is um Like christ was uh preaching the law In matthew five and six if anyone is trying to um obey me He's going to need the spirit to do it He's going to need to continue on in perseverance through the power of the spirit and not through his own flesh So receiving the spirit is like um, his communication of grace to them. The holy spirit works Um, sanctification within them. So um, yeah, that that's really helpful. Thank you for that brother Let's uh, look at galatians chapter three first um 26 hey tyler Over here. Yes. Yes um Just uh, I guess a follow-up question. So what was just mentioned he doesn't mention by faith But by the hearing of faith so it was like in uh verse uh two Did you not receive the spirit by the works of the law? Or by the hearing of faith So is by the hearing of faith Like is it worded differently instead of saying by faith? He says by the hearing of faith Is there a like a difference there or? Um, i'm not sure. I haven't like uh, I haven't looked at that specific phrase Um, just by my reading of it. I I don't think that there's a um, a difference I think that hearing with faith is the same as exercising saving faith just a different way of saying it Um, but um, i'm not totally sure not a hundred percent sure about that So for time's sake though, I think uh, I want to move on to the next section So, um Galatians chapter three verse. Let's look at verse, uh, 26 Yeah, okay Verse 26 for you are all sons of god through faith in christ jesus This is where we're going to see identification and then, um Uh Representation and then incorporation verse 27 For all of you who were baptized into christ to clothe yourselves with christ There is neither jew nor greek There is neither slave nor free man There's neither male nor female for you are all one in christ jesus And if you belong to christ then your abraham's descendants errs according to promise. So Where do you think we see? Um identification in glatians chapter three at the end of there Maybe somebody who hasn't raised their hand yet. You're making me nervous. Okay in verse 26 Through faith in jesus christ very good. Yeah, thank you See it's not that hard Verse 26 for you're all sons of god through faith in christ jesus We become identified with the son of god in union with christ by being adopted as a son of god You see he says you're all sons of god Through faith in jesus christ I become a son of god When i'm united to jesus christ i receive his same um stature His same status when i become united to him. That's what the gospel is all about. You see it's not um Bare bones forgiveness just forgiveness Just absolution of all of my sins It's a heightening of my status Because i'm incorporated into the family of god. You see that's uh, um, uh, if if you do if you haven't meditated on that Um, that will um, that will be the solution That is answerable to all of your insecurities in this life When you become a son of god When you become a son of god you're not worried anymore about what other people think When you become a son of god, you're not worried about the future anymore because you know, he's got you in his hand You see it's answerable to all of your problems in this life verse, um 27 For all of you who are baptized into christ have clothed yourselves with christ I believe this is um speaking of representation. It can include more than that, but um specifically I want to look at representation when the bible speaks of being baptized into christ Baptism is a uh, it's an ordinance in the church and it's meant to It's a physical ordinance that's meant to convey a spiritual reality. You see so when I am Baptized physically I go underneath the water the word baptized actually means to dunk or to immerse So when I'm baptized I'm being submerged And it's a picture of going into the grave. Why? Why would anyone want to get baptized if it's a picture of that? Well because uh, I'm represented by christ in his death. You see So when we become united to him Uh, we participate we're represented by him in his death That's why we get baptized when we when we become saved because what we're saying is I've been crucified with christ I've died with him. You see And when you become united to christ, you also clothe yourself with him So throughout the old testament in the new testament, there's this theme of being clothed from the very third chapter of genesis adam and eve partake of the forbidden fruit and The first thing that they realize is their eyes are opened And they realize that they're naked. Now, of course that means physically naked But moses put that in there the holy spirit Inspired that in there to convey a spiritual reality of what just happened when they Sinned and it's that um, they were without righteousness. They found themselves to be unclothed In the book of revelation Um, jesus christ says to one of the churches. I don't remember which he says you believe Um, you know that you're rich and clothed and you know, bleh But he says you don't know that you're poor and blind and Naked why why naked? Well, um because you're without righteousness. You see um, and uh In uh in the book of daniel in the book of revelation it speaks of us being clothed with the righteousness of christ So that that's what happens when somebody gets saved is they clothe themselves with christ um, they uh They become identified with him in a way because he represented them in his life He was glacial chapter four Born of a woman born under the law so that he might redeem those who were under the law um He obeyed every ordinance every statute every testimony every commandment of god so that he could clothe us with his works You see so when we become united to christ We are represented by him in his death and represented by him in his life We're baptized with him and we're clothed with his righteousness. You see verse uh 28 Here comes incorporation. So we talked about identification We talked about representation and incorporation There is neither jew nor greek. That's the most important one to paul right now because these Galatians are trying to go back to old covenant Okay, he says there is neither jew nor greek. There's neither slave nor free man What's more? There's neither male nor female for you are all one in christ jesus incorporation I'm incorporated into the body of christ when I become united to him That's an awesome thing for us when we when we leave church today and we go to our fellowships um fellowship with a brother and a sister Totally different than fellowship with a co-worker. Why? Because we're all united to the same person like spokes on a wheel We all come back to the same head. We're all parts We're all parts of christ's body and he's our head. We're all branches coming off the vine the one true vine jesus christ So we're all connected to one another Um the the book of first john says we have fellowship with one another in the blood of his son Being united to christ has other benefits other blessings than just bear forgiveness. We get each other I was talking to a brother. Um I was talking to a brother yesterday. I was texting him and um He's being persecuted by his family because he's preaching the gospel to them and I said um Uh in mark chapter 10. This is what um Uh, this is what jesus was talking to his disciples about he said in mark chapter 10 I tell you the truth anyone who loses um house or mother or father or brother or sister or friend Um or farms for my sake and for the gospel's sake or receive many times as much In this life and in the life to come You're telling me that I receive many brothers and sisters. Yes Because we're all united christ. You see okay Let's look at um real quick Galatians chapter 5 1 through 6 This is the sobering part of galatians Look at verse 2 Behold I paul say to you that if you receive circumcision christ will be of no benefit to you If you try to enter through this new covenant door through an old covenant mode Uh, you're not going to get behind it. You see that old covenant key is not going to work in that door handle in that lock You can only open it through faith. Okay He says first three I testify again to every man who receives circumcision that he's under obligation to keep the whole law You've been severed from christ you who are seeking to be justified by law you've fallen from grace That doesn't mean um what what it doesn't mean is that somebody can open this door And then uh walk right out What it doesn't mean is is that somebody can um receive christ Receive justification have all their sins washed away Receive his righteousness be clothed with christ be baptized into christ And then be unbaptized from christ and unclothed from christ and walk out that door. No, that's impossible That's not what he means by fallen from grace. What he means is uh You are uh as long as you are persisting In trying to open that door with an old covenant key You are severed from christ You will never be united to christ as long as you're trying to uh uh be justified by your works Okay Really quick this should not be um an intellectual exercise for us We need to apply this to our own lives. So as a christian, how do I apply this to my life? Well as a christian you should recognize That um all of the gospel graces that you partake of are communicated to you through union with christ It's not through any other means That's why in Ephesians chapter one it says blessed be the god and father of our lord jesus christ Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places? in christ He doesn't say just justification. That's it. And then everything else is you know, no Everything else is a work of the flesh. Absolutely not. They're all spiritual blessings And they're all communicated to us through the vine If if this branch is not attached to the vine, it's gonna wither up. You see Uh, it will be devoid of justification devoid of sanctification devoid of definitive sanctification and progressive sanctification And it'll wither up and um, it'll be cut off by the father and um, the angels will take it away and throw it into the eternal fire You must be united to christ Or your eternal purpose will be to glorify him and his justice In damning you for an eternity Let's uh close in prayer It's a very serious thing To come before you oh god, we come before you in the name of christ We come before you is united to him and not um in our own name Not of ourselves not of our own works How thankful we are oh god Being born sinners Being born just creatures all the nations are like a drop in the bucket to you. Oh god as your word says we're um Worthless and and less than nothing as creatures We don't add anything to you. We don't contribute anything to your essence You're in need of nothing You're self-sufficient. You're perfectly happy and content in and of yourself And yet you stoop so low In sending your son con sending him to condescend to be incarnate The eternal god the immutable god Who clothed himself with a human nature For our sakes out of love We are so blessed and so thankful that someone so pure and above us Would unite himself to us by the holy spirit What uh, what an immeasurable gift I pray lord for um Converted people I pray that we would be encouraged by these truths encouraged by the fact that we're united to christ's person and not just uh one of his natures encouraged that um That we become one with the god head because we're united to his person and his person is um, uh United to a human nature and a divine nature We're so thankful for that that all of our graces are communicated uh to us through that and um lord I pray for unconverted people who may be listening Unite them to your son. Oh god Amen