 with you this morning and to come together to worship God, our Father. If you would, let's go ahead and get seated. There are handouts. They are out at the front desk. For those who didn't grab any, feel free to get up and go grab one or ask someone to grab one for you. I'll be using primarily that first page with the outline, so it will be helpful to have. But let me begin with prayer and then we'll jump into the lesson today. Our righteous and heavenly Father, we are gathered here according to your will this morning rejoicing in Christ Jesus and come to you with thanksgiving asking that you would continue to grant grace that we might grow in the knowledge of your salvation, the knowledge of yourself, the Son, and the Spirit. I pray that this theology of union with Christ would be rooted and grounded in Scripture and that you would help us to by the Spirit apply this doctrine to our lives as Paul does to Corinth and then in continuing with the rest of the Bible, please help us to apply this doctrine. Amen. So this morning we are moving on to the book of First Corinthians and our focus is union with Christ in the book of First Corinthians. If you have the handout thus far we've been through the Old Testament and then started to work through the New Testament and we've come now to First Corinthians. And what are the three major aspects or themes that we've seen so far kind of running through the Old Testament and then we saw in the New Testament thus far? You can remember one or more of those three main categories or themes that we've seen with reference to union with Christ. And I'll give you a hint if someone needs it, but Pastor Michael. Incorporation, identification, I think there's one more but I can't remember. Pam said it, participation. Thank you very much, brother and sister. Yes, so if you'll remember that we have seen union with Christ in the perspective of identification God associates and identifies with His people and thereby they gain their identity. He draws near in salvation because there is no peace with God until the enmity that began in the garden is dealt with. So we know that in that identification where God comes to His people in truth and in spirit it's salvific and union with Christ was foreshadowed in the Old Testament with Israel how God dwelt with Israel. He came to Israel. He dwelt in the tabernacle. He had a sacrificial system by which they could continue to draw near to Him. And we remember seeing incorporation, so this God drawing near to us and identifying with us and thereby we getting the identity of saints, believers, Christians. It doesn't just stop with us individually, it's a corporate thing. It's a body of people. Like with Israel it was a specific exclusive defined group of people. And in the New Testament believers are defined by God as those whom He identifies with and they are incorporated into His body. And we remember looking at how Christ is the head of this new creation that we are. God deals with us as He dealt with Adam. So why do we all fall? Why are we all cursed? Because we had a particular relationship to God in Adam. Adam was our head and our representative. What he did when he sinned has effects for us all. And there was an incorporate effect upon that group of people. Well being incorporated into the body of Christ it's because of what God has done with Christ as our head and what Christ has done on our behalf. So we're made partakers and members of the body of Christ. And then we saw to this theme of participation. So it's not merely a once and for all, I should say once and for all, it is once and for all. But it's not a instantaneous point in time that something occurs only and then there's no effects, no when we are incorporated into the body of Christ we participate in all the benefits that Christ has obtained by His perfect work. And we in our lives and in redemptive history participate in God's redemption. And you can see that with Israel how we saw that in Old Testament foreshadowed how Israel was redeemed from Egypt and then the Red Sea was parted, God took them through the Red Sea, God took them out into the wilderness, gave them water, gave them food, gave them shelter, He gave them the tabernacle system, He made them holy, He disciplined them. So we can see that even in the foreshadow that there's this participation. And it's the same for us more so because what we participate in is eternal. But now in 1 Corinthians, let's look what we can find out more about in 1 Corinthians about union with Christ. And if you look on your handout that first major question in gray, how does the book of 1 Corinthians reveal union with Christ? That's what we're wanting to survey, touch on. I say that because even though I'm teaching on it, the time we have is we're only going to be able to hit on some key places. And then when we do, we're not even be able to go very much in depth. So there's always room for study. That's why there's questions here. There's a whole question section that will get you deeper into it in Corinthians. Scripture memorization, and I didn't organize this outline according to identification, incorporation, and participation. I could have done that and we could do that throughout all of the New Testament studies. The reason why I did not is even though those are major aspects of understanding union, whether it be the type with Israel or the reality Christians in Christ, it doesn't encompass all the aspects. It doesn't allow you to see nuances. So I've kind of stuck to 1 Corinthians. And we can ask questions about where in here is participation? Where in here is incorporation? Where in here is identification so that you can see the relationship and those themes in there? But I really want us to look at what's how union with Christ is getting used in its context. That's why I've got this outline that way. And Corinth, I want to read part of this. So the church in Corinth was founded by Paul on his second missionary journey. As usual, his ministry began in the synagogue where he was assisted by two Jewish believers, Priscilla and Aquila. Soon after, Silas and Timothy joined them and Paul began preaching even more intensely in the synagogue. Most of the Jews resisted and he left the synagogue not before Christmas. The leader of the synagogue and his family and many other Corinthians were converted. So Paul was the one God sent there that this church became a church from his ministry. And I wanted to tell you a little bit more about Corinth. The Isthmian games, one of the two most famous athletic events of that day, were in Corinth. And it caused a lot of people traffic. And also even by pagan standards of its own culture, Corinth became so morally corrupt that its very name became synonymous with debauchery and moral depravity. To Corinthian eyes came to represent gross immorality and drunken debauchery. So look at 1 Corinthians 6 and verse 9. Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you, but you were washed. So you can see how Paul's saying they will inherit the kingdom of God and that's what you were. So you can get an idea from those lists of sins there a little bit of what Corinth was like. They also had a temple to the goddess Aphrodite and they had prostitutes, prostitute priestesses that would come down from the temple and offer services to men and foreigners. False religion was rampant there. So that's hopefully to give you an idea and I think that context helps because what Paul's going to do in 1 Corinthians, it's not written like Romans where Romans are very systematic explanation and exhortation of the gospel. Corinth though there's problems happening within the church and there's questions that they're having where they're writing him a letter and seeking answers to questions. So he's simultaneously getting these questions that reveal their theological problems and practical problems. But he's also hearing reports. If you look in 1 Corinthians chapter one, verse 11, for it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe's household, that there are contentions among you. So Paul has found out that they're divisive and contentious in the church, among other issues, if you go to 1 Corinthians 5. It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality, verse one, among you. And such sexual morality as is not even named among the Gentiles. 1 Corinthians 8, verse one, now concerning things offered to idols. We know that all have knowledge. He's been when he says now concerning. If you go back to 7, verse one, now concerning the things which you wrote me, when he says now concerning, what he's talking about is what you wrote me about asking, now concerning that, I'm going to answer it. So that's, they had a question about things offered to idols. And 1 Corinthians 12 through 14, they have a major problem with spiritual gifts and how to use them, what their purpose is. That's why that great text about love in 1 Corinthians 13 finds itself sandwiched in between gifts, spiritual gifts and then tongue and prophecy speaking after here in the middle of there is love because they didn't understand the fundamental purpose of the gifts. OK, so Corinth has some issues in 1 Corinthians one, three. He says, I can't refer to you as mature or spiritual, but as to carnal as to babes. But he says babes in Christ. OK, so I think that really helps because what we're going to look at is how in what ways does Paul, the Apostle Paul, use the theology and doctrine of union with Christ to address and deal with these questions and issues. And in seeing how he thinks, how he everything, he's there for as an example, the word of God that he's speaking to them, how they ought to think, how they ought to believe, how they ought to practice on the basis of these truths. Everything he's saying about union with Christ, we can learn not only what Corinth should have done then, but how we ought to behave. We might not be tempted with aphroditus, temple priestesses or things sacrificed to idols. But what we can see is how does Paul use doctrine? And its application to admonish what principles are at work that we might apply as well. So there's practical use as well and not merely an intellectual exercise this morning. OK, so let's look at it. First Corinthians one and two, chapter one versus one and two. This is in the section of the letter where he's introducing the letter to them. He has Paul, so he gives who's writing and then he says to who he's writing. And that's the point. Verse two, to the church of God, which is at Corinth. Is that a, that's a local church, by the way. Amen. The Bible shows local churches to the church of God, which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ, Jesus, called to be saints with all who in every place call in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, both theirs and ours. Really, I just wanted you to see here how when you reference, like let's say you reference someone and you say to, let me think of this, to run. I'm writing a letter to the one who works at or work owns his own business. To the, each time I'm saying that I'm just saying that I'm referencing the same person and I'm just giving identifiers to describe who I'm writing to. And I know that seems irrelevant, but Paul doesn't have a relevance here. He's, he's writing these things very intentionally, but he says to the church of God, which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ, Jesus. So the church is identified not only as the called out ones, but those who are sanctified in Christ. It's past tense. So this is talking about our definitive sanctification. When we become Christians, we're purified by the regenerating work of the Holy spirit, definitively sanctified and made a new creation in Christ. And because of it, you could word it. He could, he could have worded it vice versa. He could have said to those who were sanctified in Christ Jesus, to the church of God, they're enter, he could have interchanged them because they make up the same people. So when you think of the church, when you think of us, a good way for you to think of us is those who are sanctified in union with Christ. We're not just a group of people gathering together for a social event. And you could see that in three one. He says as to babes in Christ, which I referenced earlier. So sometimes when you see in Christ, when Paul uses it, he's, it's another way for him to just say Christian. To those who were in Christ, the church, you. Okay, let's go to 1st Corinthians 4 chapter one versus four to eight. Still in the introduction here. I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God, which was given to you by Christ Jesus. Does anyone have the ESV? Nobody's ESV. What does that say, Linda? Can you read that same verse in your version? Sorry. Oh, I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus. Yes. So there was something different. I don't know if you caught it, but that's last three words. And the NKJV is by Christ Jesus in the ESV. It's in Christ Jesus. And in the Greek, it's a epsilon new. So it's in in on among, but it can't have the instrumental use where we could have translated by. It's not bad, but in is a good translation. And I see that as union with Christ there. It's not merely that God that Jesus Christ gave grace. It's all more than that. He has given the grace has come. The grace of God, which was given to you in Christ Jesus. So if you see there where we ought not to think of grace apart from union with Christ, he goes on in verse five, that you were enriched in everything and that bias in the NKJV. I think in ESV, it's in there in him. You were enriched in everything in him in all utterance and all knowledge, even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you so that you come short and no gift eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ who will also confirm you to the end that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. So they have spiritual gifts. And they have the get all the gifts and they're using them, but they're using them with the wrong motive and in the wrong way and in an orderly way, not in love. And instead of Paul saying, I wish you didn't have gifts. He's saying, I thank God that you have these gifts. I thank God concerning you. He's not being hyperbolic. He's genuinely thankful that they have these gifts that you were enriched in everything by him in all utterance. Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, he's going to go on though and correct them review can correct with those gifts. But what you can see here is and I believe that's primarily what Paul has in mind because here he says utterance and all knowledge. So and then when we look at first Corinthians 12 first Corinthians 14, we see them using spiritual gifts, particularly the showy ones like speaking in foreign languages like interpreting those foreign languages like prophesying and he's has that in mind. I believe when he's talking about an all utterance and an all knowledge. However, where do the spiritual gifts come from or what is the relationship between the spiritual gifts here and in Christ? Anybody? No one? All right. Uh, if you look in verse five that you were enriched in everything by him and all knowledge and all utterance and all knowledge. So where are they enriched? It's in him. We ought not to think as well about our gifts. Being somehow given apart from union with Christ, that's the main point there is that our spiritual gifts are through not only Christ as the cause of them union with Christ as the cause, but through the instrumentality of union with Christ will receive those gifts. So union with Christ is the cause is why we have spiritual gifts and union with Christ is the instrument by which we receive them. Any questions there? All right. Let's look at one of the major sections first now division in the church and I get that from what we read earlier in verse 10. You see now I plead with you brethren by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you all speak the same thing and there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment for it's been declared to me concerning you my brethren by those of Chloe's household that there are contentions among you. Now I say this that each of you says I am of Paul or I am of Apollos or I'm of Cephas or I'm of Christ is Christ divided was Paul crucified for you or were you baptized and it's in the name of Paul. I thank God that I baptized none of you except Christmas and Gaius and then he goes on. He says for Christ to not send me to baptize but to preach for 17 not with wisdom of words lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. That was one of the things in the historical aspect that I was reading on that was very important in that society was gaining prestige gaining social status and one of the things since Corinth was large it was Greek but had been Romanized particularly in Corinth though the surrounding area stayed Greek in its culture but they still were heavily influenced by Greek culture and Greek culture is very big on the way you speak they had a whole cultural ideology about what is wise and who are the wise ones when they speak and the way they speak rhetoric and if someone saw in society someone rich someone who spoke well someone who is of noble lineage and they said that right there is esteemable. I want to be well esteemed in their eyes they would labor to acquire high estimation with that people group and somebody else might choose this other people group and what you have is a bunch of people with all this division and they're all proud of their particular categorical social status and that's coming into the church with them saying I'm of Apollos the one who spoke and is mighty in the scriptures I'm of Paul and even those who said I'm of Christ weren't doing it with the right spirit so he's correcting them and he gets into this idea of wisdom that's the issue is for them why are they doing that well they think that that it's wise what they're doing because their culture and that the worldly philosophies tell them that they need that wisdom. They need the esteem of of their countrymen they need the esteem of their neighbors and in order to gain it they need to involve themselves in the wisdom of those and aspire to what's valuable to them. So in 1 Corinthians 1 30 through 31 Paul says but of him you are in Christ Jesus who became for us wisdom from God in righteousness and sanctification and redemption that that as it is written he who glories let him glory in the Lord. Let me go back and read from verse 26 for you see your calling brethren that there are not many wise according to the flesh what men consider wise and glorious sinful men is not a homeless man. It's not the people that the society is largely rejecting and for them it was there various things that they esteemed low and value and there were other things they esteemed high and value and Paul saying look look at those among you look at yourselves Corinth among you not many wise according to the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called there's not a lot of it's not like God he's like look among you God is not calling all all the politicians all the religious leaders all the rich men all the Reddit rhetorically wise speaking philosophers look among you do you see many of those there's not he says because God has chosen the foolish things of the world see the world considers most of us foolish not not even because we're in Christ but outside of Christ when we were just walking in our own sin we weren't most of us weren't the the well esteemed of the world but God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen and the things which are not to bring to nothing the things that are that no flesh a glory in his presence and I don't want to I know I skipped it because I jumped straight to union with Christ I want to highlight though that really the wisdom Paul hits on before this section is the cross the message of the cross in verse 18 for the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing but to us who are being saved it is the power of God for it is written I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent where is the wise where is described where is the disputer of this age has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world and look at what what is really considered wise for since in the wisdom of God the world through wisdom did not know God that's what's wise is to know God and the world doesn't matter if it's our culture or any culture throughout history they're blind and dead and sin and have no wisdom and all their devices with general revelation and common grace made in the image of God though defiled they cannot aspire in their best efforts to knowing God that's why the cross is powerful to us because it's God through crucifying his son his righteous only begotten son that we have come into a union with Christ and we know God and therefore have the wisdom of God and he says there of him you are in Christ Jesus in verse 30 who became for us wisdom from God Jesus Christ we are in Christ and he became for us wisdom from God and some people say that the next three categorical things righteous sanctification redemption are just kind of like details of what that wisdom meant others say no it's the fruit of God's wisdom it's very clear they're related and I don't know that it really like confuses it to go one way or the other though I see them as what Paul means when he says wisdom from God because he's saying who became for us wisdom from God well what is that righteousness that's what the world doesn't have the let the disputer of this age stand up and declare himself righteous let him go before God on judgment day when God marks iniquities and say I'm good you he will be put to shame and to everlasting contempt and be discovered and displayed before all eyes that he was a fool and we're no different apart from God's mercy and not only do we have a right standing with God we have a positional we have positional state of righteousness where we're justified but we also have sanctification and I know when we hear sanctification we normally immediately think about progressive all of us are progressively being sanctified and yes in Christ we are sanctified and that's right here on the what does confession say but I believe that the emphasis here is the state all these as a state so I think this is again for our definitive but it would expand into progressive and the end consummative sanctification and then redemption which is redeeming being bought out of the bondage and slave market of sin liberated you can't have the word redemption without the idea of slavery so we were slaves to our sin and we were deemed where can the world get that the rich can't buy it the wise can't attain to it the go on you know the strong those who have a lot of power whether it be individual or national so we are in Christ and therefore he is to us wisdom from God and in Christ we have righteousness sanctification and redemption first great things three is still dealing with divisions Paul is still dealing with that through all this section if you look in three verses four for when when one says I am of Paul and another I am of Apollos are you not carnal so you can see he's still on divisions here and it he continues to go on into chapter four with this but in verse and chapter three verses sixteen and seventeen he says do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the spirit of God dwells in you if anyone defiles the temple of God God will destroy him for the temple of God is holy which temple you are it doesn't anywhere say there specifically in Christ but we see this illustration and explanation of this reality that we are the temple of God the spirit God dwelling like similar to how God dwelt in the tabernacle in the wilderness which was patterned after this reality that we are partaking in God dwells with us like his should kind of glory dwelt in a building and that I know we can look at it later first Corinthians twelve that our union into the body of Christ is by being immersed into the spirit is drinking of the spirit so the spirit when I see spirit I think union with Christ and here he's saying if anyone defiles the temple the spirit of God do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the spirit of God dwells in you there's union with Christ by the dwelling of the spirit or the spirit of God if anyone defiles the temple of God well that's you that's me that's current that's Corinthian believers God will destroy him for the temple of God is holy which temple you are so we know that there's no fear of condemnation Romans eight first John I think four perfect love cast out fear and he's talking about the final judgment there so this destruction here doesn't mean that they can lose their salvation but he is warning them and if you think about the way that God caused his temple physical temple with Israel to be destroyed due to their sin Paul's now using that historical work of God's judgment to remind believers that you are the temple of God you are holy and remember how God dealt with the children of Israel when they defiled his temple you I'm warning you with your divisions that you do not defile the temple of God which is you that warning is intended with a forward look that they maintain fidelity to the Lord they maintain a dependence upon him and that they humble themselves and stop fighting and all those whom God has selected called will heed that warning he will preserve his people to heed his warnings it's the unbeliever that won't heed it they went out from us because they were not of us so you can see there in union with Christ that it's as if we're like a temple and God is dwelling in us for an illustration but it has implications you see how it has implications dealing with their sin you see how he's applying union with Christ he's thinking you're practicing divisions and picking up worldly wisdom and defiling God's temple that's significant because God in union with Christ dwells in you and God will not just stand idly by that's like a way for us to think man I need to be considered about how I'm using my life how I'm using my body God dwells in me in first Corinthians chapter three verses sixteen seventeen is you there singular or plural I don't know because I'm reading in well kind of reading in Spanish and it's using vosotros like a plural yeah like a plural oh amen alright well let's go to the next section any other questions there okay let's go to sexual immorality in the church first Corinthians six and I'll start at verse twelve and read to twenty all things are lawful for me but not all things are helpful all things are lawful for me but I'll not be brought under the power of any foods are for the stomach and the stomach for foods but God will destroy both it and them now the body is not for sexual morality but for the Lord and the Lord for the body and God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power do you not know take your bodies are members of Christ shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot certainly not or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her for the two he says shall become one flesh but he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him flee sexual immorality every sin that a man does is outside the body but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you whom you have from God and you are not your own for you were bought at a price therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are God's so the Corinthians were practicing at some level some members were involved in sexual immorality first Corinthians chapter 5 there was some incest happening here he's just says sexual immorality and one of their ways of thinking about their bodies that in their mind justified sexual immorality was all things are lawful for me God made food to feed my stomachs appetites and in the same way Paul God God made sexually available people to fulfill my sexual desires that was their thinking foods are for the stomach stomach for foods is just the natural desire that I have that God gave me and he gave me the people to fulfill it with that's and look at how Paul's addressing it like if you're going to counsel somebody in sexual immorality do you think like this we need to we need to grow and think and meditate and have a mind like Christ and what is Paul saying well all things are not helpful so you're all things are lawful for me he's got to stop somewhere and you know what it's not helpful first of all and all things are lawful for me he says but I'll not be brought under the power of any so you're in bondage foods are for the stomach the stomach for foods but God's going to destroy both head and them now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord so and the body and the Lord for the body and he's talking about not the body of Christ he's talking about the flesh and blood body bones and blood and heart and lungs and brain this body my physical body is for the Lord and the Lord is for the body and what he does through it God both raised up the Lord and he will also raise us up so if we're if our souls and bodies are redeemed why would we think that we can categorically separate spirit and body and say my spirit's pure but my body is doing all this other stuff it's going to die and decay well Paul saying Jesus is going to be resurrected I mean he has been resurrected you're going to be resurrected your body in other words Jesus Christ has redeemed not only your soul but your body is the Lord's so in this text here we need to in union with Christ remember that our bodies are members of Christ so in our doctrine of union with Christ it's not nearly spiritual it's physical look at our own confession or no it's a Catechism question verse 40 what benefits do believers receive from Christ at their death so this is when a believer dies today the souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holiness and do not immediate and do immediately pass into glory and their bodies being still united to Christ do rest in their graves till the resurrection so in our theology of union with Christ we need to remember my body is united to Christ what I do with my body is what God paid for in the blood of his son and I need to consider what I'm doing with my body and then he gives that analogy of the harlot so if I'm in union with Christ the two shall become one and then I go and use my body in sexual morality what am I implicating upon the Lord that's Paul's argument he says do you not know that he who was joined to a harlot is one body with her but he who was joined to the Lord is one spirit with him shall I take then the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot so you can see how he's got a wealth of understanding giving to him by God and applicable doctrine to call people not only to flee sexual morality and stop committing the sin but do so on this basis and that's very important let's go to the resurrection if we get done with the resurrection in time we'll go back up to one of the former ones yes I just wanted to make a comment and he doesn't do that for no reason call them to purity on this basis that is really the real efficacious means of purity anybody who's walked with the Lord for any time if you try to mortify the deeds of the flesh by carnal means you will do so to no avail and really it is union with Christ the power of the spirit every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places reckoning yourself as being dead to sin and united to Christ alive in Christ Jesus is really the effectual means that will help us to be pure amen the last point so I'm skipping Christian liberty and also spiritual gifts the Christian liberty there is when Paul goes into partaking of the food at the altar partaking in the worship of demons and how we need to be considerate or be warned that what we do with false worship is a partaking with worship of demons and not partaking it because we partake of the Lord's table and we are in communion with him spiritual gifts and there's a really good text on how we're one body in Christ but we're made up of a lot of members Christ is the head we're a bunch of members and why would you ever mistreat various members even in our own physical bodies the more modest members of our body the party parts that we don't use as much what we cover up we still care for and we even care for often more than we care for this I might not care a lot with my hands that's hitting around everything but the other things that I don't really use that I care a lot about you know what I'm saying about that and Paul gives that analogy in there he says if you start to think about union with Christ there are members of one body and there are some that have more showy gifts than others remember that even in the way you treat your own body you take care of those more modest members you actually give them more esteem why would you not do that in the church why would you mistreat one another and I'll be fighting for the showy gifts first Corinthians 15, 16 15, 16 is the idea and teaching having an effect upon them that there is no resurrection and then Paul's addressing that and he says for if in verse 16 if the dead do not rise then Christ is not risen and so in his mind okay if it's true that the dead don't rise because of union with Christ that means Christ is not risen and if Christ is not risen your faith is futile or futile and you are still in your sins then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ that means fallen asleep means died so you know those people in the church that died he says if there is no resurrection then they've actually perished eternally if in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all men most pitiable so he's just doing the counter argument to say okay if there's no resurrection then everything we believe is reveals us to be the most pitiable people in the world and then he says in verse 20 but now Christ is risen from the dead and he's become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep those who have died so Christ's resurrection isn't just evidence of the satisfactory work that he did it is that God declared him to be the son of God with power by the spirit from the resurrection but it's also our first fruit he's our head it's our first fruits we're of the same crop and what he went through and has done we're gonna go through so there's great hope that we ought to be encouraged by the resurrection of Christ but there what I just wanted you to see in verse 18 he says those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished so in his mind in that whole counter argument he's saying well if Christ hasn't risen those who died in Christ they've eternally perished so you can see how what the head goes through and acquires so to speak is what those in union with him will acquire it's inseparable if Christ hasn't risen then they don't rise if Christ has risen they will rise that's because they're in Christ and then verse 21 to 23 I'm gonna start at 20 but now Christ is risen from the dead and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep for since by man came death and by man also came the resurrection of the dead for as in Adam all die even so in Christ all shall be made alive I'll stop there for time's sake wanted you to see how we heard a sermon by Michael Reeves and it was a very good sermon he's just showing how all of God sums up all of humanity in just two identities in Christ and Adam in Adam in Christ whichever way you want to start it out but it's just two you're either in Adam or you're in Christ and if you're identified in Adam you will undergo what Adam earned if you're in Christ you will undergo what Christ earned it doesn't matter what you do when you're in Adam you can work but you will go through you will die he says in Adam all die even so in Christ all shall be made alive so you can see how that union with Christ is juxtaposed to union with Adam so when we have a theology of union with Christ we need to be thinking about what that union with Adam was like and how Adam was patterned after the true man or the perfect man Jesus Christ the God man and learn of the union with Christ from this union with Adam and there's a lot to be learned from what the way God dealt with Adam and of course the consequences aren't what we get with Christ but the relationship of Adam to the people and Adam in the covenant we can understand more about what this means with Christ fulfilling the terms of the covenant and our union with him in it receiving life so those are some aspects of union with Christ if you will as we go along these next week will be 2nd Corinthians feel free to do these studies but just know that right now we're just trying to sponge up by God's grace what we can get from each book as we get there we're not taking the big view and trying to understand it all right now we're just wanting to grasp what's key in each book and then there will come a time to give a more systematic definition any questions? okay well let's pray Father in heaven I pray that you would help us Lord to grow in our belief this faith you've given us of the reality that we are in union with Christ and that the doctrine coming from your word would inform our understanding and that we would grow in wisdom and apply it in our lives thank you for giving us the book of 1 Corinthians and helping us to see the truth of the new covenant and our union with Christ and how that applies to our life I pray that our worship also would be pleasing in your sight today by faith Amen