Sunday English Service – 25 JUL 21

Transcript

We’ve been talking about the spiritual blessings that we’ve received in salvation. And for the last couple of weeks, we’ve been talking about specifically our union with Christ, which we told you is the primary blessing. It is the thing through which everything else comes. It is the thing in which everything is. It is the foundation for everything you may say. Our union with Christ, basically the idea that we are joined to Christ, Christ is joined to us. And basically the idea that when we become a believer, a true believer, true salvation, what it’s about is not just believing in Christ and just following him. That’s our part, we believe in Christ, we follow him and yeah, that’s what we do. But what happens from God’s side, what God does when a person puts their faith in Christ and becomes a true believer, what God does is a miracle. He joins them to Christ.

There is a divine connection established, a connection between this ordinary believer and the Lord Jesus Christ. And this connection once established lasts forever. And it is a very close, tight, intimate, inseparable connection. Our union with Christ, that’s where the Bible speaks of it as we are in Christ and Christ is in us. And in so many ways. We told you that this is foundational to our salvation. Without this, there is no salvation without — we’re not just saying that without Christ, there is no salvation. Without Christ death on the cross, there is no salvation, all that it’s true.

But this is saying something beyond that. This is saying that the Christ who died on the cross, that same Jesus is alive today, and He has United Himself to you. He has become one with you. And in this union with you, only everything He did for you on the cross becomes yours, right? I hope that was clear. In other words, salvation is not just through Christ, what He did for you on the cross. Salvation is also in Christ in your union with him only you get what He did for you on the cross. It is only when you are joined to Him, you get what He finished for you on the cross. There is no getting any salvation or any blessing of salvation without getting Christ. You get Christ in Christ. You get every blessing. This is so to the way the world thinks. The way the world thinks is they say, if I pray to your God, will he give me something? Yeah, He’ll give you something. He’ll give you himself. That’s what salvation is about. And in Him is everything you will ever need, but it’s much more than what you need. He will give you himself. He will join you to Himself. He’ll connect you. It’s about getting into a connection with the living God. It’s about entering into a relationship, a relationship that’s deeper, more intimate. That’s tighter. That’s more inseparable than anything else you have or can have on this earth. That’s what this is about. And I told you that every little thing, even from forgiveness of sins, to every greatest thing, you will one day rule the world, is all only through your union with Christ.

We also, last week we spoke more in detail about how to understand this union. How should we understand this union? The Bible says a lot about it. And we said, we are joined to Christ like we were joined to Adam. You remember different things we said. Previously, we used to be in Adam, and similarly, now we are in Christ. Like we were in Adam, we are now in Christ. What else did we say last week? This union we have with Christ is like a marriage union, like a marriage union. The husband and wife enjoy a very, very intimate union. It’s called a one flesh union. And the Bible says the union between the believer and Jesus Christ is a one spirit. We also said last week that this union is like the union in between a vine and a branch. Jesus says, I am the vine. You are the branches. Think about that union. It’s really close and tight. It’s really one, it’s the life sap from the vine flows into the branch. We also said it’s like the union between the head and the body. Think about that connection. It’s so organic. It’s so vital. The same blood that flows in the head flows in the body. The Bible talks about the body of believers united with Jesus in that such a close way is the head, and we are the body. We are His body. We’re His members and so on and it says. 

And then I told you towards the end of last week sermon that in no matter how many pictures you use to try to understand this union, the truth is the union is actually greater than any picture or even the sum of the pictures because the union has what not picture can actually have. And what, even if you add up all the pictures, they don’t have, because the union is more glorious. The union we have with Christ, I’m talking because in all these pictures, you can cut off the union. You can bring a separation between a husband and wife. You can cut off that branch from the wine. It is even possible to cut off the body from the head. People do it sometimes. But it’s not possible to cut off a believer from Christ. Nobody can cut off a believer from Jesus Christ. If you are in Christ. If you’re joined to Christ, no power, no force, no hell, no devil can cut you off from Christ. Death nor life, angels, not powers, principalities, rulers, or things to come, nothing. Remember Paul says in Romans chapter 8 can separate us from the love of God, which is in. Again, you notice in Christ Jesus. This union can never be cut off. And so I said to you last week, this union is tighter, more intimate than the union you have with your own hand. Think about that. 

Your hand is a part of you and you think, oh, that’s so close. Your union with Christ is closer, is more inseparable. It’s even more inseparable. It’s possible to separate a hand, but it’s never possible to separate me from Christ. Even death cannot separate us from Christ. Your union, let me say, in another way, your union with Christ is even more inseparable or even more tighter if it’s even tighter than your union with say the union between your spirit and your body. You know, man is a spirit, soul, and body. Three parts. One man, spirit, soul, body. But in depth, what happens? The spirit leaves the body. So there is a separation between the spirit and the outer man and inner man in death. But even death cannot separate the believer from Christ. The Bible says we die in Christ. Blessed are they who die in the Lord? The dead in Christ, even

The dying is described as dying in Christ. And Paul says to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, meaning it’s possible to be separated from the body, but it’s never possible to be separated from the Lord. You are never absent from the Lord. You are only present with the — now think about that. So close, so intimate, so real, so glorious is your union with Christ. Does this amaze you, does this — do you think of this as the greatest thing that you have, you should because this teaching says union with Christ means what. Basically, you are joined to Jesus, which means you have Jesus. That’s what it’s all about. You have Christ. And if you can see the value in that, well, pray that your eyes will be opened to see the value of Jesus Christ, the worth of Jesus Christ, the glory of Jesus Christ.

That’s what we spoke about last week. Now, today, I want to talk about how this truth makes a huge difference in our practical everyday Christian life. I want to talk about how this truth makes a difference in our practical everyday Christian life. Basically, we wanted to take this very lofty truth and apply it in a more practical way, okay? Practical application. Because some people, listening to teaching like this, they’re thinking, just tell me something practical. What is the use? You’re saying we’re joined to him and this and that, but what good is it for me today? All this is so spiritual, sounding so impractical, they say. No, my friend, this is very practical. It makes a huge difference. And I’ll show you today, how it can be applied to various areas of life. You should have realized that by now. But today we’re going to spell it out a little bit more. This union with Jesus Christ, that we have makes a huge difference for all of life, every area of life. Think about it like this. If we are really united with Christ, as we have been looking at last week, if we are really as close to him as a branch is close to the vine. If we are really one with him as a head and body are one. If we’re really a part of Him in that way, if we are really so closely united and joined to Him, then how is it possible that it won’t make a difference in our life. It’s impossible that such an amazing union cannot make a difference in our — it’s impossible for it to not make a difference. It will make a difference.

If you’re truly joint with Christ, it will make a huge difference. If you’re truly one with Him, one spirit with Christ. If Jesus Christ is in you, I’m talking about if the Lord Jesus Christ, who rules and reigns from the heavens is in you by his spirit is present in you and living in you how can that not make a difference for every area in your life? If Jesus is my world, if I’m in Christ and Jesus is my world. If Jesus is my environment, if he is so to speak the air I breathe. I mean, Christ. If Christ is my life. As Paul says, if to live is Christ, as Paul says, then my whole life will be different, should be different, can be different. Let me show you specifically with some examples. First example, application, healing, many think of healing as the number one need today. And let me ask you this truth that we’ve been talking about this union with Christ. We are joined to Christ. We are in him. He is in us and you know your soul one with Him and all this? What does this have to do with healing? Does it have anything to do with healing? Does it make any difference for healing? How can it not make a difference? How can it not make a difference?

When you come to a subject like healing, the Bible has so much to say on it and you can approach it from various angles, for example, there are promises, there are verses, there are promises clearly, which God gives His people. I will bless your bread and water and remove sickness from your midst. That’s a promise to his people and take the other promise. Exodus 15, after He leads them to the waters of Marah, bitter waters, He turns the bitter waters into sweet waters. Then He gives them a lesson that He says, I am not a God who will put diseases on you. Exodus 15:26, I’m not the God who put the diseases on you, but I’m the one who heals your diseases. I’m the one who removes from your midst for, I am the Lord who heals you, God says this to His people. We need to remind ourselves about these promises today, especially in the kind of world that we live in today. Our God does not put diseases on His people, but He heals them from the disease because He’s the Lord, our healer. And so there are many verses promises like this. So you can take that, you can stand on it, believe it and so on. Or you can approach it from the angle of the cross. The Bible very clearly teaches that healing is a part of the redemption that Jesus purchased on the cross. 

Jesus not only paid their bore our — or Jesus not only bore our sin. He also bore our sickness. Jesus was beaten. He bore stripes so that we can be healed. The price for our healing has already been paid just as the price for our sins have already been paid. The work is finished. You can look at the cross, mitigate on the cross how Jesus bore your sickness was beaten, black and blue. By His stripes, you are healed. Or what I’m trying to say is you can approach it in different ways and receive your healing actually. What this truth that we’re talking about, that we are one with Christ goes beyond all that I’ve just said now. It is built on these other troops, but it goes beyond all that I’ve just said now, because this particular truth union with Christ says this Jesus who paid the price for your healing 2000 years ago is now alive and ruling and reigning and He has joined Himself to me. He has become one with me. I am one with him. I am with the one who heals. I have become joined to the healer Himself. 

Listen carefully. This is something more, it’s not just saying Jesus paid the price for your healing 2000 years ago. No, it’s saying that same Jesus will pay the price for your healing is now one with you, join to you, He is in you, you are in him. He doesn’t need to come down from there to heal me, or I need to go to Him. He doesn’t need to stretch and touch me and all that. He is in me, I am in Him. I’m one with Him. The healer is in me. I’m in the healer. We are one with the healer Himself, which means what, His life is my life, His health is my health. I share in His life, and His health. His life is already flowing in me. His health is already flowing in me. Does that sound strange to you? Well, it shouldn’t. If you took the vine and branches last week, seriously. He is the vine, we are the branches. You think that’s just a nice picture? Not my friend. That’s the truth. It is a spiritual. Through the form of a picture, it depicts a spiritual reality. It is spiritually real. There’s that real union between Christ and us. He’s the vine, and we are the branches and His life SAP flows in us, which means His life flows in us. He’s health in us. We share in His life and health. 

You remember what happens when Jesus comes into contact with sickness, with the leper? I think that’s a good example. Jesus healed many lepers in His day. Ordinarily if a man touched the leper, he would get the leprosy. It was a contagious disease in those days. And so that’s why the leper stayed out of the town and so on. They never come close to anybody. Nobody would go near them, but Jesus healed many lepers. And to some of them, He made it a point to go near them and touch them. He touched them, and when He touched them, something miraculous happened. Usually if somebody touched them, they’ll get the leprosy. But when He touched them, He didn’t get that man’s leprosy. But that man got Jesus’ healing. It went like this, not the other way. Sickness didn’t flow from that man into Jesus. But healing flow from Jesus into that man. When Jesus comes into contact with sickness, it will be healed. What we are saying this truth saying is, Jesus, doesn’t have to come and touch us. He is already one with us. He’s one with us. Now you may say that’s only spiritually. Yeah, but it affects our bodies as well. It affects our bodies as well. For example, in 1 Corinthians 6, Paul says, “Don’t you know that your bodies are members of Christ.” You bodies are members of Christ in the same place where he says you are one spirit with Christ. You read a few verses before that in 17, he says “One spirit with Christ.” I think in 13 or 14, he says, “Don’t you know that your bodies are members of Christ.” How can you take a member of Christ and join it to a harlot, he says. 

What I’m trying to say is, yes, it’s a spiritual union, one spirit union, but it affects even the body. Just as marriage is a one flesh union, but affects even your emotions and things like that. Not just the flesh, you know what I mean? Yeah, it’s predominantly a fleshly union, but affecting

every area. Here, it’s a predominantly, a spiritual union, but affecting even the body. What I’m trying to say is if we are one with Jesus, that makes a difference in our bodies my friend. It can if you really believe you are one with Christ. If you really believe you are in Christ, the healer, that you are joined to Him, then you won’t even think of healing as something you need. You won’t even think of healing as something you don’t have, or it’s not yet come. If you really believe you are in Christ. If this truth seems so big to you, let me put it like this. If you are more conscious of being in Christ than being in sickness, this is the crux. This is the key right here. What are you more conscious of? Being in Christ or being in sickness? What dominates your thinking? Your consciousness? You think of yourself as in sickness or in Christ. 

If you’re more conscious of being in Christ than being in sickness, then you’ll believe that you are already healed in Christ. You are healthy in Christ. You are strong in Christ. You are whole in Christ. Why? Because Christ has no sickness. Jesus has no sickness in Him. Jesus has no weakness in Him. Jesus has no deformity in Him, no fault in Him. That He is pure. He is perfect. There’s nothing wrong with Him. There’s nothing wrong with His body. He has a resurrection body. Even in this earthly life in sickness, couldn’t get on him. But in his resurrection, body is now glorified, immortal body. We are one with this Jesus. Now I know the union is not fully consummated. That will happen when He returns. But what I’m saying is we are one with Him. Now it’s a reality, now. And if you’re more conscious of your union with Christ than your union with sickness, then you will start seeing things like what? I am healthy in Christ because there is no sickness in Christ. And I am in Christ, which means I am healthy in Christ. Let me say it again. There is no sickness in Christ. You are in Christ, which means you are healthy in — would you dare to say that?  Can you say, I’m healthy, in Christ. I’m strong, in Christ. Yeah, by myself, I may be weak, but I’m strong in Christ because there is no weakness in Him and I am in Him. And so I am strong in Christ. I’m whole in Christ. I am well in Christ.

This helps you even with believing, faith. Even when we say to sick people, believe that you’re already healed. Sometimes it’s hard for them to believe that. Believe that you’re already healed. But if you believe this truth, that will become easy. If you believe that you are in Christ, then to believe that you’re already healed, it doesn’t become so difficult now because I’m in Christ. I’m healed because I am in Christ. I’m healed already. I’m healthy already. I’m strong already because I’m in Christ already. When the reality of it being in Christ is bigger to you than everything else. When the reality of being in Christ is bigger to you than the reality of your sickness. What is your big reality today? What seems so real and dominating your reality today? There’s the problem my friend how we are dominated by these realities’ sickness and problems and this and that. But my friend, you are a believer. You are not like a person in the world. They can be dominated, but you were to be dominated by the higher reality you are in Christ. You are to be more conscious of that. This has to be — this has to seem bigger to you. I’m in Christ. Everybody say, I’m in Christ. I’m going to make you say more today if you don’t mind. Because I think part of the problem is we don’t say, and the truths like this, they’re so sometimes hard to accept. They’re so against everything that we can see, everything we can, everything that surrounds us here, we are in — it looks like we’re in Adam only, in Adam’s fallen world. It looks like we were in sickness only. 

It looks like we were in weakness only, but the Bible says to the believer no, you’re in Christ. You’re a new creation. You belong to a different reality. You belong to a different world. And so you got to say it, you got to confess it my friend. Don’t look at your healing as so big. Look at the healer in you as big. Don’t look at the fact that you need healing as big, look at the fact that you already have Christ as big. But people have a hard time because they don’t realize that they are one with the healer because they’re basically weak in this increased truth. They’re basically we can in this matter. They’re not willing to take it seriously. They’re not willing to really embrace it. It starts with a lack of knowledge, a lack of understanding. And then even if there is knowledge and understanding, sometimes people are not willing to embrace it. Take it seriously, value it. In Christ, we have watered down that in Christ to its lowest denominator meaning. We take in Christ as he is just — that brother is in Christ will say. Meaning he’s also a Christian, that’s all. Some people take in Christ as just Christian. Some people take in Christ as they are in Christ means they’re a brother in Christ. They’re just believing Jesus, following Jesus, that’s it? No. Yeah, they’re believing Jesus, following Jesus, but why did Paul say it in that way? Why didn’t he just say Christian, but why did he say in Christ? Because he’s thinking of this deep union between the believer and Christ. So reduce that terminology in Christ, which is so important in the Bible to its lowest meaning. You lose everything.

Another example. What I’m trying to say is if you embrace this truth about your oneness with Jesus Christ, you are one with the healer, his healing flows in you. His health flows in you. His life flows in you. You believe that my friend, as the life of the vine flows into the branches, the life of Jesus flows into every believer, if you dare to believe it,  you believe it and you receive it. You speak it and say, I am healed in Christ. I’m healthy in Christ. I’m strong in Christ. I’m well in Christ, makes a difference for your healing. Another example makes a difference for let’s say financial needs. And these are the big things that people are concerned about. Healing financial needs. Now let me ask you, this truth that we are one with Christ joined to Christ. Does it make a difference for our financial life shall we say? Financial needs and every other need? But I’m saying it particularly specifically like that, financial needs, because that is big in people’s mind. I’m saying if you are a believer. If you are joined to Christ, I’m saying, does it make a difference for your financial situation? Does it change that? Can it change that? Of course it can. How can it not make a difference? If you’re really joined to Jesus Christ, how can that not make a difference in even the financial area of your life? Is he wanting in finances? Is Jesus Christ lacking finances? Is Jesus Christ poor?

Some people will say, He was poor on the earth. Forget about that. I’m now talking about the risen Lord, Jesus Christ. At least let’s get that straight. I don’t think He was poor even on the earth, but that’s another story. Let’s not even get into that. Well, let’s just focus on the risen Lord Jesus Christ, who’s the king of Kings, the Lord of Lords. He rules and reigns from the father’s right hand. Is He lacking in anything? No, my friend, there is no lack in Him. There is no need in Him. He is the all sufficient one. If there is no lack in Him and you are in Him, then there is no lack in you. There’s the simple spiritual reality. If you would embrace the hat, you will see it manifesting in your physical reality. Let me say it again. There is no lack in Him and you are in Him, which means there is no lack in you. But the thing is, you got to believe, really believe this, that you are in Him and joined to Him. Philippians 4:19, Philippians 4:19. Philippians 4:19 is a familiar verse to all of us. So let me read it. My God will supply every need of yours, according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Familiar verse. But I don’t know if you noticed, sometimes we don’t notice what is in the familiar verse. Did you notice that this verse has the teaching we’re talking about. It has this matter about union with Christ, where? In those words, in Christ Jesus. 

I was reading from the ESB, I think, my God will supply every need of yours, according to His riches in glory, in Christ Jesus. That’s the literal Greek, in Christ Jesus. The moment you see that in Christ Jesus immediately that you must think union with Christ. You must think I’m joined to Christ, but most people don’t even notice that in this verse. Let me tell you what it means. But before that, I’d like to clarify some other things in this verse God will supply all your need. My God will supply all your need. Everybody say, all your need, every need of yours some translation says. There is sweeping, Paul says. All needs, God will supply. This definitely includes financial needs. I say that specifically, because some people will say to a verse like this, they will say He will supply the spiritual needs. But just the way He says it, is all your need. Everybody say all your need. Yeah, obviously that can’t mean only spiritual. And furthermore, if you look at the context, this verse 19 comes after a little section that is specifically about finances. When you interpret a scripture, when you try to understand the verse, you should always not — you should understand it in its context, meaning you should not just look at the verse itself. You look at what comes before and after it, and in its context, you understand it. It’s just basic principle of interpretation.

So when you look at verse 19 to understand verse 19, you got to look at the verses before it, and if you look at the five, six verses, before it just look at verse 14 to 18, you will see that Paul is talking about how these Philippians have been helping Him financially. The Philippian church has been sending financial aid to the apostle Paul for His ministry work. He thanks them for it. He acknowledges that in verse 15, for example, he says, “Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set up from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only.” He says, when other churches didn’t help me, you helped me. And then look at verse 16, for even when I was in Thessaloni’ca, you sent me and more than once, send me aid more than once when I was in need. And then look at verse 18, I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied. Now that I’ve received from Epaphrodi’tus, the gifts you sent, there are fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. He’s thanking them for the gift, the financial gift, they sent, the offering they sent and they say there an fragrant offering before God.

So basically, the context is he’s talking about how God has met his needs through these Philippians. God has supplied Paul’s needs. And He’s given a role to the Philippian church also in that. After saying that in verse 19, he says, now let’s talk about your needs. God has met my needs. Now let me talk about your needs. My God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus. So when he says, my God will meet all your needs. The verse before itself is talking about financial stuff. So I would say perhaps, even an emphasis on finances, some scholars have said, it’s mainly finances here he’s talking about. But I would say that really the way Paul says it is more sweeping. My God will supply all your — Paul’s always sweeping, covers everything, grant. He recognizes, man has many kinds of needs. Financial need is only one. There are different kinds of need, spiritual needs, there are financial needs. There are family-oriented needs. There are work-related. There are so many needs. So many needs we have and the Philippians had. And so Paul says, my God will supply all your needs. Everything is covered there. How will He supply? According to His riches in glory, I’m having to clarify something sweetly. 

When the moment some people see in glory, they immediately say in heaven, according to his riches in glory, He will supply. In heaven, He will supply. No what Paul is — Paul, when he’s talking about God, he’s not able to simply say riches, because there are rich men in the world also. So he has to attach this glory because he’s talking about God. For Paul, everything about God is glorious. His power is glorious. His love is glorious. His returns are also glorious. You cannot compare His riches with the richest that the men in this world, it’s nothing. It is literally nothing. And so to set this on a higher level, he says his riches and glory. The way you must understand that this is His glorious riches, incompatible riches. I want to talk about His riches. We get so — we are an all looking at the richest people have. The rich people and the things, they have. Everybody is looking at them as wow, their houses and this and that. They’re looking at, wow. No, we look at our God and go, wow. Do you know His riches? The Bible says that the cattle on a thousand hills belong to Him. The Bible says the earth and the fullness there of, belongs to the Lord, the world and day that dwell there — the earth and its fullness and the world, and all who dwell in this world belong to who? He’s actually the owner. Everybody has it, only on lease. They’re not the real owners. So don’t owned by them. Don’t get amazed by them. Get amazed by your God, my friend, by your grip on a God who created the heavens and the earth, who owns it, who owns everything. 

Paul talking to the — in Athens, in Acts 17 to an ungodly people. People who don’t know God. He’s talking to these people who don’t know about the one true living God and he tells them, listen, God is not the way you think. He says in Acts 17:24, the God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth, and does not live in temples built by human hands. He says, you guys think, it’s impossible for the God who made heaven and earth, the Lord of heaven and earth to live in a little temple like this. And in verse 25, he says, and he is not served by human hands. You see people who don’t know the one true living God think God needs their services. Even sometimes Christians think that God needs our — no, God doesn’t need our service. He’s not served by human hands as if he needed anything. Does he need our service? He can’t do without us. No my friend, don’t get the picture about your God wrong. He is great and might, and awesome and rich in glory, glorious riches. He’s not served by human hands as if he needed anything. Rather he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. He doesn’t need anybody, but everybody needs Him. He doesn’t need anybody to serve Him. Yeah, if He allows us to serve Him, count it as the highest privilege and honor to serve Him. He doesn’t need our service, but He gives us the honor and privilege of serving Him. We need him. He gives everything from life, and everything else to everyone. This is the God in Paul’s mind. He is incomparable to anyone. There is no end to His Riches. And so when he says, riches, he just can’t say riches, it has to be glorious riches. 

And Paul says, my God will supply all your need according to His glorious riches. What he means is no just God will give out of His riches, but according to. Everybody say, according to. According to means what? According to His standards, according to His standard of riches. That means everybody has a standard. I can do for my children according to my standard, a person can do for their children only according to their standard. An average man takes a child to the toy shop, he can buy what an average man can buy. But if the rich man takes his takes this son to the toy shop, he may buy the shop. Because his standard is different. Paul is saying, Philippians, you may have given a lot to me. In fact, they say the Philippians gave a lot to Paul. They gave above and beyond their means. And so Paul is trying to tell them, don’t worry, you may have given a lot to me, but let me tell you, my God will supply all your need not according to your need, no according to your thinking even, but He can supply according to His glorious riches, it’s a different standard altogether. Don’t limit Him, expect Him to supply more than you can ever ask or want. That’s His way of supplying. According to His level, He will meet your need. A child may say, I want only this toy. But the father may see it and say, why this? Let’s go for something better. It’s like that. Sometimes our mind is so small, I got, I want this, and God says, I got something better for you. My glorious riches is according to that, I want to meet your needs. 

My friend, do you believe in this stuff my friend. No matter what you’re going through today, no matter what do your need is today, this applies to you. Whether it is a financial need, whatever need you have. Don’t look at the world. Don’t look at the state of the world. Don’t get discouraged with the news. Your supply comes from him. My God shall supply all your need. And it doesn’t come according to the world standard, according to the world’s economy now. It comes according to His glorious riches, which knows no dips and curves or nothing. His economy is solid as ever. And He rules and reigns and out of His abundance are in accordance with His abundance. He supplies your need, amen? Whatever you need, expect God to supply your need like this. And then Paul adds those final words in Christ Jesus. Everybody say in Christ Jesus. For most people, if I remove the in Christ Jesus from the verse, it will make no difference. But for Paul, he has to have it in their Christ. What does that mean in Christ Jesus? My God will supply all your need according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Many will understand it as by Christ Jesus, even translations have by Christ Jesus. And so the people have a kind of a general understanding that everything God wants to give us. He gives us through Christ without Christ, without the cross of Christ, our needs can’t be supplied. For example, they’ll understand it like that.

Without Christ, we cannot receive God’s supply. Without the cross, we cannot — all that is true. Without Christ, we cannot receive. Without the cross, we cannot receive because Jesus bore our curse. He became a curse for us so that we can receive blessing. Otherwise, we are not worthy to receive anything from God. So all that is true, but Paul is not trying to emphasize that here. He will say yes to that, amen to that, but he says in Christ, the Greek says in Christ Jesus. And when we see that in Christ Jesus, he says we know we’re talking about — Paul is talking about union. He’s not just saying without Christ your needs won’t be supplied, without the cross of Christ, your needs can’t be supplied. He’s not just joining generally. Everything God wants to give; He gives only through Christ Jesus. No, He’s saying more than that, he’s saying you have been joined to Christ Jesus, where all your supply is and in your union with Him, all your needs are supplied. In Christ Jesus means not just that your all supply is found in Christ, but you are in Christ. Everybody say, I’m in Christ. And in Christ, there is no lack. There is no want, all the glorious riches that belong to the father belonged to Jesus Christ. And if they belong to Jesus Christ, they belong to us because God has united us with this son. God has made us one with Christ.

Like I said, it’s like — last week, it’s like marrying the king. You get everything that he has. You can enjoy everything that he has. God has put us in Christ where all the glorious riches are. What Paul is trying to say is, believer, you are joined to Jesus Christ, therefore all your needs will be supplied in this union. How can it not be supplied? And it will be supplied according to God’s standard because we’re talking about God, supplying the need in Christ His son. You don’t lack anything. You see if you’re thinking — if you’re so dominated by this thing about I’m in Christ, and Jesus is in me and I’m one with Him. And if it’s so dominated, you’ll start talking different. You’ll start thinking different. You won’t be thinking, oh, I lack this. No, you’ll say I have no lack in Christ. I lack nothing in Christ. I have everything in Christ because you have Christ. You have everything. You have everything in Christ because there is no lack in Christ. And you are in Christ. You don’t lack anything in Christ. Amen. Everybody say, I lack nothing in Christ, in Christ. Everybody say, I need in Christ, I have everything. In Christ, I have everything. Yeah, I know it’s — brother, I don’t have everything. Again, so what is a bigger reality to you that you don’t have everything or that you are in Christ? It all comes down to this. What is the biggest reality for you? For people, it’s their problems often. I’m in sickness. I’m lacking this, that or that. That’s how the world thinks. That is fine. Let them think like that. But we are believers my friend. 

The most fundamental reality, the most primary reality for a believer is that you are in Christ. Whether you are sick or in want, in lack, in need is secondary. What is primary is you are in Christ. And so you said it, you are in Christ. Everybody say, I’m in Christ. This has to become a greater reality for you, so much so that this other realities don’t bother you so much. This dominates your thinking. And these words, let me remind you are written from a jail, which words? My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory, by Christ

Jesus. The language, does it sound like language coming from a guy in jail? Paul wrote Philippians from prison. You read the book of Philippians. You will not see Him dominated by his oh, I’m in prison, I can’t go anywhere, I’m not able to do this or that. No, in fact, Philippians is called the book of joy. The epistle of joy. That’s where he talks about joy more than any other epistles, very strange. This apostle Paul. Why? He’s not dominated by his physical problems, by those realities. The fact that he’s in jail, he’s more conscious of being in Christ than being in jail. How’s that? If we ever come to that level, if you’re more conscious of being in Christ than being conscious of sitting right here. If you’re more conscious of being in Christ than being in sickness, being in, not having a job or struggling in life or this or that. If you’re more conscious of being in Christ, my friend wonders can happen. You will start to benefit from your union with Christ. The whole problem lies where we are dominated by these other things. 

And that’s why we are teaching this truth so that it will begin to go into you. And this will become the big reality for you. I’m in Christ. I’m in Christ. I’m in Christ. Say it to yourself a thousand times if you have to my friend, I’m in Christ. Everybody say I’m in Christ. Christ is in me. I’m joined to Him. He’s the vine, and I’m the branch. I’m one spirit with Him. You got to confess these things. You got to confess these things. Then only you will start to benefit from its reality. Otherwise it’ll just remain a spiritual truth out of which you don’t practically benefit.

Another example, holy holiness, holy living, shall we say. Overcoming sin. So we looked at healing. We looked at the finances and other needs. Now I want to talk about holy living. This is the final example. Now, you may say this doesn’t sound so practical. It doesn’t go over the healing and finances, holy living. For the world, it may not be very practical. If you talk about holy living to the world. They’re thinking that’s the most impractical thing. But turns out for the true believer, this is also very practical. What is practical? How to live holy? Because holiness is about pleasing God. And the true believer is interested in pleasing God. For the true believer, as important as it is to be healed and healthy, as important as it is to have the financial needs met. It is important to please God, with his life, with his choices, with his life style. You can test yourself. Is this an important thing for you pleasing God. That’s what holiness is about. Not doing certain things because He doesn’t like it. Doing certain things because He likes it. It’s about pleasing him. Want to please Him? It’s not about style, following a set of rules. No, it’s about pleasing him. A true believer wants to please Him and for a true believer, this is as practical as it gets. And that’s why I have it in this sermon. And not only that when the new Testament practically applies, this union with Christ teaching, it is many times in this area, how to take this truth and using this truth, overcome sin and live holy and please God. 

Let me ask you again the same question I’ve been asking. If we are really in Christ, if Christ is in us, if we’re joined to Christ, and if you have such a close union with Him, does it make a difference for overcoming sin? Can it make a difference for overcoming sin living a holy life pleasing to God? Of course, it can. Because now I have Christ power over sin available to me.

I’m not just battling sin on my own power. I’m not just fighting it with my resources. No Christ power is flowing through me. He’s the vine, I’m the branches. And because I fight sin with his power, I can overcome sin. So you can think of it in that general way, but I want to go to Romans 6 because the new Testament teaches it in a very specific way. Not just generally, or you are one with Christ and so you have His power, and so you can overcome sin, no, in a more specific way, the new Testament teaches this matter. And I want to bring your attention to that. Romans chapter 6, there’s a specific way in which we are united to Christ. And this makes a huge difference, helps us to overcome sin and please God, and live holy lives. So Romans chapter 6, verse 1, what we say then, shall we continue in sin that Grace may abound. Strange statement. Shall we continue in sin that Grace may abound? Why does Paul say that? Because a few verses before this, in the previous chapters, just two verses before this, 5:20, he said, where sin abounded, grace abounded much more. Strange statement again, where sin abounded, grace abounded much more. 

And Paul knows that a person hearing that can easily twist, that misunderstand that and misapply that in, or there are people who go to an extreme and say, let us sin so that Grace May abound more. And there are people who at a minimum may at least understand it like, oh, it’s okay, even if I sin, no problem. Even if I — so what even if I sin any way, the worst thing that can happen is Grace will abound. That’s okay. So people can — Paul realizes that people can misunderstand, misapply that, and so he raises that question himself. He follows up on in chapter 6, verse 1. And he says, shall we continue in sin that Grace may abound? And what’s the answer? Verse two. Certainly not. Of course that would be everybody’s answer. Nobody’s going to say let’s sin, so that Grace will — no, most people won’t. There have been some crazy people who won’t believe. But nobody s going to, I don’t think most people won’t say that. The is no, of course not, certainly not, by no means. We should not sin that Grace may abound. No, the answer is simple and everybody will give that answer, but I want you to notice why Paul gives this answer. Why does Paul say we should continue in sin  that Grace may abound? Why does Paul say our life should be different? What is Paul’s specific answer? 

Look at verse 2, he says by no means. And then here’s his answer. How can we, who died to sin still live in it? We could have answered this in — Other people might’ve answered it in different ways. Certainly not. Maybe somebody may say we are righteous in Christ and therefore we shouldn’t sin. I want you to notice how Paul answers it. He says, how can we, who died to sin still live in it. He says, how can you continue to live in sin if you’re already dead to sin? And you may say, what do you mean by dead to sin? Here’s Paul’s logic. He says you have died to sin. How? When? Because you died with Christ, you may say, what do you mean? That’s even more strange. I don’t know what died to sin means. And I don’t know what died to Christ, died with Christ means, but basically what Paul has in mind is union with Christ. He says you are so united to Jesus Christ, that everything that happened to him happened to you. When he died, you died. When he was buried, you were buried. That’s what the next few verses says. When he rose again, you rose again. So here’s his logic, his foundation. What he has in mind. The undergirding parts are this. You are in union with Christ so much so that everything that happened to you, which means you also died with Him. If you died with Him, you died to sin.

In verse three, he says it in reverse. How shall we, who died to sin live any longer in it? And then he explains what I just said in many words. Let’s continue to read. Let’s read his answer from verse two onwards. Let me read. Notice how many times he talks about union with Christ. I’m going to read a few verses. I want you to notice this. The answer is basically union with Christ. If you are United with Jesus Christ, you are United with everything He did. He died. You died. If you died with Him, you died to sin. If you died to sin, how can you still continue in it? That’s the logic. Now let’s read his words. Verse two, by no means, how can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death. We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead, by the glory of the father, we too might walk in newness of life. Did you notice that? Death, burial, resurrection. Verse five, for if we have been united with Him. Look at the word, united with Him, union with Him. That’s where they get the word from. For if we have been united with Him, in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His. We know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. See how he is relating this. 

He is going from union to union in His death to dying, to sin, to becoming free from sin. Look at verse 7, for one who has died has been set free from sin. You see what is happening? Let me say it again. There’s a framework working in Paul’s mind you got to understand that, then you’ll understand this. For Paul the believer is so closely united to Jesus Christ, that he is united in His death, and resurrection. You may say how’s that possible. I thought we became joined to Christ only when got saved. How could we have been joined to Christ in His death? Now this is where the Bible stretches our thinking. In the Bible Doesn’t you know — yes, experientially, we are joined to Christ when we get saved. But as far as God is concerned, the Bible says we were joined to Christ before the foundation of the world. You go read in Ephesians 1:4, I read it that day, but I’m not going to read it today. Ephesians 1:4 says, God chose us believers in the Him. God chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, Ephesians 1:4. Just think about that one minute. In Him again, means union with Him. God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. As far as God is concerned, you are in Christ, not the moment you got saved, but before the foundation of the world. And so as far as God was concerned, when Jesus died on the cross, you died with Him. As far as God was concerned, when Jesus was buried, taken down from the cross, laid in the grave, you’re buried with Him. And as far as God was concerned, when Jesus rose again from the dead, you also rose again. Let me say, I don’t understand this. You don’t have to understand it, accept it. There’s some things you just got to accept. Even if you don’t fully understand. Again, the simple thing is you are united with him. You’re one in with Jesus in, in a way that transcends any other union. And that’s where this is possible that you died with them, you were buried with Him, you rose again with Him. And so Paul then, so he takes it one level after the other. He says, you said, basically we are one with Christ united with Christ, which means we are united with Him, in His death, burial and resurrection, which means if we died with Him, we died to our old life, that sin life. We died to our old man, our old man died our old life died. We died to those old connections. We died to those old enslavement. We died to that old powers, which used to dominate us because our whole life was finished and a new life began. When?

Because the moment we were joined with Christ, the moment we were — experiencedly it began the moment we got saved. But historically you may say it began at the resurrection of Christ himself. It’s a two-time slot. At the resurrection, this is finished as far as God is concerned, but in your experience, it happens when you got saved. When you got saved you became joined to Christ so much so that this thing that happened 2000 years ago now becomes applied to you. You have risen again to newness of life. Paul is saying in verse 2, I want you to see, he brings in this word baptism there, right in verse 3 and 4. Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death. Next verse he talks about, we’re buried, therefore we’re baptism into death. Why does he bring the word baptism? Only for two verses, he brings about bring this word baptism. Baptism is not the main point here. Union with Christ is the main point because it runs throughout the passage. In fact, it runs even before Roman 6 in Romans 5, he says, like we were in Adam, now we are in Christ through Adam’s sin entered the world, sin spread but through Christ, grace entered and abounded much more, that’s chapter five. Chapter six, sorry for getting into lot of specifics. Maybe people may think such kind of teaching doesn’t belong in a church, but I think it belongs. I think sometimes we’ve got to get into some serious teaching.

What I’m trying to say is the main point in the whole passage here is union with Christ. The sub point is baptism. He brings in baptism to further showcase this union. Look at the way he speaks about baptism. Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus, did you see the way he says it? He doesn’t say baptized in the water. He says, baptized into Christ Jesus. Will you say that after me, baptized into Christ Jesus. And just think about that one minute. Not immersed in the water, but baptized into Christ Jesus. That’s like amazing picture, if you think about it. Baptized in the water, you can think, but think now baptized into Christ Jesus. What does that mean? Again, union in a more powerful way, it describes it through this baptism. He says we have a baptized. We have not just joined to Christ. We were baptized into Christ. We were immersed into Christ so to speak. There’s a similar in — I’m not going to read it, but in Galatians 3:27, he also says those who have been baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ. You’re covered with Christ because you’re baptized into Christ. What he’s talking about is he’s talking about salvation. In salvation, you are joined to Christ. The joining was so deep that you are baptized into Christ. The holy spirit immersed you into Christ. And now Christ covers you from head to toe. You are in Christ.

But why this Baptist deal. If you look in — there’s an interesting similar passage in 1 Corinthians 10. Sometimes you got to look at other passages to understand one passage better. In 1 Corinthians 10, I’m not going to read it. Paul talks about the people of Israel being baptized into Moses when they crossed the red sea. Very interesting thing. Well, what is he talking about? When the people of Israel crossed the red sea in 1 Corinthians 10, Paul says they were baptized into Moses. Now, if you think about that epistle in the red sea, there was no water baptism there. In the red sea, they walked on dry land. They didn’t get wet with the water. Even their feet was not wet. They were not immersed in the water. In fact, the only fellows who were immersed were the Egyptians there. They drowned. The people of Israel walked through the red sea on dry land, got on the other side. Paul calls that as they were baptized into Moses, what is he talking about? They say, what that baptized into a person means is, you are inseparably joined with them. You are disconnected from your previous unions, and you’re connected in separately with this person. What is talking about is at that moment at the crossing of the red sea, something remarkable happened to the people of Israel. They became joined to Moses in an inseparable way. What does that mean? Until they cross the red sea, they had an option of going back to Egypt. They had an option of rejecting Moses as the leader.

They could have said, Moses, we don’t like your style, we don’t like you. You’ve made us starve like this, without food, without water. I’m just going back to Egypt, my old master, the Egyptian Pharaoh, I’m just going to go back there and live there. Until they crossed the red sea, they could have actually gone back. They could have surrendered, but the moment they cross the red sea and the waters came back and drowned the Egyptians and Pharaoh, that’s it. There’s no more going back. The moment they crossed the red sea, they became inseparably joined to Moses as leadership. Now they can’t say no, that’s it. They’re with Moses for the rest of their life. It’s a picture of baptism with Christ. What happens at baptism is something like what happens at the red sea right. Now listen to this. Now, when I say baptism, don’t just think about the ritual. Don’t make much of the ritual. Because some people think if they just get baptized, that’s it. There are people, it’s possible to get meaninglessly baptized also. You know what I mean? I’m not talking about people who don’t know the meaning of baptism. I’m talking about people who just use baptism as a means to another end, or something else they do it. They’re not really deciding to follow Jesus or things like that. They want to accomplish their own means. They want to accomplish their own ends. So this is just a way to get that. I don’t want to say anything more specific.

But what I’m saying is people do that, something unreal without meaning in a meaningless manner, they do. So baptism itself than meaningless cannot save anybody. Baptism cannot save, only Christ can save. What happens in baptism is this outward baptism ritual shows on the outside what has already happened beautifully on the inside of a believer, the meaningful baptism is taken by a believer. One who has already believed in Christ. One who has already become joined with Christ. That person, what happened to him on the inside? Something like what happens on the outside. He was joined to Christ, the moment he got joined to Christ, his old connection, the connection with his old life was cut. A new connection got established with Jesus Christ, henceforth he can never go back. Baptism is like the seal, which kind of seals it. It’s like a further seal on it. But it’s already happened. The believer has already joined to Christ. The believer has already, but the moment he got joined with Christ, he died to sin and he rose again in new life. And his old — the connection with his old life got cut just as the connection between the people of Israel and Egypt was cut at the red sea. Cut permanently inseparably. That’s a cut. You can’t go back anymore, like that when a person truly gets saved is join to Christ, their connection with the old life is cut, finished. Now they have a new connection with Christ. They can’t go back to the old life. They go forward. Baptism shows that.

You go in, you die with Christ, symbolically. You’re buried with Christ, risen again. You walk out in new life to live a new life, you can’t go back. Going back is like going back across the red sea to Egypt, going back is like digging up a dead body. No, you’re and buried with Christ. There’s no going back. Now, there’s only the new life to live. That’s what salvation is about. Salvation joined you with Christ, cutoff your old connection, whether you know it or not, you died to sin, cut off that all the enslavement, and now gave you a new life to live in Christ, with His power, with His resurrection power and soul. Paul brings this whole picture of Baptism to show that. Don’t you know, basically what he’s trying to say is don’t you know this basic Christian truth which is portrayed in baptism. These people are saying, can we continue in sin that Grace may abound? Paul says, no, how can we, who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ were baptized into His death? Listen to his tone. Sometimes you got to hear the tone. Do you not know? Do you not know such a basic truth? That’s what he’s trying to say. Do you not know that if you’ve been baptized into Christ, you are baptized into his death. Do you not know the truth that was portrayed in your baptism? Do you not know the very meaning of your baptism? Do you not know how baptism showcases on the outside what has happened on the inside. You want to become baptized into Christ himself. Your old connection is cut. You have established a new connection with Christ now. Now you can go back. You can only go forward. How can you say such a thing like this? Shall we continue in sin that Grace May abound? 

Don’t you know the basic truth about being saved, being joined to Christ? That your whole connection is cut off. You’re dead to sin. Sin has no power over you anymore. It’s like, he’s saying it like that to basically shut their mouths. The people who are objecting and saying, oh gosh, do we continue in sin that Grace may abound? He’s saying don’t, don’t you know the most simplest thing, what your baptism was about. You don’t understand, is it, he is saying. How can we who died to sin still live in it? This whole verse 2 to verse 10. If you notice, he will say three times. No, do you not know? We know, we know. If you read it, you will see that, right. He wants the believers to know this, don’t you know this? Some people say in the early church, this was basic teaching either. Either they got it before Baptism, or after Baptism. The meaning of this baptism, baptism is very rich in meaning. One of the meanings is this. That your old connection has been cut off. 

Now you are Christ forever. And there’s no going back. Only forward. Do you not know this? That’s his emphasis. I’m trying to give this knowledge to the people of how they are already dead to sin because they died with Christ because they became one with Christ, baptized into Christ. And then in verse 11, he builds on it. And he says, if this has happened, now, here’s something you must do. You must consider yourself. Look at verse 11, Romans 6:11, you must consider yourself dead to sin and alive to God. What does that mean? Consider, think of yourself as dead to sin and alive to. You want to overcome sin? First know this, know that you’re joined to Christ, you died with him, therefore you died to sin therefore you’re dead to its power. This has already finished happened. This is basic. This s the ABC of Christianity. ABC of salvation. This is what baptism itself portrays. First know this, and once you know this take the next step, which is what? Verse 11 consider yourselves. Everybody say consider yourselves. Dead to sin and alive to God and look how he throws in Christ Jesus. Those words, again, people just gloss over it. What does that mean? He saying in your union with Christ, you are dead to sin. You are alive to God, you accept this, believe it, embrace it, consider it like that. This is already true about yourself. In union with Christ, you’re already dead to sin and alive to God. Now you need to accept this. Consider this. Count it as true in your life. Consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God. Everybody say I’m dead to sin, in Christ. I’m alive to God in Christ. In Christ, I’m dead to sin, in Christ, I’m alive to God. So he is saying, you change your thinking first to get this knowledge of your union with Christ. And to what extent you died with Him and died to sin and all that. Get that knowledge and then change your thinking. Accept it. Consider yourself dead to sin and alive to God. 

And then third thing, he goes one step higher in verse 12, and he says, let not sin, therefore reign in your mortal body. He says, get the knowledge, change your thinking. And then don’t allow sin to reign in your mortal body. And he even elaborates on that. And he says, verse 13, how do you not allow you? You don’t present your members to sin, but present yourselves to God, verse 13. I’m sorry that I’m having to rush through this, but I’m trying to give it in a broad way, basically saying, here is the foundational knowledge for overcoming sin, your union with Christ. If you take out union with Christ from Romans 6:1-14, there is nothing left. There’s nothing left. It’s all built on that. You see, there are so many aspects to holy living. You should not present your bodies to sin. You should present your bodies only to righteousness, is something you should do, you should try hard. All that is correct only. You should change your thinking. You should consider yourself dead to sin, alive to God. That is also correct. But you can change your thinking all you want and you can change your actions all you want if you are not joined to Christ, one with Christ. If you didn’t die within, if you didn’t die with sin, then no matter what you do, you will not be free from its power. Without the union, nothing else will work because of the union. Now you can change your thinking and change your actions. It’s all built on the union. The foundation for holy living, overcoming sin in Romans 6:1-14, one of the most important passengers in the New Testament for overcoming sin. The foundation for it is what, union with Christ. You’ve got to so believe in your union with Christ, that you’ve got to have no problem believing that you died with Him and therefore are dead to sin and alive to God. You’ve got to have no problem considering that truth about yourself. And that should lead you to change your thinking and actions. 

But where’s the problem. It’s exactly at the foundation. People are trying to change their actions, that thinking, but that foundation is not there. What’s the foundation. They are one with Christ. If you don’t change this, there’ll be struggling. You got to build on the right foundation my friend. That’s why I’m teaching this. That’s why I’m emphasizing this. That’s why I’m dwelling on this. That’s why I’m going through this difficult kind of passages. And maybe I’m not doing the best job explaining it, but at least I want you to hear something from it because this is the foundation for everything. This is the foundation for the entire Christian life. Some things you don’t have to understand fully before you embrace it. You didn’t even understand what Lord meant, before you said, Jesus is Lord. That’s the basic confession of Christian faith. A person opens their mouth and says, Jesus is Lord. Do you know how rich that word means, that word, Lord. But we say, Jesus is Lord, like that, I challenge you, you don’t have to understand everything about Romans 6 to embrace it. I said to you, embrace it. How do you embrace it? You take this and you just open your mouth and say it, even though you don’t understand it, just say I am one with Christ. I died with Christ. I was buried with Christ. I rose again with Christ. I was baptized into Christ Jesus.

You say these truths and you embrace them by confessing them. I tell you, the more you do that, the holy spirit will bring illumination and understanding. And it will lead to victorious living over sin. This is the foundation for holy living. This is the foundation for all the Christian life, my friend, because it has to be this way because this makes Christ Himself, the foundation. The union with Christ constantly puts the weight on Christ. It constantly gives him the glory. It draws from His strength, His power, His energy, His wisdom, His everything. That’s the beauty of this truth. You can’t never go away from Christ when you have this, because this is saying — this makes you depend every day on the living and reigning Jesus Christ. It’s not just that. This Jesus 2000 years ago died for me and did a lot for me, and then he went away. No, the same Jesus who did all this for me, lives and rules and reigns and is one with me. And every day I draw my life, energy, my source, my wisdom, my strength, my health, my everything for everything from Him. That’s what this truth does. And I pray that you will embrace it. That God lead you into more and more into this, and really that it will make a difference in every area of your life. Let’s all stand up. Once your eyes are open to this, you will start to see this everywhere in the new Testament. Simple things Paul will be bringing this in. Children obey your parents in the Lord. Why in the Lord? It’s union with Christ. Children obey your parents in the Lord. 

Finally, my brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power and the strength of His might. Ephesians 6:10. Why be strong in the Lord? Because He’s trying to say believer, you are in the Lord. You are joined to the Lord, His strength is your strength, draw from His strength. Be strong in the Lord. I can go on and on, but thank God that salvation is like this and not in a different way. It’s not you go and Jesus gives you 10 or a 100, or 10,000 things. Jesus gives you Himself. God gives you Himself. That’s the greatest thing. And in Him, we get everything. And every day we draw our everything from him. Let’s give thanks. Let’s give thanks for this grand plan of salvation. Let’s give thanks.