I've been so thankful for my time among you these past four weeks. And in some ways it's gone quickly, and in some ways it feels like I've been here a very long time. And I just want to thank you as a congregation for your generosity to my family and to myself. I think probably from at least half the congregation, I've received either a meal or a car or a house or something in the time that I've been here. And it's been a wonderfully pleasant stay, so thank you very much. It's been a joy getting to know some of you as well. We've been talking about union with Christ. We talked about it generally at the beginning. We looked at our union with Christ in His death, the second week. In the third week we looked at our union with Christ in His resurrection. And tonight we'll be looking at one final aspect of that. And we'll be looking at it from my favorite book, Arash, Ephesians. I can't leave without at least one sermon from my favorite book of the Bible. So I'll be reading Ephesians chapter 2. I'll be reading the first 10 verses. Listen once again. This is the word of the Lord. And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy because of his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ, by grace you have been saved, and raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace and His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith in that not of yourselves. It's the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. So from Romans chapter 6, chapter 5 actually, when we looked more generally at what it meant to be united with Christ, we looked at that in comparison with and contrast to what it meant, what it means for all of us at birth to have been united first with Adam. And again, that union with Adam meant that his disobedience, his guilt, his sentence of death was reckoned as ours. And likewise, in our union with Christ, His obedience, His not guilty verdict, the gift of eternal life, became ours for our union with Him. We looked at how in our union with Christ and His death, you died with Him. And how this death with Christ, in Christ, united with Christ, this death brought you out of that whole system of law and sin and death. The law as a way of pursuing eternal life. That whole system was done away with. You were brought out of it. You were rescued from it. And then we looked last week at our union with Christ and His resurrection. You were raised with Him. And this allowed you to share with Him in that verdict, that declaration, that vindication of His perfect innocence, His perfect righteousness. And that, through your union with Him, became yours as well. But in our main text for this evening, stepping outside of Romans and stepping into Ephesians, we see a third thing that's expressed with this idea of with. Christ. Paul says here that we were raised with him and seated with him in the heavenly places. Now, already coming into this section, Paul has already said, made alive in reference to our union with Christ in His resurrection. So, there seems to be something else being talked about in addition to, beyond union in His resurrection that's spoken of here. But what is this? What is this talking about? Now, first of all, what is it talking about with respect to Christ? We know Christ's death, we know His resurrection, but what is this? talking about with respect to his experience. Because remember when we talk about union, we're talking about his experiences becoming ours. So what is the root experience of Christ that's referred to here? Well, we saw, heard in our first scripture reading for this afternoon, the event to which Paul is referring is most fully spoken of in Acts. In our first scripture reading, he was lifted up, Luke says, and a cloud took him out of their sight, that of the apostles, and he was taken up into heaven. Now later in the same book, in chapter 2 of Acts, Peter will add that in ascending into heaven, Christ was exalted at the right hand of God. And Christ himself, as Luke records in his gospel, had indicated before this event that after his ascension, it would be at the right hand of God where he would be seated. Now this whole event of the ascension, it's hard for us to know exactly how it all works, to get our head wrapped around exactly how the earthly and heavenly realms relate to one another, we know, and we believe that they knew perfectly well at the time, too, that heaven's not that way and earth this way. But there was some sense in which Christ, in this event, visibly, with respect to the apostles, was taken out of this particular realm of time and space and matter and into the direct and immediate presence of God. What is clear, however, to us is that whatever all this change involved on a physical and metaphysical level, there is a dramatic significance to this change. So part of the significance of this were helped, as we often are, by some of the Old Testament language in this respect. some of the Old Testament prophecies about Messiahs ascending into heaven and sitting at God's right hand. The most important of these, and we sang this psalm last week and referred to it in our message. And again, as I said last week, the most frequently quoted Old Testament passage in the New Testament in Psalm 110. We're in verse 11. Messiah says, the Lord says to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool. And then follows in verse 2. I'm sorry, it was verse 1, now verse 2. So from this passage and from others in the Old Testament and in the Psalms, we see that one of the main points of significance, one of the main changes that the ascension of Christ brought about, of Messiah's being taken up to the right hand of God, is that it signals His victory. It signals his rule and his rule even over his enemies. This ruling significance, this authority significance is the same emphasis that the New Testament epistles give when they talk about Christ being taken into heaven and sitting at God's right hand. If we had just looked, started a bit earlier in verse 20 of Ephesians chapter 1, Paul says that God seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places and then adds, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion. And he put all things under his feet, and gave him as head over all things." Now, the rule and authority and power and dominion involves more than merely the human rulers. 1 Peter 3.22, and Paul himself has already hinted at this, but 1 Peter 3.22 describes Christ as having gone into heaven, and is at the right hand of God with explicitly angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to Him. And, fitting with the theme of rule over His enemies, the New Testament epistles also make it clear that some of these angelic authorities and powers over which Christ has been given rule are far from friendly. Far from friendly to us. To begin with, Ephesians 6, 12, Paul says, we wrestle against, same language, the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil and the heavenly places. Again, it's modern Westerners living in a predominantly materialistically thinking naturalist world. This is strange language to us, this whole unseen realm. An unseen realm that is very, very clearly present in the minds of the scriptural authors, but usually often times in our society, in our frame of thinking, just is not really thought about. But these very powerful forces that are apparently warring against God's redemptive purposes and God's redemptive plans. Now what Paul tells us here, is it friendly or not? all of these powers. They're all subject to Christ. They're all under His rule. And this is one of the main points of significance of His ascending into heaven and being seated in the heavens. But as we've said, and the reason we're looking at this now, the theme that we've been following, is that in this too, now, in this raising to heaven and being seated In the heavenly places, those who believe in Christ, those who are united to Christ. Listen, this is an experience in which we are said to share, Paul says. And maybe this is the strangest idea, the strangest aspect of our union with Christ of all. Well, what does this mean? I mean, obviously here we still are. We're on earth, we're in this world, this realm of space and time and matter. And how are we supposed to think about ourselves as being seated with Christ in the heavens? Well, I think this can be clear to us if we think about the previous aspects. Somewhat goes without saying that being united with him in death didn't mean that we have physically gone to the cross. Being united with him in his resurrection doesn't mean that we have already experienced the bodily resurrection from the dead, which we will. What does it mean then? Well, what did the union with Christ in these other aspects signify? What did it mean? Well, it meant that the results and the redemptive benefits of having those experiences is directly and truly and really applied to us as well. So from the standpoint of our salvation, again, we are just as dead to the law and sin as is Christ. And in His resurrection and union with Him there, we are just as vindicated and just as righteous in God's sight as He is. because His experiences have become us. What then, what then is this redemptive benefit that we share with Him in His ascension and His sitting in the heavens? How are we blessed and benefited and profited by Christ's being placed above these enemy powers. Well, Paul helps us see what this benefit is. And he shows us what the benefit is by first pointing to the problem that this benefit resolves. Verse 1 of chapter 2, he says, when we were dead in the trespasses of our sins in which we once walked. It was in part This condition was in part because we were following the course of this world, and here it is, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit which is now at work in the sons of disobedience. And what was the result of that particular allegiance for us? Well, he says, We all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. Think about the very first week we started talking about these things. As if our spiritual inheritance from Adam, as if our own further additional contribution to our sins weren't enough to wreck and destroy our spiritual lives and our relationship with our Creator. The Scriptures make clear that there's an additional factor here. These evil powers and these authorities that we've mentioned, they're also actively working to keep us in slavery. They want you to sin. They want you to fail. They want you to fall. And they're constantly and continually scheming to figure out how they can cause as much damage to you as they can. Again, this is something where the workings of which specifically we probably never fully understand, but we can clearly see some of their work. Clearly. I mean one has only to look at our entertainment industries to see how subtly and craftily and attractively and deliciously they can serve men death. One only has to look at the plague of pornography to see how tightly and relentlessly and ruthlessly they can grab a hold and keep a hold of men's souls. Paul says that it's these powers, that in Adam, in our natural state, we are subject, under their influence, under, to some degree, under their power. And brothers and sisters, this is a huge, huge problem. But it's a problem to which Paul specifically says that our being raised, and seated with Christ is the solution and the answer. He says more about this reality in Colossians 3. Listen, in verse 1 he says, If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not things that are on the earth, for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Here we go again. Christ has died. You have died with Him. Christ has been raised. You have been raised with Him. Christ has ascended and been seated. You have ascended and been seated with Him, Paul says. And the result, he says in Colossians, your life is hidden with Christ in God. You are Safe. Safe. Safe from what? Safe from those powers that had formerly enslaved you. Colossians 1.13, we're reminded again, He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son. Christ has been exalted above this world. And in union with Him, so have we. Therefore, we do not any longer have to follow the course of this world. Christ has overcome the prince of the power of the air. And in union with Him, that victory has been given to us as well. And so, we don't need to follow that prince. any longer. We no longer need remain among the sons of disobedience. We need no longer be children of wrath. We need no longer live in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and by the mind. This, by the way, if you look through all the various places where this presents itself in scripture, this is the primary application that we usually find associated with this truth that those who believe in Christ are united with Him in His ascension and His being seated in the heavens. Again, Colossians 3 follows up the reminder of that new spiritual reality with this. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you. Sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, covetousness, which is idolatry. And then it says, put away anger, wrath, malice, slander, obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another. And then it goes on from the negative to the positive, from the put off to the put on. Put on then compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, bearing with one another, forgiving each other, put on love, he says, and let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts and be thankful. Why? You are seated with Christ. Your life is hidden with Christ. The things in heaven are now the things that should receive your focus and your attention and your following. Not the things, like you just described, that are there on earth. On the basis of our union with Christ, and specifically in our basis with union in Christ, in His ascension and His being seated at the right hand of God, the scriptures tell us, put away sin, pursue righteousness. And here, I think we've come to an idea that I hope will help us also tie together the last four messages, the last three including this evening as well. Because maybe, perhaps, you recall, that it was to this same end, and with this same encouragement, and for this same purpose, that is, to encourage us to stop walking in sin, Paul talked not just about our union with Christ in His ascension, but also about our being united with Christ in His death. Romans 6, what application does Paul make of the truth he gives there about our being united with Christ in His death? He says, what shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer? Maybe you remember also that it was for the same reason, that is to encourage believers to pursue righteousness that Paul talked about, our being united with Christ. in his resurrection as well, Romans 6, 8 again. Now, if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For the death he died, he died to sin once for all, but the life he lives, he lives to God, here it is. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. And so here we see again, That is for this same reason, that is to encourage us to turn away from sin and to pursue righteousness that Paul talks about our union with Christ now in his ascension and his having been seated in the heavenly places. So do you see what all these experiences of Christ attributed to us have in common? This freedom from sin, and this freedom for righteousness. It's a major theme, a thrust of this whole idea with our union in Christ, union with Christ in all its various aspects at which we've looked. So set forth in our union with Christ is this three-fold call to walk away from sin. You're dead to it. You've been raised from it. And you're seated above it. We can't miss this. We have to understand this. But we have to do more than just merely understand it with our minds. We have to take it to heart. We have to embrace it. Because, truth is, will you always feel like these things are true of you? You will not. Will you always feel as though you're dead to sin? And like, we're raised from it, and that we're seated above it? No. No, if believers felt that way, there wouldn't be any reason for Scripture to continually, repeatedly remind us, this is true of you, this is true of you, this is true of you. You're dead to it. You've raised from it. You're seated above it. Remember this. Remind yourself of this. We need to understand and by faith we need to believe that these things are true of us and we need to remind ourselves of these very truths and especially in those times when we're tempted. When sin is presented to us and we feel the pull of it and we feel like there's nothing that we can do to not walk in that direction, we have to remember, no, I'm dead to that, I'm raised from that, I'm seated above that. Whether you feel like it or not. God calls you to live like it's true. And we need to obey Him in this. We need to step forward in faith that in Christ we are actually able, able to turn from sin. And with Christ's help and by the power of the Holy Spirit, we'll find that God's promises are true. And that you actually are able to turn from it. Freedom from sin. Freedom for righteousness. Very important thrust of the teaching about our union with Christ. But I would argue that it's not actually the ultimate emphasis. I think there's something bigger that Paul is pointing to in this. He calls us to these things, certainly. But there's something else that he's always, always pointing us to when he talks about these things having happened to us in Christ. What has been done for us with respect to the penalty and the power of sin is very important. At least as important, though, is how. How this has been done. The prepositions tell the whole story, how it has been done only in Christ. Only in Christ can we receive these things. We can't make the mistake of believing, or hoping, or thinking that there is any other way that sends power. can be evaded. There's not some other path. There isn't some other religion. There isn't some other 12-step program. There isn't some greater effort that you can muster on your own part. There isn't anything other than union with Christ that can free you from the penalty and the power of sin and enable you to live in righteousness. You can only experience this blessing by your faith in Christ. And only if you have been truly united with Him. And you can only be united with Christ by trusting in Him. By repenting of your sin. By putting your faith and your trust in Him. And if you've never done that, you need to. There's one more thing. The salvation comes only in Christ and only by Christ. In and by. What do I mean by that? Well notice again in our main passage, Ephesians 2. Our freedom comes only from experiencing these things with Christ. Only from joining in His experiences. We are only raised with Him. We are only seated with Him. And why did these things happen to Him? Why was He raised? Why was He seated? Philippians 2, we looked at last week, tells us that it was done to Him because of His perfect obedience. He obeyed, He submitted, He performed, He labored, He did all the work. But in union with Him, we share in all the blessings freely, as Paul will say repeatedly, as a gift, as he will say repeatedly. To say then that all of the blessings that we've received have been granted to us in union with Christ is really just another way of saying that they are given to us only by grace. But of course we remember that this is what we've been just saying all along. This too, this has been the emphasis and arguably the dominant emphasis in every passage that speaks of our union with Christ. It's the emphasis from Romans 5. Paul says, as he's comparing Adam and Christ and our union therewith, he says, it's a free gift. It's grace. Not something, he says, for which you've worked. It was the emphasis through Romans 6, which says a number of times that we are not under law, but under grace. And now we see here that is the emphasis in the passage before us. Paul even interrupts the flow of his thoughts. Sometimes Paul will just stop a sentence, say something different, sometimes never even go back to the sentence. He does that here. By grace you have been saved. And this is the end on which this passage, this is the note on which this passage ends. Why did God make us alive with Christ? Why did God raise us up with Christ? Why did He seat us in the heavenly places with Christ? With Christ? With Christ? Paul answers that question this way. So that in the coming ages, He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus, and then says again, in case we haven't heard it, for by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Salvation. all of its aspects, all of its benefits, all of its blessings. Salvation is through union with Christ, and it is through that union so that it can be seen to be holy and completely of God's grace. And for what response does this call? Well, it calls us not to boast. It calls us to give Him thanks, to give Him praise. And it calls us to rejoice in the gifts that we have been given in our union with Christ. Let's pray. God, what a difference it would make in our walk if we were to truly internalize this truth, you have done the work for us. You have done the work so that we can walk, Lord, in liberty, we can walk free from sin, and we can walk for the purpose of glorifying you. We ask, Lord, that you would take this purpose and place it in the forefront of our attention. Let all the things that we do Let them all be to your glory, through Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen. Receive the blessing of the Lord. The God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.