Good morning. Trying to get situated here. So over the past several months, I've been drawn to the topic of union with Christ. It's more for my own personal walk, my spiritual growth. But it's become apparent to me that when this doctrine is rightly understood and applied, it has a direct impact on our daily walk, on how we deal with others here in the church and the church body, how we view salvation, and ultimately our hope, which is our glorification when Christ returns, when he comes back to his church, or when we die. So today, and I normally don't manuscript, But words matter, and this topic is deep and profound, but yet it's something that I wish I'd have learned a long time ago. So bear with me, I'll try not to read all of it, but it's important that I get the subject right. So today we'll be taking a shallow dive into key areas of the Christian life that I believe and I hope to show from scripture directly relate to our union with Christ. Each one of these, as pastor said, deserves its own sermon, its own sermon series. But today we're just gonna take a real shallow dive into these topics, four main topics, well actually five. First, how are we united to Christ? Then, what is our union with Christ in salvation, in sanctification, in fellowship, and in glorification? My desire is to help us understand union with Christ as we think on and meditate on and understand the majesty of this doctrine. I believe it'll make fundamental and lasting changes in our understanding of who we are in Christ. This term, in Christ, is key. I will be reading my text from the ESV. I don't have a legacy study Bible yet. So bear with me. I think you'll find that they're very similar. The passages that we're covering today, they're very similar. So first let's define some terms. Union, the act or fact of joining or being joined to another. Marriage is a union. The Bible talks about a man and a woman leaving their families and being joined together and becoming one. The Teamsters are a union. That's a poor example of a union. A child being adopted into a family, this is a type of union. Once all the legal aspects of this adoption are done and the child is legally belongs to this new family, at first this child may not feel fully united to this family. but they are now part of this family with all of its benefits and rewards. They are now adopted into this family. They have a new identity. Their old identity is gone. They now have a new identity as being part of this family. Such is the radical change that occurs to a new believer when we're plucked out of the family of Adam and placed into the family of God. When this happens, we're adopted, we're given a new identity. We're united in extra belief permanently to Christ and he is united to us. Another word I'll use today is reckon. This is not how we use it here in the South. I reckon we'll have dinner about 6.30. That means to imagine or to kind of guess. The term reckon means to consider or regard something as fact. It means to believe wholeheartedly, without a doubt, that a particular thing is so. When we reckon ourselves united to Christ, it means that our mind not only comprehends the truth of this doctrine, but at our very core, we count ourselves to be holy and completely united to him and he to us. When we truly grasp our union with Christ, it will change how we think about our salvation, our sanctification, our relationship to other believers, and our glorification. The following is a quote from Ligonier. Ligonier Ministries, the ministry of R.C. Sproul. I recommend it to you for pretty much anything. Union with Christ is one of the central doctrines of the Christian faith. The vital union that believers have with Jesus Christ makes them recipients of all the spiritual blessings that are found in him as the mediator and redeemer of the elect. There are eternal and temporal aspects to this union that are distinguished in the scriptures. The New Testament epistle alludes to union with Christ in some manner of speaking more than 200 times. The Holy Spirit unites believers to Christ by working faith in them. Notice the Holy Spirit is the one who works the faith in us. Union with Christ is a source of the believer's communion with God and other believers. Since all believers are united to one another by virtue of their union with Christ, believers remain united to Christ throughout the entirety of their lives. And get this, through all eternity. Close quote. In Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology, he defines union with Christ as this. Union with Christ is a phrase used to summarize several different relationships between believers and Christ, through which Christians receive every benefit of salvation. These relationships include the fact that we are in Christ. Christ is in us. We are like Christ and we are with Christ. Close quote. A dear brother in Christ and my greatest mentor, Jay Wechter, has written the following. God's eternal plan to save His people is that they should have salvation by union with the only begotten Son. By radical identification with Christ, our sins become His. And His righteousness becomes ours. Christ's righteousness belongs to believers by virtue of union with Christ. So fully is the believer identified with Christ that what Christ earned for us is rightfully ours as if we had earned it ourselves. His dying and raising is applied to us personally. It is the basis for newness of life in Him. Notice how many in Christ passages there are in the New Testament. In Christ is used 216 times in the Pauline epistles alone. The Apostle Paul used in Christ 216 times. All the believers' blessings are in Christ as a source. End quote. So how are we united to Christ? As believers, we are united to Christ through the Holy Spirit. Regeneration or the new birth is accomplished by the work of the Holy Spirit. Let's look at a very well-known passage, John 3. Go ahead and turn with me to John 3. Here we see Nicodemus, a Pharisee, a ruler of Israel, a member of the Sanhedrin. And in verse 10 of John chapter three, Jesus says, are you not the teacher of Israel? And you don't understand these things. Many say that Nicodemus had at least the first five books of the Bible, the Torah memorized. If you had a discussion about theology, you went to Nicodemus. He was the teacher of Israel. And yet he doesn't understand these things. But let's hear what Christ says about the new birth, about regeneration. Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher from God, for no one can do these things that you do unless God is with him. Jesus answered him, truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus doesn't get this. It says, how can the man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born? This is why Jesus says, are you not a teacher of Israel and you don't understand these things? Jesus answered, truly, truly, I say to you, unless you are born of water and the spirit, unless one is born of the water and spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I say to you, you must be born again. The wind blows where it wishes and you hear it sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the spirit. Nicodemus said, how can these things be? And here Jesus asked him, are you the teacher of Israel and you don't understand these things? Here we see that our Lord attribute the new birth, regeneration, salvation to the work of the Holy Spirit. It's only through this new birth that we are united to Christ. Prior to the Holy Spirit's work in our life to unite us to Christ, we were united to Adam. We were dead in our sins, dead in our trespasses. In Titus, go ahead and start turning to Titus 3. We're gonna look at 5 through 7. In Titus, Paul attributes our new birth and regeneration to the work of the Holy Spirit. Titus 3, 5 through 7. He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Now here, first off, we're reminded that salvation has never been by works. but is through our union with Christ. This is spirit-generated, spirit-empowered, spirit-protected. Our union with Christ is an eternal union. It's wrought by the Holy Spirit, sealed and guaranteed by the Holy Spirit. As we've talked about it numerous times in other sermons, that the Triune God is active in every facet of our salvation. Because of our union with Christ, we are heirs. You notice it said there, we become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. We have been fully adopted and are now heirs in Christ and with Christ. What a glorious inheritance that is. that we're not only in him, but we're with him. And when he inherits, we inherit. And as we go through, we'll see that Paul describes such a radical union with Christ that what he accomplished is what we accomplished. Now, today we're just gonna look at a small number of verses. where our union with Christ is applied to our Christian lives, our new birth, our daily walk, and relationships with other believers, and our ultimate glorification when we die or when the Lord returns. Pay special attention as I read these verses for the terms in Christ or with Christ. Notice that we're considered to be with Christ, joined with him, joined at the hip, if you wanna say that, that we are with him, How are we united to Christ in salvation? Salvation begins and ends with sovereign election. God is the one who chooses and who will come to him and who are united to Christ. This is where salvation starts. Ephesians one, three through four. Let's hear what the apostle Paul says about the father choosing us and choosing those who will be in Christ. You see, if you're in Christ today, it's because the father chose you. That's the only reason. Not because you were smarter, better, wiser, more hip, cooler, more righteous. It's because the Father chose you in Him. Ephesians 1, 3-4. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing. We've been blessed in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. How can we be holy and blameless before God? It says we've been chosen in Him. If you're in Christ today, your salvation was planned, orchestrated, and guaranteed by the entirety of the triune God. Because of our union with Christ, there's never been a time outside of eternity past. And this is what a lot of the reformers taught, that there's never been a time in all of eternity where the Father has contemplated you apart from Christ, outside of Christ. If that doesn't give you surety, fervor, boldness, I don't think anything will. That you have been considered in Christ by the Father since before time began. It says here, before the foundations of the world. We are chosen by the Father in Christ before the foundation of the world. In Ephesians, Paul specifically says that we were dead outside of Christ, but are now saved and made alive with Christ. And then he goes on to say that we were raised up with him. Ephesians 2, four through seven. But God, being rich in mercy because of the 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 with him and seated us with him in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace and kindness towards us. Again, in Christ Jesus. He will show the immeasurable riches of his grace and kindness towards us, not because we're us. but because we are in Christ Jesus. To be in Christ, to be with Christ, together with Christ is to be joined to him. What happens to him also happens to us. We only receive these blessings because we are united to Christ. We are in him and with him. Paul continually and repeatedly says that in Christ we have salvation, justification, redemption. God's wrath against us has been propitiated, has been satisfied. and we have been eternally joined to Christ. Christian, you have been made alive with Christ. You've been seated in heavenly places with Christ. Do you see that the Father sees us so united with Christ that we're seated with Christ? These are truths that we should be sharing with every young believer. These truths that we must repeat and tell other believers about, until they begin to grasp their union with Christ. I wish I had learned these truths early on, right after the Lord saved me. In fact, Jay Wechter, as he discipled me, spoke much of union with Christ. But only recently, by the grace of God, Have I been able to start to even comprehend these things? These are such deep and unfathomable truths. But when we understand who we are in Christ, it'll change the way we view ourselves, the way we walk, the way we deal with temptation. If we had more time, I could go through and find pretty much every doctrine of salvation attributed to our union with Christ. But let's look at the doctrines of substitution and imputation. 2 Corinthians 5.21. In 2 Corinthians 5.21, Paul, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, says the following. For our sake, he made him to be sin. who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of Christ. He made him to be sin who knew no sin. There's the doctrine of imputation. Imputation means to designate an action, a word or a thing and reckon it to a person. Our sin was placed upon Christ in such a way that he was treated as if he was actually us. He was our substitute. He took our place and his perfect righteousness is given to us as if we had lived the sinless God glorifying life that he lived. When God the father looks at us, how can he declare us righteous just before him because of our union with Christ. He looks at us and he sees his son. How can this be? Me? Unfaithful, scared, complaining, doubting, sinful me? How can this be that God the Father would see me as righteous, as one in whom he is well pleased? How can this be? It's so hard for me to grasp that, because I know me. But when we count, when we reckon, when we understand ourselves to be in Christ, it changes the way we view life, the way we walk, the way we see ourselves. This next passage has helped me consider my union with Christ in a greater way. Realizing that I was called, elected, chosen to be in Christ by the Father before the ages began has helped me to reckon my union with Christ and by his grace I'm beginning to apply that to myself on a more consistent basis. It's given me a more grateful heart and a more yielded heart. But this is a repetitive, ongoing, daily practice. And I'm trying to be disciplined to learn how to do that. But you have to do this repetitively, you have to think this way. Part of it's by being in the word, but part of it is just reckoning yourself, counting yourself to be who God says you are. We're going to 2 Timothy 1, verses eight through 10. And let's see how the Apostle Paul exhorts young Timothy. 2 Timothy 1, eight through 10. Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me, his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works, but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began. and which has now been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. Christian, you've been saved by a holy calling for his own purposes and by his grace. And this was given to you in Christ Jesus before the ages began. You have been known and loved with specific, salvific love since before time began. This is an eternal calling, a sure calling, a holy calling, an irrevocable calling, a unilateral calling. You're saved by God and for God, in Christ Jesus. And this call, this effectual call, this salvific call, unites you to Christ. This calling is a radical union with Christ. Now let's look and how we're united to Christ in our sanctification. Union with Christ is not only the wellspring of our salvation, but union with Christ is also our source for Christian living. Before you were saved, you were an enemy of God. You were alienated from God, you were hostile towards God. Now, because of your union with Christ, not only are you at peace with God, but you were an adopted family member. You're now a new creation created by God in Christ Jesus for good works. Ephesians 2, eight through 10. I don't think it's eight through 10, but for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. For we are his workmanship. Where is handiwork? Where is creation? And how are we created? In Christ Jesus. Why were we created? For good works. Can we boast about these good works? No, because these are the good works that God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Do you see that God has created us and predetermined the good works that he will use us for in his kingdom? When we reckon ourselves daily to be God's workmanship, his handiwork, the work of his hands created in Christ Jesus, we can start every day eagerly saying, God, how are you gonna use me today? You wanna be sanctified? You wanna walk in sanctification? Start every day. God, how are you gonna use me today? I am in your Son. You have made me, you have created me for good works, and these good works you prepared beforehand, that way I can't say, oh, look at me. You created me in your Son, in Christ Jesus, and these good works you prepared beforehand. Father, use me today. Use me today. You want to have victory over a besetting sin? You want to have victory over doubt, over complaining, Oh, this world's going to hell in a handbasket, you know. Start each day with that. These truths are deep and hard to fathom. But when we reckon, when we consider, when we believe that they're true about us because of our union with Christ, this can and must drive our sanctification. This next verse is one of the clearest and most powerful passages we can understand and reckon ourselves, about understanding and reckoning ourselves united to Christ in both his death and how we live the Christian life. Galatians 2.20. Most of y'all could probably quote that with me. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. Paul considers himself to be crucified with Christ. Christ's death was Paul's death. This passage talks about radical union with Christ. Paul says, Christ died, I died. Christ lives and I live through him. Christian, if we dwell on this incredible union with Christ in life and death, and we feed on these truths daily, hourly, minute by minute, we will see temptation differently, and we'll be able to crucify the flesh more effectively. If we reckon ourselves dead with Christ and alive with Christ, that his death was our death, and his life is our life. So regarding the local church and those sitting around you and other brothers and sisters outside of this church, how does our union with Christ affect our fellowship? Again, I'm gonna go back to the Ligonier for an excellent quote. And again, these topics are so deep and so large that each one of these will be their own individual sermon. Today, we're just doing a superficial flyover some basics because again these are things that I wish I could have grasped and applied to myself years ago. It would have saved a lot of heartache. Here's a quote from Ligonier. The Holy Spirit does not simply unite individuals to Christ. He unites the entire invisible church all those who profess faith and actually possess faith, to Him. In Christ, God brings together believing Jews and Gentiles into one body. Every believer becomes a true descendant of Abraham by virtue of this union. Scripture calls the New Covenant Church the body and the bride of Christ on account of this union. Bobbink explores the nature of this union that exists between Christ and the church. And this is a quote from Herman Bobbink. The union between Christ and the church is as close as that between the vine and the branches, between the bridegroom and the bride, husband and wife, cornerstone and building. You see just these passages right here about the cornerstone and the living blocks, the living temple. and marriage, all these other things about union with Christ that we could go into, and Lord willing, if he allows, we will. Together with him, it can be called the one, sorry, together with him, it can be called the one Christ. It is to perfect the church that he is exalted to the Father's right hand. Just as through his suffering and death, Christ was exalted in his resurrection and ascension to the head of the church, so now the church has to be formed into the body of Christ. The result of this union between Christ and his church is that the individual members of his body are united to one another and have mutual communion and fellowship with the triune God and all other believers. Isn't that amazing? Each one of us is united to Christ. Because of our union to Christ, we are united one to another. Look around. You're going to be seeing these faces for eternity. You better start liking and loving them. All saints that are united, again this backs to the quote, all saints that are united to Jesus Christ, their head by his spirit and by faith have fellowship with him in his grace, sufferings, death, resurrection, and glory. And being united to one another in love, they have communion in each other's gifts and graces. and are obliged to the performance of such duties, public and private, as to conduce to their mutual good, both in the inward and outward man. This communion is strengthened by a continual use of the means of grace, especially in the Lord's Supper as believers jointly feed on Christ by faith. And this is one of the things that I appreciate so much about this body of believers and about our pastor in this church. Every week we come to the Lord's table I don't know how or why churches have started doing it every 17th Sunday or every time there's a full moon or twice a year. I mean, this is something that I appreciate and I enjoy because it's a weekly time for me to reckon my union with Christ. It's a weekly time for me to confess my sins. to get right with the Lord. It's also a time for me to understand and enjoy the communion. It's not munion. You can't do it by yourself. It's communion. And that's the time that we together as the body of believers, united to Christ, come together to worship and come together to remember. And to me, that's precious. So I'm grateful we do that every week. 1 Corinthians 12, 12. Give you a second to get there if you're looking it up. Again, now we're talking about our union with Christ and how it relates to fellowship, how it equates to our union to each other. 1 Corinthians 12, 12. For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, Our one body, so it is with Christ. As a local church and as a universal church, we are united to one another directly because of our union with Christ. You would never take a knife and purposely sever your finger or cut your arm open. And when we do hurt our body, what do we do? We take care of it. We nurse it back to health. We're careful with it. We put a bandage on it. We clean it. Our union with Christ directly unites us to one another. We are to love one another as Christ loves us. This means supporting, encouraging, admonishing, exhorting, correcting, putting up with one another, forgiving one another, keeping no records, praying for one another. The list goes on. I think there's 53 one another's in the Bible. And for people that are outside of the church, think they're lone wolf Christians, all I need is my Bible and me. How do you practice any of those 53 one another's if you're by yourself? We're commanded, commanded to love one another, to pray for one another, to help one another with their burdens, to exhort sometimes, to admonish. Paul attributes our union to one another directly to our union with Christ. Let's look at Ephesians 2, four through five. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not have all the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another, one of another. This is what makes the local body of believers so special, entirely unique, beloved by God. He has brought you to this church with specific gifts, specific talents for this body. Imagine that. Every single one of us has different strengths, weaknesses, abilities, talents, and whether it be talents in playing an instrument or talents in the form of monetary talents. We each have strengths and weaknesses, and God has joined you to a local body for a purpose, and it is because of our union in Christ. We could spend hours, if not days, talking about Christ as a cornerstone, us as living stones, and that he's building into a living temple. We could also spend an equal amount of time talking about Christ as divine. We could discuss marriage as a union. But in this little bit that we've covered today in our union to each other because of our union with Christ, we can clearly see the importance and understand fellowship with one another through the lens of union with Christ. These are people you're gonna spend all of eternity with. And these are people that God has placed you next to and around and joined together with because of our union in Christ. Finally, how are we united to Christ in glorification? We are so united to Christ that when he appears, we will appear with him in glory. Christ is the first fruits, the forerunner. We're gonna be going to 1 Corinthians 15, if you wanna start getting there. In this next verse, we see that we were in Adam, but because of our union with Christ, we will be made alive and we'll share in Christ's resurrection. He promises to bring us with him. This is our guarantee. 1 Corinthians 15, 20 through 23. But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order, Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Here he talks about us, I'm sorry, in Colossians, Paul talks about, sorry, I skipped over here. I was jumping on the next verse already. So we were in Adam. See, there's only two types of people in this world, those who are in Adam and those who are in Christ. Those who are in Adam and those who are in Christ. In Colossians, Paul once again refers to believers as being hidden with Christ in God and promises that when Christ appears in glory, that we will also appear with Him in glory. This is our promise, that when He is glorified and appears in glory, we will be with Him. Colossians 3.3, if you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God, When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. This is what we're promised. We're hidden with Christ, and when he appears in glory, when he comes in glory, we will be with him. I don't know about you, but it sure makes this world seem less impressive. These truths should destroy all fear of death, should make you bold in the Lord's service. Nobody can kill you until God's done with you. And no doctor can prolong your life one second longer than God has already predetermined. So why do we live in fear? Why do we wring our hands, clutch our pearls, even with bad news, with a cancer diagnosis or the phone call two in the morning? Why? Our hope is that we will be presented with him in glory, glorified with Christ. He won't appear in glory without us. Those whom the Father chose, Christ purchased. We are in him, with him. So when he appears in glory, we will be with him. He will not appear without us. We are not of this world, we are in Christ. We're sojourners here, we're aliens, we're foreigners. We're just passing through. This world is not our world. That's our hope, being with our Lord, seeing him as he is. This world is dreary and sin-filled. and we're just passing through. This world, I don't know who said this originally, but this world is the best that someone who is out of a lost person is ever gonna experience. But for a believer, someone in Christ, this world, it's the worst. This is the worst we're ever gonna have. And one of the topics we'll cover in the future, Lord willing, will be our union with Christ in suffering. When we suffer, whether it be getting your tooth drilled on at the dentist, or stubbing your toe, or arthritis, consider what Christ suffered. The embarrassment, the ignominy, the rejection by his father, punishment he received. So, in closing, when we understand our complete radical union with Christ in salvation, when we truly grasp, reckon, count, accept, and realize what this means, it's gonna create a grateful heart, an evangelistic zeal. You'll become a fearless discipler. These are truths that we must pass on to other people about their union with Christ. I can tell you just in the last several months that I've been studying and listening to sermons from godly men and reading on this subject that it has made a difference in how I view myself, not as much as I would like, because it's so hard to actually grasp these truths and apply them to yourselves in a way that what's going on in your life, your former failures, the things you've done, the hurt, the bad mistake, you know, the bad decisions, all of these things that weigh so heavy on us and carry around like baggage sometimes. But when we see who we are in Christ, when we see how God sees us because of our union with Christ, none of that stuff matters. None of that stuff matters. One of my favorite passages in the Bible, if you wanna go to John 17, this is our Lord's high priestly prayer. This is truly the Lord's prayer. When the disciples asked, teach us how to pray, people call that the Lord's prayer, but that should be the disciples' prayer. These are the words out of our Lord's mouth in John 17. And this whole chapter is such a precious chapter to me. We're gonna start in verse 20 and just go through 26. I do not ask for these only, but also for those who believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us. So that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me, I have given to them. that they may be one even as we are one. I in them and you in me that they may become perfectly one so that the world may know that you sent me and love them even as you love me. Father, I desire that they also whom you have given me may be with me where I am. There's glorification. to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. Oh, righteous father, even though the world does not know me, I know you and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name and I will continue to make it known that the love with which you have loved me may be in them and I in them. See how he prays. He talks about his union with the father. And we're in that mix, it just blows my mind. That he would say, that as you and I are perfectly one, he prays, this is a prayer that is answered. I am them and you and me, that they may become perfectly one so that the world may know that you sent me and love me even as you love them. I in you, that they also may be in us. So if we can rightly understand our union with Christ, it will affect our walk in sanctification. It will change the way we love each other, the way we treat each other, the way we look at each other. As you're talking to somebody here, another brother or sister in the Lord, they are in Christ, they're united to Christ. Better be careful how you treat somebody who's in Christ. You'll see them for eternity. And we are united to one another, especially in this local body, because of our union with Christ. Once we understand union with Christ, I think it'll give you a grateful heart, and an awe every day as you think about your salvation, that you were plucked as a burning iron, that you were plucked out of the family of Adam, being in Adam, and you were placed in Christ, adopted, heirs with Christ. And when we understand union with Christ, it'll keep us eternally focused. We get to be, we tend to be so short-sighted. I do. What's going to happen tomorrow? What's going to happen with the government? What's going to happen in 2024? What's going to have, you know, what, what about the elections? What about this? But when we understand, are you with Christ to a greater and greater degree? None of this stuff matters. cling to that knowledge of who you are in Christ. Remind yourself daily, hourly, minute by minute. I don't put flashcards on your dashboard, put little pieces of papers, fold it up in your pocket. So when you go to pull it out, united to Christ, I am united with Christ. He is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. I believe it will help us to serve one another. selflessly, patiently, compassionately. But this needs to be a daily practice. So that's something that I would encourage you, something that I am laboring towards and working on. And again, I have just begun to scratch the surface of the depths of this majestic doctrine of union with Christ. And I'm learning with you. I'm learning with you and I'm being blessed by it. Much has been written, but when we consider our union with Christ, it makes fundamental changes in how we go about our day and how we see ourselves and how we see others. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for your word and that in your word you've shown us of this blessed union with Christ that you have never contemplated as other than being united with Christ. Father, I don't understand how you can look at me and declare me just and justified and say that I'm righteous and holy because I'm not. But Father, you say that because of my union with Christ that I am considered to be righteous and just before your eyes. Help us to understand these doctrines rightly and help us to apply them. That I may bolster us, Father, that we might be bold evangelists and faithful disciples. And that we might walk Holiness father more conformed to the image of your son each day Because that's our goal is to look like him And one day father when we die or when you come we will look like him Thank you for these truths we love you in Jesus name