Sermon: Life With Christ

This morning we turned to the word of the Lord. And we're going to look at. Colossians 2:20 and then versus three one through four and let's pray before we open the word together this morning.

The Lord Our God we are thankful that you are a strong deliverer. We're thankful that in your strength. according to your divine plan to deliver people or yourself that you've spoken into this world. You've given us your word. To have given us the Living Word. You pray this morning that you would speak to us by the power of your word. You might Deliver us from our sin. She might Deliver us from our anxieties and our fears.

She might Deliver us from our sorrows. That you might Deliver us from sin and from our adversary. from even the fiery pit of Hell We would find that our eyes are lifted up to you. And that we are gazing upon you and all of your beauty. God of such strong delivering Grace minister to us we pray this morning. The strong and mighty name of Christ we pray. amen Colossians chapter 2 verse 20 and then skipping down to chapter 3 verses 1 through

4.

If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world. Why as if you were still alive in the world do you submit to regulations?

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 mind on things that are above not on things that are on Earth. For you have died. In your life is hidden. with Christ in God when Christ who is your life appears? Then you also will appear. with him in glory the grass withers the flower fades word of God is forever. Thanks be to God. amen

as we mentioned last week for those of you that were here. This is just a short sermon series. Just three weeks. Where we're looking at prepositions. She said, oh, it doesn't sound very exciting when you're prepositions. Nobody gets up in the morning for prepositions except if you are in Christ, because the prepositions understanding our prepositions and our relation to the person of Christ make all of the difference in

the Christian Life, and it felt like just a good way to transition from what pastor Kevin was doing these past four weeks where he was looking at Romans 6, and it's all about that identity in Christ. And then what I want to do here in two weeks is begin a sermon series as we launch through the book of Hebrews together, and really we are going to be focused on the person of Christ. It's just a good kind of bridge continue to

develop. What pastor Kevin did with you in Romans 6, and it Bridges us well to exploring Hebrews together and looking at the person of Christ in our relationship with Christ as Christians. As you think of prepositions there are many different prepositions we could detail in our relations to Christ that the Christian is for Christ is under Christ is in Christ as by Christ is with Christ is under Christ and on we could go.

And so what we chose to do is we're just going to take three of them last week. We looked at what it looks like for the Christian to be in Christ. But I want to look at this week is what it looks like for the Christian to be with Christ and then next week because we just close out the short series. We'll look at what it looks like for the Christian to be For Christ of this prepositions used throughout the New Testament.

And as we did last week, we're not going to go into all the intricacies of this passage. We're just going to look at what Paul is doing with. that preposition with In this passage and how he Maps it out for us in relation to Christ. It's important. That we understand as Christians that we are in Christ as we saw last week and that we now also live a life with Christ and that these two realities being in Christ and being with

Christ that they are absolutely Inseparable from one another. If you have one then you have the other if you have one then you have the former. We are justified in Christ. In Christ that is before the tribunal of God you were declared righteous. It was not because of Any righteousness of our own but rather because we were in Christ and because we were in Christ, we have the righteousness of Christ. He was wounded as I say it will say.

And peers for our transgressions when he died upon that cross cross, he was crushed for or iniquities upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace. He took our sin. He took the guilt of our sin upon himself and paid the penalty. for our sin and then his righteousness because he lived a holy life unto the Lord all of his days that righteousness of Christ was then credited to our account our sin and the guilt of our

sin credited to him. His righteousness and his right standing before God credited to us. And so before the tribunal of God. If you are in Christ. You were declared righteous. forgiven now the Roman Catholic Church as often through the centuries looked at this doctrine of justification by faith alone that we're justified in Christ by having faith in Christ and In Christ Alone, they have often mocked that and they've called

it a legal fiction. legal fiction

It's true that we are justified by faith alone in Christ alone. But here is where the Roman Catholic accusation against the Protestant doctrine of justification by faith alone false flat. We are justified by faith alone, but that faith never remains alone. The Justified sinner does not remain. as he or she is And we are Justified we become progressively what we were declared to be in Christ. This is no legal fiction. The Justified sinner does

not remain unchanged. But rather the Justified sinner changes. In Christ with Christ as they dwell in Union with Christ. We're United with him. And so there is a radical change that occurs in the person by the power of the spirit of Christ that indwells them we become more and more what we already are in Christ as we dwell with Christ.

It's inseparable.

A love that 1964 movie that is an adaption of the musical My Fair Lady. Audrey Hepburn is in it. She is absolutely brilliant. in that movie in the movie She is a seller of flowers. in the street she I is of the lower classes and There is a linguist by. the name of Professor Henry Higgins who finds her in Henry Higgins decides that he is going to take this young Eliza Doolittle. Who has this horrific? accent this kind of

Cockney accent that just when she speaks, it's just it's just shrill and it just kind of makes you shriveled up inside as you hear it and he is going to take her and he is going to translate her to the upper echelons of society and so he dresses her up and all the fineries of all the Elite Class of London Society at the time and he has her dwell in his Mansion of a house and he gives her all kinds of training. He is declared her to be

part of the upper class, but she has that jarring. Accent that you're piercing noise when she speaks. And so Higgins is going to help her grow into the thing that he is presenting her as he is going to change her Manner and he's going to change her character to match what he's declared her to be.

Now here's the problem with this illustration.

Henry Higgins is making her something. She is not. whereas in Christ We are children of God. In Christ, we are Saints. In Christ, we are seated in the heavens above with Christ. We are filled with his Spirit. We are in Union with him if you are a Christian You are with Christ now. now

We hear with Christ Our Minds rightfully they begin to run and we begin to think of something like Revelation 21 heard Mr. Hinckley. Just open it up and class this morning that Revelation 21 where you have this great moment. Where The new heavens and the new Earth are being formed and the old heavens and the old Earth are being burnt up and are passing away. And you have that new City Jerusalem coming down out of the heavens and it settles upon the Earth.

the saints of God the people of God we're settling upon the Earth. And then you hear those wonderful words there in Revelation 21. God himself will be with them as their God he will dwell with them. Press shall be with us. And that's what makes heaven heaven. He said the disciples I go to prepare a place for you that where I am. You may be their also. The Christian that's the day that we long for. We're no longer looking through a glass dimly lid.

But we see him face to face as he is. or with him that's all true in the future. I promise of Heaven is that you shall see Christ because you will be with them. But it's not all future. Did Jesus say to the disciples before he ascended to the right hand of the father? He said hello I am with you. Always even to the very end of the age he is with us now and we have been with him and he has been with us. You have been and you are with Christ

dear Christian. And when you begin to understand that everything in life just begins to take shape. That you got to understand that.

Paul speaks of our being with Christ in four ways In this passage four ways.

He says we died with Christ. We were raised with Christ. We are hidden with Christ. And we will appear with Christ. That is his death. His resurrection is Ascension and his return they're all fundamental to our life because we were and we are and we shall be with him. Now that takes some rap in your mind around. So we're gonna walk through that these four things. And you're with Christ the first Christian you died with Christ you

died with Christ in one very real sense. When Christ died upon the cross. He did not die alone.

when he died you died. What does that mean? Well by faith you were United with him and so as he died, so you died. Paul says verse 20 if with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world. It's not a question. It's a statement on his behalf. He's saying if you are in Christ you were with Christ when he died upon the cross. He died. You died. What does Paul say for I have been crucified with Christ in Galatians.

have been what does that mean?

No before I came to Faith in college. I was an atheist and freshman year came to saving faith in Christ in college and and who I was before that freshman year in college. A person died when I came to saving faith. that Jason cease to be Why because he died with Christ? That Jason who was enslaved to sin that Jason who could not do anything. That was ultimately good that Jason that was an enemy of God.

That Jason who the guilt of his sin was still upon he died. He literally no longer exists. He's dead. dead

why? Because he died with Christ.

Did Christ truly die? Yes.

Did that old Jason truly die? Yes.

He's dead.

They're incredible implications of this.

Some of you are still carrying around the guild. Of what you did? Before you came to know Christ.

it's often right when we're laying on those our bed at night and it's dark and

feels like all the world has gone to sleep and the middle of the night and a guilt begins to creep in can't believe I did this. How awful that I did that. He began to be gripped with that guilt.

don't

it died.

person died

that scoundrel was dead. That penalty was paid. That you no longer exists and when you and I carry around the burden of the guilt for pastins, we make a mockery of the fact that we died and we make a mockery of the fact that Christ died. You died with? him dead

Paul's point in Colossians 2 and 3 It's to point out that. Because you died. You're not to continue to live as you once live. That's his point here in Colossians 2 and 3. That's the great implication for him in this text that you died you died with Christ. And so our second point a new you you a new you was raised with Christ three one if then you have been raised with Christ if you have faith in Christ, then you not only died with Christ.

But you were also raised with Christ. You were raised a new person. a new you we often go back to that passage in John 3 where Jesus was with Nicodemus and he's talking with Nicodemus and we use the language from that you were born. Again that old Jason died. Ah, yes he died. but a new Jason Rose a new one was born sin. No longer has a hold no longer. Am I under its Dominion? No longer under the guilt of sin. I am now set free

free to do what to do good.

to serve God

I can seek the things that are above this. Paul says in verse 2. I can put to death the sins that cling so closely that he will walk through and verses 5 through 11. I can put on these things these things of righteousness and goodness that he speaks about in verses 12 through 17. Why why is it that I'm able to do that because I've been raised with Christ. The Christian is a new creation. The old has passed away. The new has come.

been raised with Christ And Paul's point is that you can't continue to live as if you were the old you?

Because you aren't the old you.

every illustration of tried to think of this week has failed me as This is the best one I can come up with.

Maybe it's the closest there is.

It's like a butterfly.

You see that butterfly and all of its Glory with beautiful wings and all the colors that markets wings those. inches of iridescent blue and green and yellow and if that butterfly was continuing instead of flying through the air was rather had all of its legs just spread apart and it was just in the mud on the ground and it was just trying to snake across the ground in the mud. You could speak to that butterfly. You would say, oh butterfly.

You're so beautiful. You're no longer. what you were why are you wallowing in that mud? Supposed to be soaring above it.

You're living. far below what you now are

not just the verb tense.

If then you have been raised. with Christ was not speaking about the Christian's future Resurrection. That's not what he's doing here. The tense here is what we will call the perfect tense. It's a past tense. It's a completed past tense. You have been raised. It's done. You have been raised. This is a present reality. So Paul says because you have been raised you are to seek the things that are above. Why are you just seek the things that are above will he tells you because

that's where Christ is. and you are with Christ

third verse 3 you are hidden with Christ.

You and I so need to be reminded this we have not only died with Christ. We have not only been resurrected with Christ. But you are now hid with Christ. Where is Christ Paul says here verse 1 he is above he seated at the right hand of the father. Why is he seated because he is raining. He's ruling he has all the authority and all Dominion. Paul says in Ephesians 2:6 by Grace you have been saved and raised up with him and

he has seated us with him in the Heavenly places in Christ Jesus you are with Christ now seated above and what are you doing? As you are seated with him above your reigning? You're raining with him.

some mysterious way by virtue of our Union with Christ you as a Christian are seated enthroned above reigning with Christ.

I can't be seen with the human eye. It's hidden hoses. But just because it's hidden. It's no lesser reality than this Pulpit is a reality right here. In fact, it's even more than a reality than this Pulpit is a reality because Mr. Hinckley could come up here with a hammer and he could Dash this pulp at the pieces and he could grind it down and it would disappear, but there is nothing. That can take away the reality that you are reigning with

Christ.

again credible implications flow from this

I feel as though you were. Beneath people's feet in this world thought little of disregarded.

Spit upon maybe even persecuted as a Christian the lowest of the low. Do you see this is only the life that you can see with the eye.

You Reign above? Your seated above your hidden with Christ above. When Jesus was on earth, Isaiah prophesied even before he came he prophesied that he would have no form or Majesty that we should look at him and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by Men A Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief. And as one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised and we esteemed him not it was hidden.

And yet even at the moment that he was hidden before the eyes of men there were angels in heaven that were literally covering their faces with their wings because they could not dare look upon his Beauty.

That glorious at the same time.

He is hidden was hidden. So distributed dear Christian.

The world can't see you as you are now.

in fact sees it often despises. Jesus said to his disciples in John 15 if the world hates you. Know that it has hated me before it hated you. But you are now with Christ reigning.

love the paraphrase that quote from CS Lewis. I love that quote from CS Lewis where he says something along the lines of he says if you and I were to see each other now as we shall be someday we would be prone to Bow Down and Worship one another. wonderful little thought A tweak it a little bit I think. If we had a glimpse. Who won another or even now? Enthroned above with Christ. We would be prone to Bow Down and Worship one another.

We died with Christ. You're raised with Christ. We're hidden with Christ. And finally, you will appear with Christ verse 4 when Christ who is your life appears then you also will appear with him in glory you are united with Christ in his return.

the Son of God appeared the first time in the world there was a star that was set in the sky that needed to be there to so that some men would recognize that he had come into the world and only some recognized it as coming was subtle. He was ushered into the world and a cattle stole under the cover of Darkness. He could easily be missed and most of the world slept through that night that he was born into the world not knowing that the

Son of God had come into the world. It will not be that way when he comes again.

His glory shall fill the sky. And the angels and the archangels a myriad of the host of heaven will be around him. But it won't just be them that are with him. It will be the Christian. All those that are with him in glory now will descend with him and all those that are here on Earth will meet him in the air and our bodies will meet our souls and we shall be with him. We shall appear even as he appears. And there will be no mistaking him.

Every tongue will confess and every knee will bow that this one is Lord. And we shall be with him in his glory.

United with Christ in his return

love how John says it and for strong says that we know we shall be like him. As when he appears we shall see him as he is.

Be with him. Will become like him.

The Christian we died with him. We were raised with him were hidden with him and we will appear with him. you're with Christ now and forevermore and that means Paul's implication, is that me? That we are to live differently.

We've been United with another and that changes everything.

When I was in high school in college, I love some pretty extreme sports. Backpacking for a couple weeks in the mountains was the tamest. I love to go rock climbing. I Love to go spelunking or cave exploring non-commercialized caves. I went skydiving jumping out of a perfectly good plane. It was actually Lee and I had just started dating and I took her with me to watch me and all of my machismo jump out of a good plane and free fall through there for 60

seconds. She will say that she was standing on the ground and she was looking up at that plane and she said something along these lines. She said well Lord, I guess if you're gonna want me to marry this guy he'll survive this.

And I did obviously. But then I got married. and everything changed

it changed.

Why? Because I was with Leah. I'm with her. You might say well, why did you give up jumping out of planes or? I mean rocks or exploring unexplored caves. Well lost its appeal. I affections change. Other things seem much more important and much more valuable. I was now with Leah that Reckless crazy Jason seems like a fool to me now.

Being alive for her matters a lot more than the thrill of even Free Falling for 60 seconds.

And then I became a father. And I couldn't even imagine doing any of those things now.

I was immediately implication for you and I That we are with Christ. That were with him. That we died with him that we were raised with him. Is that verse 5 and following chapter 3 we are to live differently. He says put to death therefore put on therefore you are God's chosen ones. Holy and beloved. Perfections change

Desires are to change. We're to love what Christ loves. We're to hate what Christ hates? Because we're with him.

Set your mind on things that are above. Not on things that are on earth poses here.

The response to the Christian is how could I do anything else?

He's not talking about forgetting that you have a job or that you have a mortgage or that you aren't to be concerned with your neighborhood or even that you're just stop enjoying things on earth. Even if you want to jump out of a plane then jump out of a plane. It's not as concern. rather it is this he is contrasting that which is righteous and holy with that which is That which is keeping in status with the stature that we have been given in Christ.

He saying this is what you are to be marked by and that is to be contrasted with what you were before. What you died to that person died a new you has been resurrected. And so the things that were enjoyable here the things of darkness when you were following the prince of the power of the air when you were a son of Disobedience that you died those things are no longer attractive. Are you a child of the Living God?

or with Christ

and so the things of Christ what are lovely to you?

You reign with Christ? You shall reign with Christ in glory forever for me to live is Christ at the apostle.

Me to live is Christ.

I've been United with him. He's given us all thing.

He's to be our Delight now. As he will be your Delight for all of eternity. You dwell with him.

understand that preposition it just Kind of changes everything in the Christian Life.

Be worth thinking about this afternoon your home meditate upon that what's it mean that I died with him? What's it mean that I was raised with him. What does it mean that I am hidden with them? What's it mean? It'll appear with him.

Oh. It's been days weeks months eternity thinking upon that. Pretty good.

My father we do exalt you. this morning We're thankful for your exceeding kindness to us.

You took wretched Sinners Rebels. United them to your blessed son and our savior

We pray that we would live as those. Who are in Christ and with Christ?

We would find that we love what Christ loves and hates what Christ hates? And that we know what it means. Live and move and have our being in him.

Whether we eat or drink or whatever we do to do to the glory of our God.

For me to live as Christ.

Maybe true of us more. In Christ. Holy name we pray. amen