Union with Christ An Introduction

by Jeffrey Waddington • May 28, 2015
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Union with Christ: An Introduction
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Many readers no doubt are aware that union with Christ is a major concern for the apostle Paul. When you look at such passages as Ephesians 2:1-22 and Colossians 2:6-15 and 3:1-17 it becomes clear that to be "in Christ" or "in him" or for Christ to be "in you" is the sum and substance of our glorious redemption in Jesus. As a seminary professor friend of mine likes to put it, union with Christ is the "central soteric blessing." What my friend means is that union with Christ is the overarching way Paul understands what are often called the blessings or benefits of redemption. Nothing that Christians gain from our Lord comes to us outside of our being joined to him. We are justified, adopted, definitively and progressively sanctified, and eventually glorified because we are united to our risen and reigning Lord Jesus.

Many readers no doubt are aware that union with Christ is a major concern for the apostle Paul. When you look at such passages as Ephesians 2:1-22 and Colossians 2:6-15 and 3:1-17 it becomes clear that to be "in Christ" or "in him" or for Christ to be "in you" is the sum and substance of our glorious redemption in Jesus.

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Place for Truth is a voice of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Place for Truth and the mission of the Alliance.

Praying Most For What You Love the Most

by Matthew Holst • May 28, 2015

Your prayer-life is a measure of your spiritual maturity. Just about any decent book on prayer will tell you so. Your prayer lives exposes you to the reality that what is nearest and dearest to your hearts are those things for which you pray the most. It is an inescapable rule. In this respect, your prayer life may betray the public image which you, in turn, portrayed to others. Just a few years back, I became painfully aware that my prayer life was centered on...me. What a shock it was to realize that my prayers were essentially self-serving!

Your prayer-life is a measure of your spiritual maturity. Just about any decent book on prayer will tell you so. Your prayer lives exposes you to the reality that what is nearest and dearest to your hearts are those things for which you pray the most. It is an inescapable rule. In this respect, your prayer life may betray the public image which you, in turn, portrayed to others. Just a few years back, I became painfully aware that my prayer life was centered on...me. What a shock it was to realize that my prayers were essentially self-serving!

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The Challenge of the Multitudes

Posted 5/28/15 by Donald Barnhouse
When Jesus perceived this plot, He withdrew with the disciples to the sea (v. 7). Huge crowds, multitudes of sick and needy people followed Him. And He stayed with the crowds because they needed Him. Unlike the Pharisees, this was not a hostile crowd. Far from it yet Jesus encountered opposition just the same. The unclean spirits recognized Jesus and identified Him, yet Jesus, “strictly ordered them not to make Him known” (vv. 11-12). Turn back to chapter 1 of Mark. In verse 34, we saw that Jesus “would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew Him. In 1:43-44 Jesus commands the leper He had healed to tell no one about what He had done. Why all the secrecy?
 
Theme: Rumblings of Opposition
 
SCRIPTURE
Mark 3:7-12
 
Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon. When the great crowd heard all that he was doing, they came to him.

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Making God’s Word Plain is a devotional of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Making God’s Word Plain and the mission of the Alliance.

Following Jesus 44

As we examine the Twelve Disciples of Jesus, we now examine the third group of four. We begin with the disciple known as James the Son of Alpheus or James the Less. Here are some facts about James.
 
As we examine the Twelve Disciples of Jesus, we now examine the third group of four. We begin with the disciple known as James the Son of Alpheus or James the Less. Here are some facts about James.
 
He was the son of Alpheus (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13). In Mark 15:40, he is called James the Less. Less means “little.” He may have been small in height.

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The Death of Jesus Christ - Part Two

By James Boice

Theme: The miracles of Calvary.
This week’s lesson shows us proof that Jesus was the Son of God.

SCRIPTURE
Matthew 27:50-51

And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.
And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.

The second miracle that took place when Jesus died was the tearing of the great veil that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place in the temple. Matthew, Mark and Luke all report the tearing of the veil. But Matthew and Mark add that it was torn “from top to bottom" (Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38), suggesting that this was something God did and that it was heavy with spiritual significance.

Think and Act Biblically from James Boice is a devotional of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Think and Act Biblically and the mission of the Alliance.

Take and Read

Posted on Wednesday, May 27, 2015 by Todd Pruitt on 1517

A sampling of a few books that I have recently appreciated...

The following are some books that I have read in the past few months. Each one is well worth reading.

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1517
1517
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The Pharisees’ Hardened Hearts

Posted 5/27/15 by Donald Barnhouse
We see them next watching Jesus in a synagogue (3:1-6). They are confident that Jesus will see a man who is there with a withered hand and Mark tells us that, “they watched Him, to see whether He would heal him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse Him” (3:2). These men were determined to find a way to destroy Jesus’ ministry. Jesus’ challenge of traditional Sabbath observances would surely give them opportunity to discredit Him, and so they were there, looking for an opportunity to catch Him violating the Law.
 
Theme: Rumblings of Opposition
 
SCRIPTURE
Mark 3:1-6
 
Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent.

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Making God’s Word Plain is a devotional of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Making God’s Word Plain and the mission of the Alliance.

Following Jesus 43

As we examine the Twelve Disciples of Jesus, we now begin to view the second group of four. Following Philip, Nathanael and Matthew is Thomas. How are followers of Jesus today like Thomas? Let’s begin by looking at some facts regarding the disciple Thomas, who is also known as the Doubter. 
 
As we examine the Twelve Disciples of Jesus, we now begin to view the second group of four. Following Philip, Nathanael and Matthew is Thomas. How are followers of Jesus today like Thomas? Let’s begin by looking at some facts regarding the disciple Thomas, who is also known as the Doubter. 
 
What do we know about Thomas? One of the first things we think about when we hear of Thomas was that he was a doubter. However, he is so much more than that. 
The Apostle John in his gospel gives us the only information about Thomas.

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Reformation Societies is a fraternal of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Reformation Societies and the mission of the Alliance.

The Death of Jesus Christ - Part One

By James Boice

Theme: The miracles of Calvary.
This week’s lesson shows us proof that Jesus was the Son of God.

SCRIPTURE
Matthew 27:45-56

We are coming to the end of Matthew, and this means that we are finding ourselves face-to-face with the core doctrines of Christianity. That is particularly the case in this and the next two studies, which cover Matthew 27:45-28:15.

Think and Act Biblically from James Boice is a devotional of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Think and Act Biblically and the mission of the Alliance.

Theology on the Go Union with Christ

by Jonathan Master • May 26, 2015
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Theology on the Go: Union with Christ
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On this episode of Theology on the Go, Jonathan Master is joined by Dr. Richard B. Gaffin, Emeritus Professor of Biblical and Systematic Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. Gaffin is the author of many books, including By Faith, Not By Sight: Paul and the Order of Salvation, and he and Jonathan discuss Union with Christ. Listen to their conversation to learn more about this topic!

 

On this episode of Theology on the Go, Jonathan Master is joined by Dr. Richard B. Gaffin, Emeritus Professor of Biblical and Systematic Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. Gaffin is the author of many books, including By Faith, Not By Sight: Paul and the Order of Salvation, and he and Jonathan discuss Union with Christ. Listen to their conversation to learn more about this topic!

The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals is member supported and operates only by your faithful support. Thank you.

Place for Truth is a voice of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Place for Truth and the mission of the Alliance.

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