Watch this simile or parable,
as some have called it, in John 15, 1 through 7. I am the true
vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth
not fruit he taketh away, and every branch that beareth fruit
he purges it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are
clean through the Word, which I have spoken unto you. Abide
in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit
of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye except
ye abide in me." Now watch verse 5, "'I am the vine, ye are the
branches. He that abides in me, and I in
him, The same bringeth forth much fruit, for without me ye
can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he
is cast forth as a branch, and is withered, and men gather them,
and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide
in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will,
and it shall be done unto you. Now look at the first part of
verse 5. I am the vine, ye are the branches. What a picture that paints even
in our mind. I begin by saying, brethren,
we are about to jump into the deep end of the pool this morning
where we can hardly touch bottom and keep our head or noses out
of the water. We're in that place this morning
where there is blessing and sweet truth of the spiritual union
that has been established between Christ and His elect. Now, in order to catch a glimpse
of that which is now considered by us, let's lay out our premise
in the beginning. And that is the spiritual union
that exists between Christ and the elect is the very essence
of Christianity, yea, it is the very essence of the Christian
life itself. Because there is no communion
with God apart from this blessed union in and through the Son
of God. Neither is there salvation apart
from this blessed union. There can be no regeneration.
There can be no pardon of sin. There can be no justification
or sanctification. No victory over sin and over
death. No gaining of heaven's glories
apart from this blessed union with Christ. So you can see why
I have titled it, The Necessity and the Blessing of Union with
Christ. Let's do it again. This blessed
union with Christ is, as Dabney said, the very essence of the
gospel. He said, it is through the union
to Christ that the whole application of redemption is effectuated
in the sinner's soul. Think about that, for that is
the essence of our study of the morning. Without this union to
Christ in our soul, There would be no communion of grace to anyone. For grace does not flow to those
who are outside of the Lord Jesus Christ. For no means for the
communication of grace exists except for that blessed union
with Christ Jesus the Lord. Well, let's begin this morning,
if we can, lower and then rise higher and catch fire. Let's
begin lower, work our way up the ladder. And that by considering
what some call a parable or a simile or something of that nature,
a metaphor, by which this union of Christ in John 15 is illustrated
the vine and the branches. There is a vital union between
the vine or the root and the branches. And that means that
the branches can only live, they can only prosper, they can only
bear fruit as they are in union with the vine, or they're connected
unto the vine. They are in union with a main
vine, or the root, or the life-giving source. It is the root that imparts
life to the buds, the branches, the blossom, and such like. And
the branches have no life in themselves apart from abiding
in the vine. Cut off, they will wither, they
will die, and bring forth no fruit. Now the Lord uses a simile
here in this passage of the Scripture, very familiar to the Jewish readers
or hearers and readers of the Scripture. All of those who had
ears that were acquainted with the Old Testament Scripture and
the writings of the prophets of God knew about this simile
or about this metaphor. Example, Isaiah 51 and verse
1 through 7. I'm sorry, it's Isaiah 5 and
verse 1 through 7. The planting of a choice vine. The Lord said, I brought out,
I made a vineyard, I brought a choice vine, and I planted
it, and I fenced it about, and I did all that was necessary. You'll see that again in Ezekiel
chapter 15, that beautiful picture. And John in chapter 15 uses the
simile of the vine and of the branches to illustrate the spiritual
oneness or union between himself and believers. This is the purpose
of the simile. So as George Hutchinson wrote,
quote, in borrowed expressions from a vine, a husbandman, and
branches, he presents a general doctrine, unquote. There is a
doctrine that flows out of it. Now the picture is clear, too
clear for us not to see, that the connection between the main
stem, or root, or trunk, if you will, is as close a union as
we might imagine in nature, especially when we understand how it works
and let ourselves remember how it works. That the very life
of the branches comes not from themselves, but up from the root
and through the main stem and out to them. That all the saps
and all of the juices that flow out unto the branches, giving
it life and vigor and fruit and such thing, is never come any
way except up by the root or the trunk or the vine. So there
exists then, said our Lord, a vital union between Christ and His
people. Did you notice that two times
He said, I in you, and you in me in that passage of the Scripture. I am the vine, you are the branches,
in that life and all spiritual blessings flow out of Him, our
blessed root and vine, unto the branches, or those that are members
of Him. Now, beside the simile of the
vine and the branches, there is that of head and members. As the Bible talks about, he's
the head and we are the members. In Ephesians 4, 15 and 16, the
head being the most important part of the body, and the seat
of all reasonable actions. that flow out into the member.
In another place still, Paul likens the elect's union unto
Christ using the metaphor again of a foundation and of stones
that are set upon it. Built upon a habitation of God
is the word of the Scripture, a dwelling place for God by the
Spirit, in Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 22, and they are
called living stones by the Apostle Peter in 1 Peter 2 and verse
4 and 5. Now granted, all of these are
similes or metaphors, and yet they have a secondary meaning
which is clear. And that is that they are all
used to indicate the exceedingly close and necessary and blessed
reunion, vital union, for which the branches, as the branches
are unto the vine. Shall we bear up stones? Shall the stones bear up the
foundation, or shall the foundation bear up the stone? These are
all types we know and admit. But while these similes and these
metaphors are helping our minds to understand by painting a clear
picture for our understanding and edification, and yet we are
by no means restricted only to similes, to metaphors, and parables,
and such like. For Scripture teaches us directly
and doctrinally that there is a vital union that exists between
Christ and His people, which is the source and the fountain
of all graces and all blessings and all of the work of God in
His people. Now, at this point, We have some
wonderful matters to begin to consider concerning this blessed,
blessed, vital, wonderful, necessary union between Christ and His
people. Perhaps the first question to
take up, the first question that might enter our mind is, when
was this union established? When is this union established? and in force. When can it be
said that we are in union with our Lord Jesus Christ? When was
the knot first tied between Christ and His people and this union? Seems there can be only two possibilities,
and they are as follows. A. Could the original union be
formed at conversion? and repentance and faith and
when one believes on God. Can such a union not be formed
until one is a Christian or a believer? Is the faith of God's people
the point at which this union is established? Can there be
not a union until they actually have faith and believe upon our
Lord? Now the question could be phrased
another way. Is faith the cause of this union? Or is union the cause of our
faith? Does the union come about as
a result of us believing on Christ? Or does our believing on Christ
come about because of this union. Now, of course, beyond doubt,
the Bible teaches that those who are believers are in union
with Christ. Paul wrote in Ephesians 5 and
verse 30, we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His
bone. Still, strictly speaking, this
does not answer the question as to the original formation
of the union. Or these are what John Gill called
time acts of the union. All of these, conversion, regeneration,
and the like, are, to quote Gill, time of the union, that is, the
result of the union. So secondly, is this union established
prior to our believing, not only prior to our believing, but also
prior to the world? Is this even possible, that there
be a union with Christ before the world began? Some might argue
that there can be no union before there is existence, which is
the same argument that some use against the doctrine of election,
that none can be an elect of God before they actually have
being. And these are the same people,
though, that teach that Christ died for their sins and before
they existed and before their sins were ever committed. So
I think they go around in circles trying to get rid of the argument. So the question then is not far-fetched. Could those be in union with
Christ before they had an actual existence in themselves? John
Gill was one who spoke of the union of Christ and His people
as, and I quote, internal and imminent acts of God." That this
union in the original was formed before the world, has existed
from the formation of the purpose and the decree of our God. For
the purpose of God to redeem, to justify, and to save was purpose
before the world began, not after. Even His love is from everlasting. Jeremiah 31 and 3, I have loved
you. with an everlasting love. Now, to get an answer to what
we need to trace it to its origin or its fountainhead, do we not? And if any think that the union
is from the great love of God and only, and by the way, the
universalists can't deny that the love of God was fixed upon
its objects before they existed and before they loved God. And how can God love one before
they exist unless there is some relation or some union that has
been formed between? Yes, the knot is first tied in
election, which was before the world. We learn from Ephesians
1 and verse 4, We were chosen in Christ before the foundation
of the world. Not chosen nakedly or independently,
I guess is a good word, but chosen in Christ. Not chosen in their
own names or in their own persons, but chosen in and with the Lord
Jesus Christ. Not chosen just to service, or
for a chance to accept the offer of pardon that might be put before
them. But chosen in Christ, He as our
Federal and our Covenant Head, to be brought to eternal glory,
to be conformed to the image of His Son, Romans 8, 28-30. So that as Gil said, it was in
election, which was before the world, that this near relationship
and union was established between Christ and the elect. And then
we might hasten on to add, this union is indissoluble. It cannot be broken. It cannot
be eradicated. The union can never be seared. The cords or the ties can never
be cut. The union never broken. While
the union of soul and body can be severed, for a time by death,
and by divorce or desertion of marriage union, might also be
broken or dissolved. But this more intimate communion
between God and His people It cannot be broken. It is indissoluble. Now since this union takes its
rise in the election of grace, we should bear in mind something
that I think is pertinent. And that is Christ is also called
God's elect. Christ is called elect in the
Scripture. 1 Peter 2 and verse 4, chosen
of God, and precious. 1 Peter 2 and 6,
Behold, I lay in Zion, a chief cornerstone, elect and precious. The apostle of course has in
mind Isaiah chapter 28 and verse 16. And remember Isaiah 42 and verse
1, Behold My servant, Mine elect, or My chosen, in whom My soul
delights. I have put My Spirit upon him. Now, the Son is chosen. But He's not chosen to be the
Son, for He was the eternal Son from everlasting. But He is chosen
as He is the eternal Son of God and His elect. Nor was He chosen
or elected to salvation as we are, because He had no need of
that. But Christ is God's elect. Christ is God's blessed chosen
one to be the covenant head of the elect. the federal head of
the election of grace, and the elect were chosen in Him. Chosen in Christ. Elected in Him who Himself is
chosen or elected of God. Now, a finite man can only marvel
and wonder before such a great doctrine. whether the two elections,
that of Christ and that out of mankind, whether Christ was chosen
first and they later, or whether both elections were simultaneous
according to the purpose of God, that so soon as Christ is God's
elect, then were we chosen, that so soon as He was the head, Then
we were the members. So soon as he was the foundation
to be laid in Zion, were they also the living stones of the
building? For how can Christ be a covenant
head apart from some kind of union that is established between
Him and those that He is the covenant head of? Now, as to
the question of the double election, first of Christ and Then of us,
I'm going to combine some thoughts that I found in the writing of
the old Puritan Thomas Goodwin. Quote, In election there is a
near relation commences between Christ and the elect. He is given
to be a head to them. They are given to be members
unto Him. Unquote. Thus as such, they are
chosen together, first in the order of nature as the head Christ,
and then they as the members in Him." Goodwin whacks more
poetical, saying, Christ and we were formed together in the
eternal womb of election. And again, in the womb of election,
Christ the head came out first. and then the members are the
body. Now what closer union can we
imagine than that of head and of members? As in the natural,
so in the spiritual. The head and the members are
conceived together. We cannot imagine a head without
members. Such a thing has never been. So we say there is an election
union between Christ and His people. which union also commenced
before the world ever began. And so solid is this union that,
and hear me now, so solid is this union that it actually transcends
the fall, that the knot holds even in our fall into sin and
depravity. Yea, it transcends even time
itself into coming eternity future. For our covenant head is also
our Redeemer and our Savior. He holds all of those offices
towards us. Now, another aspect of this blessed
union is seen in the fact that our life is bound up in the life
of Christ, who says this, Because I live, ye shall live also. There is a tie there that cannot
be taken asunder. Because I live, ye shall live
also. John 14 and 19. Colossians 3
and 4 calls Christ our life. And Colossians 3 and verse 3,
your life is hid with Christ in God. And verse 1 of the third
chapter of Colossians, ye are risen with Christ. Union with
Christ has this great benefit. Spiritual resurrection or divine
quickening. Ye are risen with Christ. Remember
that passage in Ephesians 2, verse 5 and verse 6? Even when
we were dead in trespasses and in sin, He quickened us together
with Christ. Not just quickened us, but also
quickened us together with Christ. And what's Paul saying here?
Paul is saying, you were dead and God quickened you. Christ
was dead and in the grave, and God quickened Him. Then Christ
was exalted to the right hand of God in the heaven. And He
has raised us up to sit together in heavenly places with Christ,
or in Christ. Paul said of himself, In Galatians
2.20, I am crucified with Christ. Oh, I wonder if we grasp the
meaning and the depth of that. I am crucified with Christ. His point is, And if we read
the whole context, I am dead to the law. I have been co-crucified
with Jesus Christ. I died with Him. I died with
Him when He died. I died. I have been put to death
to the law by being crucified with the Lord Jesus Christ. Mind you, this is not a blessing
restricted to the apostle Paul or the apostles or a few, but
it is a blessing in common to all the children of God. Paul
shows in Romans 7 and verse 4, ye all, he said, are become dead
to the law by the body of Christ. That's how we died unto the law. And pray tell, how can it be
said that we died with Christ or that His death has an effect
and benefits us unless there is some special connection or
union between Christ and His people. Paul does not quote the
time of His crucifixion at the point at which He was converted,
but with the death of Christ. He does not say, I've died to
the law. The day that I turn to Christ,
the day that I believe. I am co-crucified with Christ. While the death of Christ is
our blessed and blessed hope, while it is true that Paul and
also all of us were at one time ignorant of the great truth,
yet Christ took all of His people with Him when He went under the
cross. in that He bore the sins of many,
for He is the Head and also our Redeemer. And He was acting in
their behalf, especially in His suffering, death, and resurrection
and ascension. Now, regardless of the time of
our regeneration and our conversion, It was at the cross that we were
crucified and that we died to sin. Would you not agree that
that's the only way and only means of dying unto sin? Because
of the union formed before the world and in election which tied
the knot between Christ and His people forever. But then moving
along, let us ask, What is the nature and the essence of this
union with Christ? It's easy to speak about it,
call it by name, but my how to explain it is another matter
altogether. What's the nature and the essence
of our union with Christ? Is it only mystical or whether
it is absolute? whether it is spiritual or whether
it is by some carnal arrangement of some sort or another. By absolute
I mean whether the union we do partake of, the actual substance
of the divine nature. Now we raise the question here
because there are certain heretics which have taught that we are
all little Jesuses running around. Some even teaching that we are
little gods. Some of the televangelists have
gone so far to say that we are little Jesuses. We are little
imitations of the Lord Jesus Christ, but also whether the
union with Christ is based only upon His incarnate humanity,
that is, as the God-man, or whether the union with Christ is based
upon His deity and His divinity, or whether the union with Christ
is with him in the capacity of a mediator between God and men. And the only one there is, by
the way, 1 Timothy 2 and 5, there is not another mediator. to repeat for emphasis at this
time, shouted from the housetop, if we might, saying it like this,
that every spiritual blessing, every privilege, every communication
of grace, every spiritual gift that we receive comes by virtue
of this union established between Christ and His people are elect. But at no time either in this
life or in the glorified state will we be absorbed into the
divine essence as some have taught. Our union is a blessed one indeed,
but it is not as high as the union between the Father and
the Son and the Holy Spirit. That's a union that is unique. And even though Jesus said His
relation to the Father to illustrate the union between Himself and
the elect, He used that union between the Father and Himself
that He might then speak also of the union between He and His
people. You'll find that in John 14.
And John 17, it's quite a passage, we'll not turn there. But Paul
does the same thing with marriage in Ephesians 5 to set forth what
he called a great mystery. Ephesians 5 in verse 32. Ephesians
5, 22-33 is a blessed passage of the Scripture. And Paul uses
marriage there to illustrate the blessed union or relation
of Christ and His Church. In this place, he speaks not
so much to individual husbands and wives, but he speaks, as
it were, to the Church. And Scripture does indeed set
forth a union of Christ to His people under the image of a marriage,
a husband and a wife, or a bride. Says Paul in 2 Corinthians 11
and 2, I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy, for I
have espoused," or literally, I have promised you to one husband,
that I may present you as a chaste virgin unto Christ, using the
figure of one that is espoused or engaged, we'd say, or promised,
using the figure of marriage. Also, Revelation 19, the bride.
hath made herself ready." Remember that it was a common designation
to portray God and Israel as husband and wife in the Old Testament. And you'll find several references
where that is so. But let's return for the time
to Ephesians chapter 5 and the parallel which Paul draws between
the union in marriage and the union between Christ and his
church. It seems that Paul has here in
his mind's eye the union of the first pair, Adam and Eve. That from what he says in verse
30 and verse 31. A reference, no doubt, to Genesis
2 and verse 23 and 24. When Eve was brought to Adam,
you remember, he slept, God opened his side, he took a rib, He made
or built a woman and brought her unto the man. And when Adam
saw her, he said, This is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh. He said a second thing in Genesis
2.24, Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, cleave
unto his wife, they shall be one flesh. In Ephesians 5 and
31, Paul quotes Genesis 2 And verse 24, almost verbatim, or
that is word for word. Now Paul sees in this union of
Adam and Eve, he sees a great mystery. That there is in the
marriage union that which runs parallel in many things to the
union of Christ and His people. Set out in the text. For example,
look at verse 23. I'm in Ephesians 5. The husband
is the head of the wife. Christ is the head of the church. Look at verse 24. Wives are subject
to their husband. The church is subject unto Christ. Verse 25. Husbands love their
wives. Christ loved the church and gave
Himself for it. Verse 28-29, men ought to love
their wives as themselves, for none ever hated their own flesh,
but nourishes it and cherishes it even as the Lord does the
church. Again in verse 30, we are members
of His body, of His flesh, and of His bone. And taking what
Adam said and applying it or putting in a relationship of
Christ and the church. Besides, there is what John Gill
called, quote, a legal union between Christ and His people. What do you mean? Well, I'm speaking
of the office of suretyship. That Christ became surety for
the people of God. He was a bondsman. He became
a bondsman. a sponsor, a fiducer for his
people in the sight of the law. And what does the bondman, that
is, the surety, do? But he pays the debtor who cannot
pay. This is what the surety does. He engages himself to stand good
for the bill, and when it comes due, And the debtor cannot pay. The surety must answer the debt. If you ever sign for something
for somebody else, you understand suretyship, that's what it is.
And so he paid himself. Our Lord gave the price. Our
Lord stepped up and as our surety answered the debt, and answered
it completely and in full. Now, think of this. Upon what
ground is Christ required to die for our sin? Upon what ground
must He die and that benefit us except upon the ground of
some unity, some relationship. How can it be that His death,
therefore, benefit us unless there is a legal union between
the Lord Jesus Christ and between us? There's a question I didn't
even try to deal with because I'm not capable, and Goodman
raised it. Whether or not our union to Christ,
for he held that it was for the world, is directly to the Godhead,
or whether it is to Christ and then unto the Godhead. So you
see there are a lot of wonderful and mysterious things about this
union. But I'll close by repeating,
there'll be no salvation, there'll be no regeneration, no conversion,
no grace, no blessings apart from this union that Christ holds
with His people. Out of this union flows all of
those blessings. And that's a view for us to have
of Christ that really is a blessing to our spiritual life. Alright,
thank you for hearing. In the second service today,
we'll look at old Leprous Naaman and see what God did for him.
Let's stand for a word of prayer, please.