Christ Love for his church

If you have your Bibles with you bypt, please open them to Fesians Chapter five. Once again, I'm off, So if pesa funf begin at verse twenty five, they begin by fancy as we begin, let me first say thank you before I begin lest as. I am grateful for your hospitality. I have been made to feel completely welcome here, have me for come vicme Hregafield. And I'd like to think that it's not just because of my German surname and the thank if the ignition my doudging for now, but I I really have felt right at home here. I am grateful to the Lord for what he is doing in your midst spend them. And I am humbled to see the way that God is raising up his people all over the world. He's been mute Nizia. He got design of stain lessti bile indoor. People who love the Lord mentioned design didn't handle, who love his word is involved and who are committed to those Reformation doctrines. And he and I'm honored to be a part of what God is doing here this weekend. And he's been finish the entire front designed for Scott, and I've said it to him personally, but I want to say it publicly. I'm grateful to my brother Tobias Uh translating these sermons and it's basically him having to preach every time we preach. And then the tradition here that's done mostly is my praying, then preading and both preaching, both preaching and translating our exhausting works preading on edisons and shop and so I think we should all just express our gratitude to this brother for doing yeomen's work this weekend. The thing than is dunk bank Head, I was spraying for the abad to and it's my pleasure to embarrass you by making you translate your own thanks the Dambini's most my assignment as we close off garb is this noon is to extol the virtue of Christ's love for his bride. It's the the lber Christopher and Hai. Love is a topic that we love Libist and we love to talk about love. Believe we love to write about love. Libertz Schriden oceans could be filled with the ink that has been spilled to write about love. Mia Tinta, suscrime con forests have been decimated Gonveld wardens because of the amount of paper that we've needed to write about love me. Hours and hours of airtime on the radio have been consumed stunt on stunden from front side of Amadio one damage by our desire to listen to songs about love Fang Liba's Leader to, about finding love Leader Us and about losing love U, about the heartbreak when we found love and then lost love It isn't hart Smells and the Liba and about how much we love to find love again after we've been heartbroken from the love that we found and then lost and leading live it for finton A Liba funt. On the other, we love weddings, believe them Hoit and we love weddings because we love love, believe Hoziton By we love weddings even though we don't love marriage anymore. Believe them Hoziton of the the we're all hopeful at weddings, and by Hotziite we all smile when those vowels are red and yeah, yeah, finish my tons isn't d You can be at someone's third or fourth marriage by the dred Foot, hot Sites and apisozign and smile when they promised to do what they've failed to do. Three or four times before the man relation. Then vida does fast bridge the female four here because we love the idea of love is a fun liber leave. But where do you think that comes from? However's deveo heads i commed. I think we love love if liber because we were created to bavia dafia, because the God who created us, why they got is love libist. Why else this God is love the people is that God is liba. In fact, God has existed within the Godhead throughout all eternity in perfect love. The thing is that zodas got in touch in forkmna liba the perfect love of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit the for commna liber fat on zon on cheist. In fact, the idea of love is meaningless apart from the idea of the triune God. That's gand a liba. But eutung slaws the man and is a liberty goddess. The only reason we have the concept is because of who God is the first along for Libam is the likdaran vere goddess. And even as we express love outro bring, we express it in ways that are only possible for God then brings the damad in the invage some ostroke di know got merklecent. Think about the songs we sing and the poems we reading. I'm going to love you forever? How many songs about loving forever have been written by people who've loved and then stopped loving? You feel the leader I does. Liban mentioned, my love is is higher than the mountains mine, libassides Diberga, Actually it's not. My love is everlasting mine libas On Entlish. Actually it's not. But there is a love that never fails about them Philam, that never ends afered, that knows no bounds, whose depths can never be fully plumped. And that is not the love of any man for any woman, or any woman for any man. Does this is the love that exists within the Godhead? Does this delivered the existe it in the in the Gottite, And every love other than that is only proximal And Libas it is a approximation of that genuine love from which it grows Vlibasts and state. So what we sing about and what we write about from Schimen is actually more accurately the yearning that we have for that true love that is God himself. It's Phalangas a lib from God so as we talk about this idea of Christ's love for his bride, the church is as van christieliber Fozia commander. What we're looking at is the place where this perfect eternal love. But art what is a perfect avigliba expresses itself in our temporal reality some austrobracht in the in the reality it and we see it expressed in terms that we can comprehendenken. So God gives us this imperfect picture, and so got unfurshtend nigga build that helps us to approach doesn't start by him the idea of his perfect love the virtually for common and Liba, it's like the imperfect picture of fatherhood because it is unfocommon fata shaft. How many people do you know who've said they have a hard time with the idea of God as father. If you mention and I've got me out fata for Sustan because of their imperfect father being ira unfocommonent theata because they're thinking about it in the wrong direction. They about in the pan richdom. You don't use the imperfect to define the perfect, does unfocommon And that's for comnent Definian. You start from the perfect. It begins by them for commnen same with love. You don't look at imperfect broken marriages to define the love of God. So the unfocommon and in on you look at the perfect love of God. The Charles didy for common liber gotta son in order to unders stand what marriage is a picture of the fir stay in for fundi e nuine Buddhist. And the picture here is of the love that Christ has for his bride, the built Cristos Hatfa's Zinaga mind design. Let's read this text again. Less husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the Church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way, husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the Church, because we are members of his body. Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother, and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ in the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. Yamena leaped oil frown Viokia Cristos the cominder gliped w exelpt f the hinge gave him hautshiligen. The reinigan tots wasasabad and vat the mid air decminders exepts for harlish dash delta denis flecken with an advasteglichhenhat son as the highly fontadalosist those and of the man a show the here frowns sulibin via eign and libra as a frau leaped lips exhalpst. The Niemann had yemas an eigness fleish caahastna tonflake. This viote Cristo's decaminder. Then within glider zionus libras they're swing with an munch father and mutafalas frau unheng on its five were an iron flish sign. This highness grows heabadoiters of Christos, one of the coaminder Yen five ear Jeda van eusch Libas and Frau Zoviz exhelpst the frau Aba does the air wished for the man Harbor. I want us to see Christ's love for his bride the church in three different ways merce theliber Christopher, Minders and Browed and Driverchine and Bcencine, three ways that are expressed and explained through this passage. Vigds a passage he had some astro common. First, we see Christ's love for his church through his atoning death. So as Christ deliber sosigna brow it doesn't just say husbands love your wives and leave us to sort of define that on our own, and we Lesbstein, if it did, we'd be in trouble. Ve hadn't been a problem because we could say, of course, you can't judge me, I'm loving the way that I know how is liber vices, and we wouldn't need to strive for that kind of love or even aspired to that kind of love novinit Shan. The standard would just be whatever we felt at the time, so that side feeling, we would be like the man who was a perfect marksman, the Manda iron perfector marksman. Yes, like you know, you take bow and arrow and you shoot it. Yeah, perfect boom. It was a man who was just a perfect marksman, and all around his archery range and perfect boom. Should says and dim guns and designs the fight and design there were arrows straight in the center of the target. Finally the guns can now in the midter the seals van and he guaranteed that he could teach anyone to do the same, And Garant does him in the lag of Yayem survibes videsk so and comes and says, fine, how much and then come down man exact okay vivie cost it does man tells him what the charge is. The man's acting views costed. He pays, He gets a bow. An arrow comes in in bog wanting file and the man says, draw the ball. The man's act spanning bog release and then that's loss. The man releases the arrow and it goes and lands somewhere, and let's let's lose on the fire fleet on London. The gentleman walks up to the arrow. The the man gates so them file. The one who was just paid to make him a marksman and paints a target right around the Eraw went mild and see AW didn't file her home and says, congratulations, you just hit the target. And if love wasn't defined, believe it in definiant how we could approach it then or I've accomplished it. I've achieved it because I define what my love for my wife is then defin. That's many leave for a mine of houst and I meet my own definition defin. But God doesn't leave it there. Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church vire de Cristos the commander. There is a standard standard and it is not just any standard, but it is a perfect standard. That's a perfect standard. It is an unreachable standard and standard Husbands are being commanded to do something that is impossible for them to do it. At last, we are being commanded to go somewhere that we can never reach. For himsel gain for the Hima's uncom con because the goal here is not for me to reach this destination to borrow from the last message, then does the feel if this is an art, is but to learn something? So if a solon about that to which my destination points but does for hind mine seal English for vist and that is the perfect love of God, and that is default on the libergottis love your wives as Christ loved the church Cristos commander gailipt and gave himself up for her and Hinda Game Mud literally gave his life up for her. Wirtlish design lame Hinda Game hut fuzzy. This is this is not something that I can entertain. This is not a love that I'm capable of libert today. This is the perfect love of God as the for common the liber goddess that was expressed at the cross Koitz. How do you define love? The defin liba Is it a mere sentiment? Is this? Is it a mere emotion? No, because the love of Christ for his bride was not mere sentiment or mere emotion. And the liber Christopher's a mind of a. I like to define love this way you meant to live a zo definion. It is an act of the will and a handlong disivillains accompanied by emotion. The beglighted is fu that leads to action on behalf of its object, the so handlung and fut beinget. There's a choice first and foremost, So he asked, just hidom. And this is exactly how Christ loved his bride the church. This cristos an act of the will, a decision that he made and hand long there's villains and then it was accompanied by emotion as far glited for, not led by emotion, glided from emosion. That's teenage girl love. That is uh, the the machien liver from teenager and that's that's the love that changes from week to week or from hour to hour. Does this the liber disease so end that flies? That's the Oh my god, I love him? Does sleeping there? You know who you are, the vice very best. That's not what this love is. That's liber your mind. This is not the love that's led by emotion. That's kind of liberty. Glided is fun feeling. It's led by the will. It's glided from villain, but it's also not void of emotion. I was all the men in the house say Amen, alamanna hem hauzang amen Amen. I hear this often from men. You know, I don't know what she wants from me. I'm just not an emotional man. Show only for me. A village didn't help me. I have a way that I respond to this. We sit down and there's a couple who's having an issue. It's non siminized. This is papas and problem. Man is basically saying, I don't know what she wants. I'm just not an emotional man manage and I just look at him and and I say, you're a liar, and I wait and eventually Wally and let's usually within a second or two the count he expresses brink some outro an emotion and gefu, he's offended because I called him a liar, at which point I love to help him understand something. Hey, I never so firsten either you're telling the truth and vidazaivit and you're not an emotional man man and you're just faking this outrage and yet too students for the studentia off ring. Or you're a liar to best and Lukena and you are an emotional man man, in which case we've just made a breakthrough. Pokashoft. The fact of the matter is we are emotional. The pun emsnal. We express emotion when things matter to us. They bring emots and some astro Vensdingovis descent christ expressed emotion. Christos towards his bride the church commander, do you remember the garden of garden? For this was a deeply emotional time moment. But it was also the moment where we went from act of the will accompanied by emotion to action on behalf of its object. The moment in Devia, fun and Chim act as villains, and then comes so the handlung And what was the act on behalf of the object of Christ's love and deliber Christie, he gave himself for her, He had to accept, Hinga gave him physy. He died for her, Stop Phizzy. And the Bible is clear the Bible about this being an act of love Albeva John fifteen thirteen Joanna's fifth sat furtsen. Greater love has no one than this might have someone lay down his life for a friend and leave him. He gives first John four sixteen after Johanna. So we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us. They got feel God is love, God is Liba, and whoever abides in love abides in God. And then the lave a blip. They blinped and God and God in him and God in him. But how was that manifested, Come dos oustrok Romans Chapter five, Verses six through eleven, Who am a fifth feathers? For while we were still weak at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person, though perhaps for a good person one would dare even die. But God showed his love for us in that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since therefore we have now been justified by His blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by His life. More than that we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. Then Christus is if you're not kafloswaren, not from damining sipumed fear. God loves a Christovn. Then come the human find Gristenstein. Then fitting grity, Markhili amount osterben Varden got Abba vised Zigni live so and starin does Christos Alfin of Zunda Vargen Films christov missed feel me ann dave yet to design blue kresht verdistn't ven ve dushin from torron gretted Verden. Then when vera if you find a Vargen, it got faz told Zenus onus. So then we have field mayor Davia Fazun sind to sign lame gretted Verden nichabadas so the rumans our Goddess Jesus Christos the stay in viaetstefaz and fung and how can we forget John three sixteen via you want to strive astigus. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. So I got evald as an anger born and zone garb, so that whoever believes in him tinglobd all those who believe in him Ingla. It's not perish for long. We don't perish. We have eternal life viev viglim why varun the love of God and a Liba goddess. This is the message of the Gospel, tells us the Boschafterphan Williams that we fallen sinners deserved the wrath of a holy goddad and son, and as highly goddess Veden and yet this holy God gave his son to die in our stead. When Tokat is a highly of Godzagin z own the mestellar stop Isaiah, chapter fifty three, verses one through six. Yaiadrys six. Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no form or majesty 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. We despised him, and he was, and we esteemed him not surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. Yet we esteemed him strickened, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crusted for our iniquities. Upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace. And with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep, have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way. And the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all verdun and viamous diarmed the sound of bagavorden yest vient trip forshaslan vienvotris pross dirmertrech Yeah to kaindiristet on kinde prachtveen zambda kin that's Fnhattan. Neva achted one the mentioned for Alsson and Manda Schmertzen one mid Leiden, for traut via Aina, for Deemansk sishta Berg neva achted want via hamish on there Leiden he had on Themertzen the Geladen, the abba via hidden in fhibush draft van Goeschlagen want niedergeboigt the revardrish board from unzerra again vill Schladen from unzra Z the straft lag of im to under freedom one the zigon a dream is on Zylongevorden. There a her Vi Shaffer via van ziem eigenen vick about the hair lis intrefen on the allah shut. This is our gospel, that's the Filiam. This is what makes us Christians. This, Sir christ, this is what separates Christianity from every other region in the world. That christ every other religion in the world can basically be boiled down to this. You'ally you need to have a religious experience. You must really the fung. Different religions will define that experience in different ways under tradition from defen but in all of them you need to have a religious experience when I find then secondly you need to do more good things than bad things when sans must have done meaguta tartan tuna and thirdly written hope for the best when you die. Half of half of it is best of understrips Is it an oversimplification? Is simplicit um fine form only slightly. That is every religion in the world so is have a religious experience, happen, do more good than you do bad mayor guta vakisera, and then hope for the best when you die, and then half off. That's best of understood. But that is not our gospel. Our gospel is that you cannot get to God from where you are. Is that's two niche to God glan khans fand for the business. There is no religious experience that can make you right with God. And even if there was, you can't do more good than bad. That's Venice. That's gabas because even on your best day you have bad intentions. And that invest in talk has to Burzer obsession. That which is not a faith is sin. That is as I'm a zinder. And so if you're merely trying to do more good than bad, and I don't know, fazeus, that's to Maya Guta Berza. Even your good is not good enough and you can't get there from here ing along from you. But our Goss says William's act, that there was a great exchange. That's didding again, that that the perfect, spotless, sinless lamb of God. This for Comnes Fleckings, Rhine lam Gottis lived a perfect life and for Commnestad so that he might impute his righteousness to us. Admitt zine grest And died an undeserving death so that our sin might be imputed to him. And through this double imputation, Jesus, this is double and vex. God is both just in that he punishes sin. It's got some iron graft and the justifier who saves the ungodly rest together. And it is only through the person and work of Christ. And let's get Christie. This is the message of the Gospel, doesvangilliams listen to the way our confession puts it? Does end's some w Yet Chapter eight, paragraph four capital at sphere this office the Lord Jesus did most willingly undertake which that he might discharge. He was made under the law and did perfectly fulfill it, and underwent the punishment due to us which we should have borne, and suffered, being made sin and a curse for us. And during most grievous sorrows in his soul and most painful suffering in his body, was crucified and died, and remained in the state of the dead, yet saw no corruption. On the third day he rose from the dead with the same body in which he suffered, with which he also ascended into heaven. And there sitteth at the right hand of the Father, making intercession, and shall return to judge men and angels at the end of the world. This is antate her Jesu's furlish fry village anger or miss also katan air filters foi setemdish air eli strava di va fadeen ta the vera adult, the light and hanzoin. And they have unsundo and some fl air adult it to the bitters and quin and Zina Zeila on Enliden and zynum Lip the kreutzrich on Stark believe him. Sushants Totis' astins I'm the written tag if they met him Zemlipe and they make galen hav Totafer Shuntan mideson four air our and in himmel av Ziz thoughts rations and his fathers on the lake fiersbrach, I'm from Dad, but de vida kom or mentioned on the angle I'm end of the veldt. This is why we gather this wing, famons, this is why we gather. When we gather, this is this is why the people of God no longer gather on the last day of the week, but now gather on the first day of the week. That's because we have gone from gathering to commemorate and celebrate God's creation, while via Fondama the and the sheep fong to gathering to commemorate God's redemption. And still one day in seven, but that day commemorates the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Is attack there theydng them taught on the and the new creation that exists because of it. When did Annya ship from the deathing excess? Yet, this is why we gather that, This is why we worship. That's from the unbeaten. Bruce Leafblad defines worship this way. Bruce Leafblad definet and beetung Ra Gottastins and Deserviza. True worship happens when we set our minds, attention and heart's affection on the Lord Vara gottstink m Henrichten, praising him for who he is and what he has done. This is why we gather. We gather to commemorate God's work of redemption on some doverkus Gottis. This is why we worship. This is this is what's wrong with unbiblical worship. This is this is varmaspiatist and unbubulished and Gottastin's. Unbiblical worship wants to celebrate the emotion of God's love Godstein's today is a gafila fun got libaan without being rooted in the reality of God's love and really take fant. Modern worship wants to sing endlessly of how we feel about God. Moderna got his scenes that are unbeaten tafan zing vi fun on fuelin made goddess Liba, but runs away from the root and ground of our relationship with God ren vekfond, So we abandon the songs that remind us of what God's love looks like. Is medi leader inan we got his Liba outseat in favor of songs designed to make us feel something about the love that we no longer comprehend. Lida so zing dila filas phulen vibert is aliba goddess Diva ganik mepheshtin. But we gather aminons because of the cross being this crisis. We gather because of God's redeeming love for his bride, if as amenons being gottess. We gather because of the person and work of Christ, if amons ving person on this verkus. And so when we pray, and that'side bitten, we pray to commune with our risen Lord, the beetinum and the mind shaft ham alfa st. When we preach and we're praying, we preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and praying with vangelis Christian. When we gather around the sacraments and facament, we baptize people in order to portray the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. The from the mention Bolz is then taught on the the office Christie and their union with that dead buried and resurrected Christ, and the mind shaft that it isn't taught God when we gather around the Lord's table and san what do we do? Bastunvia his body and his blood zigin life on zign blute, his death, I'm told his resurrection and alpha stone, the new Covenant, the naya bund. This is why we gather this, This is why we make expressions like these, this bringing videse. And can it be that I should gain an interest in the Savior's blood. It's tail I'm blued minus a lusas died he for me, who caused his pain, for me who him to death pursued. It's femished as jimsi the imsign Leiden of Sugatan ham the fo tarbison into It sounds like a morbid song unless you get the gospel claims morbida ambida fleet. How about this one visus him when I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory died it is this one that is Kritus, and then the prince de Harliska my riches gain I count but lost and poor contempt on all my pride. Then then but and it's virtually and im again. Why would we gather week after week to talk about things like this? Did it so? Ready? For this one? Straight out of Isaiah fifty three direct he is I of time fifty man of sorrows. What a name for the son of God who came ruined sinners to reclaim Hallelujah? What a savior vasa mandes mats and vasa nam If you're forgot the Hallelujah vasa and elsa? Why maybe because he breaks the power of canceled sin and sets the prisoner free them, and because his blood can make the foulest clean. His blood availed for me and the blue domins. Then rein mai forgot that. You don't understand this unless you've understood this truth. It's to us deserve our height frest because the sinless savior died, my sinful soul is counted free. Why de reta gustavmist that mina zinder freigermacht for God that just was satisfied to look on him and pardon me. Then God of Inblicht and Miaphagab. We don't gather just to make one another feel better. If Ananda and Beserus kofu Gien, we gather to remind one another of the love of our Savior as expressed through the cross and did some koits. This is why we worship, doesn't they're going for unbeaten worship is not about making us feel a particular way. And I got to see snake datas vitrim visor fulin but helping us remember a particular truth, so almost hell from the I talked earlier about how heartbreaking it is as a pastor to see people fleeing from true preaching for something less than that, and Hamadi's pasta and Mansid does mention dafon vickflein. Perhaps even more sad than that does is people fleeing from a biblical church. It is this when mentioned fleeing from an ambiblishminder in order to go somewhere where the songs make them feel a particular way for dying. So again for the leader of his song advisive Fieling, even being willing to flee from biblical preaching and so fleeing from bab because because we want the feeling that we get from particular types of singing fiatim art for the things. And the sad reality is this again is starving the soul? Does this? Does this us the Zelan list? And here's the great irony. When we move away from these truths, and when we begin to rely on feeling like God loves us unfann't on sleep, we end up in that place where we begin to doubt God's love because our feelings change and the liber got Then you don't find God's love in your feelings. The finders got tob You find God's love in the cross. The finners got to sleeper and Kreitz. And so if you have to choose between worship that makes you feel loved and that's saying you know, I can hiden missed and am got justin stays sosign and worship that is designed to remind you of the truth of God's love. Got just and divahide from God. Flee to the truth. Flee all day, every day and twice on Sunday mahalamzantak. It is the truth, this divide that is our hope. It's the truth. Did hear me? Those of you who doubt God's love hurt me? Stop looking inside yourself for the evidence. Hurt offsta feel. If you want to know God loves you and Scottish sleep, look no further than the cross vitals. Not only do we see Christ's love for his bride through his atoning death in his deliver brought, we see it through his sanctifying work about his sign a highly the text continues. The text gidviterer that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. The Meddica minders except for Harlish, the Medica minders except for Harlish data then flecking so high losses. We won't spend much time on this point, as we addressed it in the message yesterday. And yet I guess, but allow me to remind you of this two part reality of sanctification and diesel vhen the heiligon that we are perfectly sanctified in Christ, does theo come highly cristals, and that we are progressively sanctified five thousand cristals that the good news of the Gospel, and believing that good news of the Gospel is the ground of our sanctification. Does the gut glaubionists. Both in terms of that perfect righteousness that is ours when we believe the volume hindlikoff is for come nei greeshtik if you haven't vinklau, and in terms of that progressive righteousness that grows in us algren hindegoft is a fordriten grevexed. Paul addresses this earlier in chapter two Paulo and comp s in verse ten in fifteen, we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in him. Then viaz and Zengebilder and Christo Jo's geschafs the gutenvelkin they got four hair bright attat dmitria Inandazi. And so we see the love of Christ for his bride in that he dies and gives himself up for her. And so cristilver so a brou dargen. That's a fusi stripped on. But it doesn't stop there. This is if it stopped there, it would be like a man who loves a woman Estaphan vid and Vera and Manda and Fraulippe who proposes marriage Yeah, and Hian Rachmat who goes to the altar some Ita coont makes his vows. When sign eiit Spricht has marriage license in hand. Does he said if he caught in the hunt and walks away never to live with her in the union of marriage, one get vekam nema slim in the einha, would they be legally married? Verni rests the paper says so out of papias. But marriage is more than that. Our salvation is more than that, retuns. And so Christ does not merely die to save us from sins. He dies in order to set us apart for himself asund and that why I mean, and that we might be conformed to his image. I mean, if you have avandad enzign bild. And this leads us to the third truth. And let's bring that God's love for his Christ's love for his bride the church is seen through his union with her. Does christie lib Brouti Commander Darren Gazen but via einheit mitya back in our text text in the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the Church, because we are members of His body. Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. Then doctor Mana schuliulibin via eign and Leiba and fulb lip then and Agnes fleikhastnfliktus viatre Cristos the Commander, Then Vizent Glida zainus libis death ving but i mensh father and motafalasen on frau nheng on ts wy then ain flish sign Arthur Pink said of the doctrine of spiritual union with Christ Arta Pink sat guys Can comminds off Mitchristos that it is the most important, the most profound, and the most blessed. Does the vista of any that is set forth in the Sacred script that the ranist in the Shrift and Titans, and do we believe that with us, that the idea, the doctrine, the concept of our union with Christ, that's this concept on the mindshraft metristos is the most important of any idea in the scriptures. Dis shrift is the most profound of any idea in the scriptures, led in the script the most blessed of any idea in the scriptures. Exactness. If you can only answer yes to that, if you understand what this doctrine is sad because when I say things like that, that this is the most important doctrine and any thing, the immediately people start saying, well, wait, wait a minute, wait a minute. Certainly justification is the most important doctrine one when when you can't have justification without union with Christ a mindhraft ma crystos, Let me explain, like it's a clear first, just look at the nature of our union, So he ask you, I'm the the dinatua one mindshaft two ideas spiritual and mystical idina. I'm a the guislicia on the mustership. It is a spiritual union, is guilt, which means that it is a union brought about by the spirit of God himself. Is a mind shaft. You do it thing, guys, got to ze one Corinthians twelve thirteen, after Corintha first rites in for in one spirit we were all baptized into one body. Jews or Greeks slaves are free and all were made to drink of one spirit. Then an inem guy Cinthia im like a sign. You know GRESI, saints kla when Saint Alah mid iem geist rank word first grintin six as nineteen twenty fans or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God. You are not your own. You were bought with a price, So glorify God in your body. Whatever does oil life and temple is highly and geistes is. Then if I'm got topped, then to ma name preserden for harlish non God midmlp one more one John four thirteen, after fear first right sin. By this we know that we abide in Him and he in us, because He has given us of his spirit ran ken in emblime in uns geist. We are united with Christ. Isn't Cristos the spirit of God? Think guist Goddess And I'll say more about this momentarily. But we are also united with one another by the spirit of God. If you met at Mianda Gottis understand that our union with Christ status like a mind shaft. Cristos is our union with Christ does that's do Unzra mind shraft Cristals is what unites me to Christ, unites me to everyone else who's united with Christ. That's Cristos forts And it's the spirit of God that does this work. When is the guist Goddess that is a vert not only a spiritual union, but a mystical unionistic mind of mind shaft. The Bible speaks of mystery as something that was once hidden but has now been revealed. The shrift brace fun and highness. Alas it's often batist, it's also this These ideas that are explained but often never fully comprehended, get some these dignity. They are clear clear of nesle guns first then, and this idea of union fits that he did mind shaft drifting off too. There are three main mystical unions that help us to grasp this concept this trap strai these a highness foil and mind. Minds are shoft and the unsafe not so Fastine one is the union of the godhead. Iron is ironheid mind shaft gotd one God I got three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The farther the zone of the highly. Guys. The Father is God, the fastest God, but he is not the Son of the Spirit. Guys. The Son is God, but he is not the Father or the Spirit the zone. The Spirit is God, but he is not the Father or the Son. The guys, just God, your Father, one God. I got three subsistences, as our confession says and drivers fianza bettnus act. This is one of those mystical unions. This is iron, He's like a highness fill in einheiten. The second is this, it's fight is the hyposthetic union. Statis ein height, one person, iron, two natures. It's finaturn. Jesus was not God on the left side and man on the right side. Give us finish. Got off the link anxiety and mensh after restnxieter. He is the God Man, Yes, the God mens God wrapped himself in flesh and became a man, and all the senses of the word God has the apes and fleishcha Clyde and become mention in iron bedoting when this never ceasing to be God, and then yet any minutes of fur to God sosign so that on the crow us God kills God. So there's some coits got got to it? How we how VI get us? This is that mystical union of the two natures of Christ. This is a highness faller eroinheit, that's fine a tool and Christie and the union of believers to Christ and the mind shaft degloybeing Michristos, he's a similar union. It's also einheit that we are in union with Christ, just like the Father and the Son and the Spirit are in union with one another's via Michristos and the mind shafts and and also Vida fad as one of the guys in mind shafts, and that we are in union with Christ, just like his human nature and his divine nature in union with one another in Einhedts and mich Cristo Sovii, Glenhead and another. This is what the Bible means when it says that we are in Christ. This is Fusty Bieber's mind acts an in crystals. We see this portrayed in a number of ways, and the scriptures, I think a Shrift and mir Art and Dagastad we see it not only for example, in the godhead I think has much and got but also in the idea of the vine and the branches. These are forced along fun from weinstock in uh. This is a picture of our union with Christ. The stein bid was like a mind shift with Cristos, a perfect picture and perfectest bit. No, that's why we have multiple pictures. Nine. That's seeing the stones in the building and the chief cornerstone, the stein, and I am Gaboido on the eckstein, Adam and all of mankind, Adam on the guns and man'shide, all of mankind fell in Adam. Alla mentioned feeling in Adam, and the husband and the wife, and the airman on the air flow. All of these things point to a great reality. I did realitate our union with Christ Ironheim, Cristos him. What does this mean? Normal? That's mind us? Why does this matter? Have you ever been asked this question? How can you Christians believe that someone dying two thousand years ago has anything to do with you being forgiven? Today? Club does? Does the young Finn stop lasts for game? But anyone ever been asked that question? Anyone ever asked that question? Yourself? Some of you may still be asking that question. I believe it, club, but I still have questions about it. Have you ever tried to explain that to someone you might him? Clear? How? Why? And and why would that be considered fair? V when vulted to venicel. Is that done, Gretzin. There are those who call it insane, that keep designed that is. One of the leaders in the Church of England calls it cosmic child abuse and the light Caro England Nan and cosmess cos mission kinds power. He says that it's akin to you know, me kicking my dog in order to forgive my wife. I have finished mine, huntret and mina faus a game. But why let me explain this a few different ways? And being in our regeneration in when we are made alive and we are some lea, the Bible says we are made alive we Christ anzacti schrift via Vivencristos Ephesians two one through five. If he that's why, and you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the Prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath like the rest of mankind. 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 a reichate Alpha Victia taught that, and agg indiniastevandled it mezt and Cyclot Gomestim first and de march de Luffe disguised us the yettinen zun and is Ungo unswerked, when the deson had now vea and andes, and they made in villain flies when duncan tartan one for a tour kin, dadissans varen vioandron god Aba the ratist and Abam hartzis Kite had zina leve hie and libevillin for medeons or huns div and tot varen midim Christos lebendi. I have the life of Christ in me, Lame Christos in me because of my union with Christ einheit Mitchristos, I I am a different kind of alive brabbits and and and kite. I have a spiritual life that others do not. Yep and guys. Others are the walking dead and the vandon and toten. They don't even know that they're dead. But we've been a maid alive together with Christ. If you have only made Cristos, and because of our union with Christ and the thing einheit Mitchristos, we have a life that is life. Indeed, that's just in regeneration, but also in justification. We see the importance of union with Christ. Galatians, Chapter two and verse twenty Galatatsvai vers Verse twenty. 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. Christos kakoits is san Cristos lived in me, gets them flies labor leabe him on th glau and in zone gottess oneps to and again. Colossians three, two and three call us a three tri tr set your mind on things that are above, on things that are on earth, For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God zinta the artist. Then is that kristaubamist for Borden met him Christos in God. Remember that question, how does the death of someone two thousand years ago have anything to do with you today? To how does the death of Christ have anything to do with God forgiving you? Yet? I told Christian ungus amidstun, that's God dear forgivet because of our union with Christ Einheimchristos, you were in Adam in the garden when he ate from the tree, duvas Adam and dmgarten I'd say, I say ask, And you were in Christ on Calvary when he died on a tree, and duvas in Christus of Gorgata. As they stop, I'm houtz the first time by nature of your natural birth or by virtue of your natural birth aske my Deutsche died in naturally shakabut the second time by virtue of your spiritual birth to my Deutschgeist. Chikabot listen is what Paul says. I have been crucified with christower of sock ish ben kit at Christos, and again you have died normal yazide gestauvn. What are we saying in baptisms viende tolfa. Well, it is a picture of a spiritual reality. Since then, Zimbola and a guy's thinking realitate. Christ died and was buried, and you are in Christ who died and was buried. Christ stop for the best in Christus the stop Christ rose from the dead to live and never die again. Because it's ol fash done fun in tortn and you come out of that water in Christ risen to live and never die again. When it comes to us des vasa in cristos al so how does the death of someone two thousand years ago benefit me? So they kind of signed us to tortu because of my spiritual and mystical union with Christ, Guy isting on to highness. For in einheidmen christos Ah. This is an important doctrine. Not only that, but my adoption mine Adoptama Romans eight fourteen to sixteen remacht for all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of adoption as sons by whom you cry abba Father. The spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God Romans eight, fourteen to sixteen. Romans eight remarked, Then the fielder doing guist God is glided verden the zim zona goddess. Then shaft and fang villas of foolisht son and guys their zone shafts up the fan and deveruf abba fata the guys es, but some of them geist does via kimda God send sixteen right, that's good Galatians four four through sixt fear fear be six. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying Abba Father, further that side come zanta godsign Zonette the media lost cozette, varen the midvia the oone shaft and thing vazbazon is Xander got then guys Sinus Zonus and Andre hadson that a hofed abba fata is isobla and zone when abba zones or are you saying this? Says the love of Christ that dies in our place. The liber Christie disturbed and rotella, the love of Christ that sanctifies us and sets us apart. Liber Christian highly upsondat, and the love of Christ that brings about our spiritual and mystical union with him. Deliver Christie the the des a kindness follow on einheit gi einheit mid Cristal's blind. In this union, his love makes us alive with him, and this einheight ma than a libo and slipndidim. In this union, his love brings us into all of the benefits of his death burial in resurrection. Ironheight brings and a libo and in bring anyone, says Tyler Zanos Tortois and Zanasdale. In this union he makes us sons and Heronhard Marter, we are as much sons and daughters as he is a son of his father. Listen weza via zeb's zon and zenus fata. Because of this union with Christ being this ironheit mid Cristos, do you see this? We have been ushered into the greatest love that has ever existed. He hasn't liberty. The father loves the son and has for all eternity the fata Libtinzon had sight aviish Katan, and now we are in the sun and via indim zone, which means the Father loves us with that love with which he has loved the sun for all eternity besides the Father leaps Can de libertad and zon fan avis Kat. You have any idea what this means? Heist God could not love you more God, Conrad, can you wrap your head around that? Chisten. Listen to me, you who's always striving to be worthy of the love of God, hurt me at suis design deliver Gottis. Listen to me, you who's always doubting the love of God and hils and deliver Gottis. Listen to me you. Does it feel like God loves you? Hermits Fields Scottish Leap. You are in Christ do best in crystals. God has adopted you. And not only does God love you. It is not possible for God love you more than He loves you, and or for anyone else to love you as much as God loves Sophia and our sanctification. It is our union with Christ highnheighten Cristos, second Corinthians five twenty one, swider corinnns fancy for our sake He made him to be sin, who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Dand cantata un DamID via goddess grechtiskit worden in him. Do you hear this hurd yet? Does this is not do more good things than bad? Yes? To Merguta Verkai's person. This is not hope for the best when you die. That's his nicheff Off does best of nderstrips. This is through your union with Christ. That's einheit mit christas God has made you the very righteousness of God in him, had Gottish the gereshti kite goddess on Peter two twenty four, after Petrost's wife, has he himself bore our sins in his body on the tree that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds, you have been healed zeb and holtz damvia stream and for sight and then finally in glorification for Haalism. Do we have assurance mvia zahid will will we will we persevere? Will we make it? Nafen listen to me, beloved at ntzuge, you are in Christ ere zait in christos seeded with him in heavenly places. Yes, it's mid Him and in himnisht He says, Let not your heart be trouble. You believe in God. Believe also in me, as that in my father's house for many rooms, in minus FATA's house and Filavornomen. And I go to prepare a place for you and understed Suberitan, so that where I am you may be also the mid Ea Dazite. Wait and watch this, and our bridegroom leaves us to go and prepare a place for us Boetica and Paleston's or wants undesteted Suberitan. How can we maintain this union with him when he has gone somewhere else? The committee is i ant He gave us his spirit gobuns Zi and Geist. Our union has not been lost long Agan. We are in union with Christ, union with the Spirit of Christ. And gist Christie. We are as much in union with the second person of the Trinity as the third person of the Trinity is in union with the second person of the Trinity. And fight in person fighting. And you can no more divide us from Christ than you can divide the spirit from the son of the Father Christ. Geist, the one who began the work is the one who will see it through the completion. That is. What does that mean that we can just live any way we want to? Yes, Yeah, because if you are in union with Christ and ironheightm crystals, pis, he changes your want to then for end that das fastuvist amen Amen. He gives you the desire for holiness that you would not could not have otherwise. Gip italanga highlish kite does skanish hats artist and you will walk in that holiness without which no man will see God and reversed and he's a highly kite vandoned on animan and hands invert. What about maintaining this union? That's ironheight. This takes us back to where we started. Espens a die and so rick with anger fang Ham. This takes us back to the ordinary means of grace. Do you remember the ministry of the word. The deans the ministry of the word and enhances this union. It enhances our enjoyment of understanding of and participation in this union. The guys, the fabestabest on the mindraftabest fast tenderness on this blind mind shaft. The Lord's table. The Lord's table is the same. It is our experience of enhancement of this union labe on a best so on mindshaft design baptism for those who experience it and for those who participate through witnessing its funds in prayer, compit and all of this, especially life in the body. And I just laben him live life in the body of Christ. Lab like Christie, as I said, Bridging and nine our seven youngest children, transactor, Bridget and youngst and kindom. I've been in Zambia for the last three years, and Zambia and oftentimes when when Zambians find out that we're living there and have been there for those three years, and after the ordas in one, if I'm not with Bridget and I'm being the Bridget, first he'll ask me if I'm Zambian and Zambia com and I'll say, no, I'm not Zambia nine. And I say, oh, your wife's Zambian exactly, okay, Christian Zambia. I said, no, my wife's not Zama nine of Mynophornish and then they just sort of look at me, and I'm trying to look Mission Blake. I'm a Texan. It's been that and in Texas we have a saying when in Texas avent that someone looks at you like a calf staring at a new gate, does amount this unblinked off a noise towards start? You know that? Look? Can you can't even bligh if you're not Zambianambia comes and your wife's not Zambi. Why would you leave America visudent America for Alason to come to Zambia? Zambias come? Do you know what that question means? That question means nationality and ethnicity could possibly explain what you did. Frog adoted nat sinality cond cound of milk cleartanas. But I can't think of anything other than nationality or ethnicity that would explain what you did. Communis under the side nacinal Yeah, folks cat Forstein clatanist, and that is because they cannot comprehend this union that goes far beyond nationality. The city is an ironheight Forstein can divide hinter nacinalit in the gate. I belong to a new people, so I'm nine folk. I belong to the people of God. You can heard some folk goddess. I'm in union with Christ and all of those who are in union with Him but in iron crystals in ironheight Mediams. And I have a nice wholesome German name, yeah, but and and Natan Doutgenham not a common name, and Havingham what a German name? Why do I have a nice wholesome German name Deutschen Nam Because I am a descendant of slaves. I have no idea where my ancestors came from, because they didn't come with papers. I'm kind of Mina for foreign hair com then Papiro. But my family was slaves on a German plantation in Texas, mina familiar vans klav and a Deutschen farm in Texas. And when they were freed, when I see Thrive come, they took that as a surname. And so I've existed my whole life, so Slam shown access to it as a person of African descent as and as Yeman Africans brought to America as slaves with a surname that's German. And I can remember distinctly being jealous of my friends when they's coming to envy who were Irish or Scottish or German or the Irish or Deutsche van and they would talk about how their family came over on the Mayflower, the Mayflower America come. How many generations back they go? And I felt like something had been taken from me because I never had that. But I belong to a people. Hear synum folk. I am of royal blood. It's been from Cernichlich in Blueto. My people are all over this world mind foil, and our union is more significant and meaningful and permanent than blood or borders could ever give. I just vishtiga and padutt and dies you as and so yes, I am currently serving my people. Well, yeah it did mine and fib you thought I was talking about in Zambia. In Zambia, I mean this weekend in Frankfurt, Frankfurt, because my union with you is as real than mine iva as my union with people who happen to have the same amounts of melanin. I'll submitten didn't mention the melanine and sien harm. In fact, it's more real neisvara and more lasting and fielber stendinger because our union is one that will last throughout all eternity. And was the higheardist dive because we are united with Christ, isn't mid Cristals and with all of those who are united with Christ difabundant mid Cristos. And so when we talk about the love that Christ has for his bridepression the liber christi cristal, we we mustn't limit that to ourselves as individuals. And that's individual, but we have to understand this universal picture of the bride of Christ christi Bergreifen and what it says about the love of God. Also with the Libo goottas this amazing gift that the Father bequeathed to the sons they have fathered in his own gift that the Sun redeemed because of his love for the Father. There on a louise touch things, and I leave it to the fata and to whom the spirit applies this redemption. And then the guys these are these are a luise on unvended in time in that sight to unite them in a union. And it's a forbidden in eronheight that is bigger than eternity, the gross that's how big Christ's love is for his bride, the sisters. He grows christi libist for it's humbling, just uts, it's overwhelming, it's a verticians and that's why we can't stop rejoicing overhead. This inconvenient often once doug a so yachts. That is why the most significant love songs in the history of the world this sings indeed. But Duttenston, Liba's Leader Legoisiata are not pop songs about the love between a boy and a girl kind of pop leader about the Libas fish and I'm young with a Mitiens And but there are songs about the amazing grace of God. The leader, the Ashtowne Liba got us songs that are sung in every language around the world. Songs like the ones we've sung here Leader Sooha, where you're singing in German and I have no idea what you're saying, and then Deutsch sing when he's kind of of us is act. But I do howbout vice because I know those songs too. Kennedy is a leader, and our family all over the world knows those songs of the familiar you brought off the avet. Kenny is a leader because they are aids to us in setting our minds, attention and heart's affection on the Lord. I think also via the on and on grist and praising him for who he is and for what he is doing. And praise God prist in hand for the love of Christ, for the liber Christie for his bride the church. Lets pray that's not speaking, Gracious God, our heavenly father, critic. What a profound privilege it is to call you our father, for what a profound reality to know that we have been redeemed and does does he elustan? And that you have turned enemies into more than friends. And that's the freunder. That's a finder, some mea, but you've turned enemies into sons and daughters. Just find it, Suz. Grant by your gracenada that we might embrace this truth, Shankata. It is a vite grefen as we have been embraced by it. So grant that we might look to the cross, Shankarta, some crouds showne and not to ourselves, said to be reminded of your love for usandin liber films, and grant that the world might come to know and shanks vedrekenmerger. The love that Christ has for his bride the church is a liber di cristos hatezand and that that love might have its fullest and final expression. And that's let's not a liber fouldstone, and let's end leche flonghaen as you're people, then dine and then didine fog from every tribe in kindred and tongue and nation, that's the one. Gather around your throne, say to sing of this love. He's a libt subazine, and to live in this love, and he is a libit sulive forever endeavor. Amen, Amen,