Glory: Glory in Our Union with God
Overview
Glory in Our Union with God
The theology of the cross teaches us to look for God not in visible success and prosperity but in the suffering of Christ crucified. From that foundation, a remarkable truth emerges: through the cross, believers have been brought into real union with the triune God. The Augsburg Confession defines the church simply as the congregation of saints where the gospel is rightly taught and the sacraments are rightly administered. This church is catholic (universal, drawn from all nations, see Ephesians 2:19) and holy—not by our own perfection, but because Christ "gave himself up for her in order to make her holy" Ephesians 5:25-27. In the great exchange of the cross, Christ took our sin and clothed us in His righteousness, so that when God looks at His people, He sees us robed in Christ.
The Mystic Union
Scripture speaks of an invisible but real union between Christ and His people—what has been called the mystic union. Jesus promises, "Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them" John 14:23. Paul presses the point further by calling believers God's temple: "Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?" (1 Corinthians 3:16; see also 1 Corinthians 6:19; 2 Corinthians 6:16). These verbs are present tense—this union is a present reality. We are brought into it through Word and Sacrament: "As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ" Galatians 3:27. Because eternal life has already begun, today is one more day in all of eternity for the Christian.
Unity That Mirrors the Trinity
The God who unites Himself to us is one God in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, undivided in essence yet distinct in person. Reject the Trinity and you reject the true God: "No one who denies the Son has the Father" 1 John 2:23. Astonishingly, Jesus prays that the unity His people share will reflect the very oneness of the Godhead: "that they may all be one as you, Father, are in me and I am in you" John 17:20-21. This is why Paul urges the church to walk "with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" Ephesians 4:1-6. Agreement on scriptural doctrine is the bedrock of that unity, and it is sustained by the humble, patient, gentle love God Himself produces among His people.
Living as Family
We misunderstand the church when we fail to see one another as family. At baptism we receive new brothers and new sisters; we are gathered not by coincidence but by divine appointment. As the psalmist sings, "How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity" Psalm 133:1. This calls for renewing our minds in God's Word Romans 12:1-2 so that our daily relationships—with spouses, children, parents, fellow believers—reflect the gentleness, patience, and "best construction" Luther commended. When disagreements come, draw close, speak tenderly, and remember: the same God who has united Himself to you has knit you to one another. That is our glory.
Transcript
Good morning. Let us pray together, please. We praise you, Jesus, for the glorious unity 1s
between us and the Holy Trinity, that you made possible by your cross. Help us more fully 8s
understand and rejoice in this unity. Forgive us for times in our daily life that has not 16s
reflected this divine unity we have with other believers. May you be glorified. Amen. 23s
Well, we took a look last week at the glory in the cross of the Lord, Jesus Christ, and we 33s
examined a very, very prevalent theology. And that is the theology of glory. That is so very 40s
prevalent in our day. It was prevalent in Luther's day. In fact, the terms theology of cross and 50s
theology of glory were actually termed by Luther himself. Theology of glory, as we studied 56s
last week, takes a look at an emphasis on visible signs. It looks to God showing Himself in power. 64s
It is the belief that God does not come to us in our suffering, but God comes to us in our 74s
success. It is a focus on health and happiness and prosperity, that those who suffer must have 82s
inadequate faith. There is a focus on human glory and effort to try and earn God's favor. 91s
You hear the alarm bells go off, don't you? As you just look at the various aspect of the 100s
theology of glory. Luther highlighted the theology of the cross, which is the only place to know God 105s
is in Scripture, that God comes to people in their suffering, that our confidence is not in our 114s
success in prosperity, but the cross of Christ. That we don't earn blessings, that we look to the 123s
cross to understand God. The theology of glory is absolutely prevalent in so much of what you 130s
hear and read and see. And as Lutherans, we proudly hold to the theology of the cross 139s
and a critical assessment of the theology of glory. As we talked about last time, theology of 150s
glory attracts a crowd and attracts a crowd quite quickly. Because who doesn't want to hear how 157s
to be a success in life? Jesus didn't come to say, I want you to be the healthiest, the wealthiest, 164s
and the wisest on the block. Jesus came to die for our sin. Jesus didn't come to give us a 172s
pep talk. Jesus came to shed his blood and to die for us. Fundamental difference between theology of 179s
the cross and theology of glory. As I shared last week that underneath this entire class is my hope 188s
is that the main point will be clear each week. And that is a true theology of glory. A true 198s
theology of the cross. And so that's what we're going to be studying in these weeks. Only the 209s
eyes of faith see the glory of the cross and in faith we live in the glory of the cross. Well 214s
today I'd like to examine with you our glory in our union with God, our glory in our union with 222s
God. And I want to begin with the topic of what is the church? What is the church? The Augsburg 230s
Confessions of our confessional writings gives a very, very simple definition. The church 236s
is the congregation of saints in which the gospel is rightly taught and the sacraments are 243s
rightly administered. The church is the congregation of saints in which the gospel is rightly taught 251s
and the sacraments are rightly administered. When the gospel is rightly taught and when the 259s
sacraments are rightly administered. As the saints of God together, there is the church. Let's go 267s
to Ephesians the first chapter. Please in the New Testament Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Axe, 277s
and Romans. First and second Corinthians, Galatians, and then Ephesians. Ephesians chapter 1, 284s
verse 22. 293s
And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, 302s
which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. And attribute of the church is that 311s
the church is Catholic. Catholic in terms of the understanding that it is universal. Sometimes you'll 321s
see in the Apostles Creed, sometimes you'll see translations. We believe in one holy Christian 332s
church because it's trying to deal with a misinterpretation. Catholic is the traditional rendering. 339s
We're not talking about a denomination of Catholicism here. We're talking about the church 347s
as being universal. So the church is gathered from all nations. It includes all Christians. 351s
And it has as her foundation the redemption of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let's go to Ephesians chapter 359s
2, verse 19. Ephesians 2, verse 19. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are 368s
citizens with the saints. It also members of the household of God. Built upon the foundation of 380s
Apostles and Prophets with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. There is the foundation of 389s
the Catholic church that draws from all people's all across the nations throughout history. So the 400s
church's Catholic, the church's universal, the church's at place where the gospel is rightly 408s
proclaimed and the sacraments are rightly ed ministered. Another attribute of the church is that 414s
she is holy. She is holy. We are forgiven through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and God has 420s
given to us the righteousness of Christ. Remember Luther talked about the great exchange that 428s
occurs on the cross. The Lord Jesus Christ takes our sin and he gives to us of his perfect life. 434s
So that when God looks at us, what God sees is the perfect righteous garment of the Lord Jesus Christ. 440s
He sees us as the people clothed in Christ. Let's go to Ephesians chapter 5, verse 25. 450s
Husbands, love your wives. Just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her in order 470s
to make her holy by cleansing her with the washing of water by the word. So as to present a church 478s
to himself in splendor without a spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind, yes, so that she may be 487s
holy and without blemish. As Christ looks at his church, Christ sees perfection because we're 495s
wrapped in the perfect righteous garment of the Lord Jesus Christ. That is certainly not a perfect 506s
perfection on our own, right? Because we are at the same time saint and sinner. 513s
God's look upon us. He sees us through the blood of Christ, such grace. We endeavor then as his 521s
people to live holy lives. We are a holy people that by God's grace endeavor then to live holy 528s
life. Let's go to Romans chapter 12, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and then Romans, Romans chapter 12, 536s
verse 1. I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, 547s
to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual 559s
worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds. 567s
So that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. 575s
A key phrase in there, of course, is the renewing of the mind. How then is the mind renewed, 583s
but the mind is renewed through the study of God's word? There we have truth, and that truth then 589s
forms us, and that then is expressed as that truth that forms us in the mind is then expressed 599s
in words, in actions, by the grace of God. So the church is universal, the church is holy, 609s
and all believers are joined by faith to Christ. This is what has been called the mystic union, 620s
the mystic union, because it is this invisible union that we have with God Almighty. Let's go to 631s
Ephesians chapter 5 again, Galatians and then Ephesians, Ephesians chapter 5 verse 29. 639s
For no one ever hates his own body, but he nourishes and tenderly cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, 664s
because we are members of his body. That's getting at that mystic union, that invisible union 672s
between believers and the Lord Jesus Christ himself, between believers and the triune God, 682s
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Scripture affirms the reality of this union. Let's go to the gospel 689s
of John chapter 14. Gospel of John chapter 14. Verse 1, Jesus says, do not let your hearts be 698s
troubled, believe in God, believe also in me. My Father's house, there are many dwelling places. 719s
If we were not so, what I've told you, that I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and 725s
prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself so that where I am, 731s
there you may be also. This is talking about now, of course, the final union that is ours through 737s
the Lord Jesus Christ, but the mystic union, this invisible union that we have with God also has 744s
implications for this life, this side of heaven. Chapter 14 verse 23 of John. 752s
Jesus answered him, those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, 764s
and we will come to them and make our home with them. 771s
And so, I've used the phrase in the past that today is one more day in all of eternity for the 778s
Christian. We belong to God. We are in this mystic union with Him, and today is one more day in 785s
all of eternity. Death, remember, is the transition in living. The Lord comes to take us unto Himself. 794s
Do we have anything to fear in that? Absolutely not. Is the transition instantaneous? Absolutely. 802s
It is. And so, living in that reality of this union, our eternal life has already begun. 809s
It just extends into all of eternity. It's just simply a matter of location, isn't it? Here, 819s
which is not as good as where we're headed, right? And the beauty and reality of heaven itself. 825s
Paul's spoke about this intimate union that we have with God, and he would use the word 836s
temple. Let's go to 1 Corinthians chapter 3, please. 1 Corinthians chapter 3, Matthew, 843s
Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and then Romans. 1 Corinthians 3, verse 16. 851s
Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's spirit dwells in you? 869s
1 Corinthians chapter 6, verse 19. 879s
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, 887s
and that you are not your own, for you are bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body. 894s
2 Corinthians, the 6th chapter, 2 Corinthians 6, verse 16. 903s
What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God. 922s
The verbs in all of these verses are present tense, indicating that it is a present reality, 931s
this mystic union that we have with God. What do the means whereby this union is created? 940s
Let's go to John chapter 17, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and then John, John 17, verse 20. 948s
Jesus says, I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will be 967s
through their word, that they may all be one as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. 972s
May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 982s
We are brought into this union through the word as God takes his word and puts it with the 992s
tangible of Holy Scripture, the tangible of baptism, the tangible of Holy Communion, 997s
and births and sustains that faith. Let's go to Galatians, the 3rd chapter. 1005s
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and Romans. First and second Corinthians and Galatians. 1013s
Galatians chapter 3, verse 27. 1019s
As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 1031s
There's other passages for the sake of time. We won't turn to it. John 3.5, 1043s
1 Corinthians 12, 13, 1 Corinthians 10, 16 to 17. That talks about how we are brought into this 1048s
union through word and sacrament. Our unity with God is expressed in unity with one another. 1059s
Let's go back to John, please. John 17, verse 20. 1076s
And here Jesus in His high priestly prayer, He prays, I ask not only on behalf of these, 1094s
but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, 1100s
that they may all be one as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that 1104s
the world may believe that you have sent me. Jesus compares then the oneness between believers 1115s
with the oneness that is experienced in the Godhead. That is quite a comparison. 1126s
Our unity is to reflect the unity that is experienced in the Godhead. 1136s
Holy Scripture teaches what is called a strict monotheism. Just break down the word, remember 1145s
the Greek word for God is Thayus. So there's the Thism part, monomians 1. So Scripture teaches that 1153s
there is one God and one God only, Romans 8, if God be for us who can be against us. John 17, 1161s
this is life eternal, that they may know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom vow has sent. 1171s
There are three distinct persons, remember in the Godhead, there is one God, the three distinct persons, 1181s
undivided and indivisible essence. The Father is true God, the Son is true God, the Holy Spirit is 1191s
true God. The three persons, they're not separate from one another, but they're distinct from one 1200s
another. Here the key phrase there of the one essence, particularly highlighted in the third 1210s
grade, Creed of the Church, of the Athanasian Creed, we don't say that as a part of the worship, 1217s
you'd have to replace the sermon to do it. It's so long, but the Athanasian Creed examines 1222s
the Trinity in all of its majesty. The three are not unrelated and individual existences, 1231s
but rather the three individuals are in related existence. Let's explore a little bit more here 1239s
about the Trinity, because the point I'm driving at here, as we glory in our union with God, 1247s
that glory in our union with God expresses itself in the unity that we have with one another. 1253s
That's the type of unity that is to be expressed and experienced in the life of the Church. 1261s
So let's go a little bit deeper in the Trinity. There's a couple different common errors with regard 1271s
to the Trinity. One is tri-theism. So we just break that word down there. There you've got God in 1275s
the theism, the theos part, and then the tri. So then a misunderstanding of the Trinity is that 1285s
there are three separate unrelated gods. That's tri-theism. Another is modalism. That there is one 1292s
God, but this one God keeps expressing himself in various forms. So it's the denial of the Trinity, 1305s
and it's rooted in modalism. Another is called subordinationism, where there's a offering of a rank 1315s
in the Trinity, where okay, who's number one, who's number two, and who's number three here? 1324s
And so there's a ranking in the Trinity. Another is a unitarianism that says God is one person. 1331s
All rejections of the Holy Trinity. If you reject the Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, 1341s
the Scripture tells us that you are worshiping a different God. We're worshiping different God. 1351s
Let's go to 1 John chapter 2. Good way to find that is go to the book of revelation. 1358s
Then keep turning slowly backwards. You're going to bump into the John's. First John chapter 2, verse 23. 1366s
1 John 2, 23. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Everyone who confesses the Son 1379s
has the Father also. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Everyone who confesses the Son 1391s
has the Father also. So if there is a rejection of the Holy Trinity, if there is a rejection of 1397s
one God, three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a rejection of the divinity of the Lord Jesus 1406s
Christ, one is worshiping a different God. It is not the understanding that we all have across 1414s
the various religions, all have an understanding of, and in the end we're all worshiping the same God. 1424s
Scripture makes that clear. It's the exact opposite of that. But if there is a rejection of the 1431s
worshiping different gods, the Trinity is one God, three persons. The incredible unity within 1444s
the one essence of the Godhead, and Jesus says, here's a picture for you church. And here's the 1455s
unity Jesus says that I pray for you, is that you will experience the unity that we experience 1465s
in the Godhead in the church. That's quite a statement, isn't it? It's quite a statement. 1476s
We glory then in our union with God, and we glory in that expression of that union 1486s
with one another. That's why there's constantly calls in Holy Scripture for unity within the body. 1499s
That's why a bedrock of unity in the church is an agreement on scriptural doctrine. 1509s
And it is that agreement on that scriptural document that is key in the life and unity of a church, 1521s
where God says, we have this unity in the Godhead. This is what I desire now for you in 1531s
the church. Let's go to Ephesians chapter four. First and second Corinthians, Galatians and 1538s
then Ephesians. And we'll pick up in verse one. I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to 1547s
lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, 1565s
with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the 1573s
spirit in the bond of peace. There's one body and one spirit just as you were called to the one 1583s
hope of your calling. One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is above all 1591s
and through all and in all. And notice the characteristics here that are highlighted here. 1598s
Unity in the church is God's gift and God brings forth those characteristics and qualities that 1607s
contribute to the maintaining of that unity within the church. All humility and gentleness, 1614s
humility is counting the other person is more important than themselves. All humility and gentleness 1626s
with patience, bearing with one another or putting up with one another, bearing with one another in 1633s
love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace and then the 1647s
emphasis on all of the of the oneness. Let's go to Psalm 133. Psalm 133. 1657s
Verse 2. Let's go to verse 1. How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity. 1673s
It's like the precious oil on the head running down upon the beard on the beard of Aaron, 1692s
running down over the color of his robes. It's like the dew of Herman which falls on the mountains of 1699s
Zion. For there the Lord ordained his blessing life evermore. See there's delight in the unity that 1706s
God desires for us. We misunderstand then the church. We misunderstand who it is as we are 1714s
as saints called together to hear the word rightly preached and the sacraments rightly administered. 1725s
We misunderstand the church when we don't understand ourselves as family. We misunderstand it. 1733s
When we understand ourselves as family, we see ourselves linked together and we understand the 1745s
unity of the Godhead and God's desire then for that type of unity to be expressed in how a church 1755s
relates and lives out our being together. Family is an overused term these days, not so with the 1767s
church of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is an amazing picture, isn't it? It's just an amazing picture. 1779s
One of my favorite parts of the baptism is at the end of a baptismal service when we say this is 1787s
your new brother. This is your new sister. You see we're connected to one another. We're not we're not 1793s
here by coincidence. We're here by divine appointment and that unity that God has brought about that 1803s
unity is cared for as we care for one another in humility and patience and love. When I'm doing 1813s
premarital counseling I will always share with a couple that if they have a disagreement 1825s
that I would encourage them to sit very close to one another and to put their hands on each other's 1835s
cheek and then talk because when you're talking there then with that precious person and you can use 1843s
that if you're married you can use it with children you can use it with parent you can use it in 1854s
all the relationships. When you place your hand on the other person when you touch them gently 1861s
that is a reminder we're all family and we're connected to one another and as Luther said I'm 1869s
going to put the best construction on things. See that that's family language and as you touch 1882s
with that gentleness it reminds you of the gift that the other person is and the unity that we have 1894s
whether it's spouse with child with parent with grandchild it is that it is that absolute unity and 1906s
care that we have for one another. It's an amazing an amazing picture isn't it? It's the amazing picture 1914s
of Jesus who says well let me describe for you the the unity in the Godhead 1925s
and now that's the picture for your unity and care for each other. So brothers and sisters 1933s
God bless you this week and if you haven't been to worship yet brother and sister I look 1947s
forward to worshiping with you. Blessing brother and sister we're going to continue next week 1955s
how we glory in our humility. Glory in our humility. 1966s