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UnionWithChrist

ANewIden2ty—WhoAmI?

What,Exactly,IsUnionwithChrist?

1.YouareinChrist.

2.Christisinyou.

UnionwithChristGRACE&DEMAND

• TheWayofExtravagantGraceBelievetheGospelMore–YouareInChrist!

• TheWayofRadicalDiscipleshipObeyJesusMore–ChristisInYou!

UnionwithChrist:WherediditComeFrom(asaDoctrine?)

•  TheBible•  Churchhistory

Col3:1-4•  Whatisa“mindset”?•  Whatdoesthisversesayaboutourmindset?•  HowdoesourUnionwithChristcomeintoplay?

TwoCompe2ngMindsets•  Youarewhatyoumakeofyourself

•  Youriden2tyisbasedonwhoyouareandwhatyoudo

•  Youcannotbeself-made

•  Youriden2tyisbasedonyourrela2onshipwithChrist

Iden2ty•  Whatismeantby“iden2ty”?•  Whatmoviesorbookscanyouthinkofthathavethethemeofsomeonefindingtheiriden2ty

ExamplesofFindingIden2ty•  Pinocchio•  BeautyandtheBeast•  Frozen•  LukeSkywalkerinStarWars•  Rocky(“AllIwannadoisgothedistance…[soI’llknowI’m]notjustanotherbumfromtheneighborhood”)

•  SpiderMan,Superman,etc.•  JeanValjeaninLesMiserables•  Justaboutany“comingofage”story

Iden2ty•  Whatismeantby“iden2ty”?•  Whatmoviesorbookscanyouthinkofthathavethethemeofsomeonefindingtheiriden2ty?

•  Somehavesaidthatthe“searchforiden2ty”isTHEAmericantheme.Whymightthisbe?

•  Themeofthischapter:ouriden2tyisfoundoutsideofourselvesinChrist

Society’sPrevailingCulture:“ChooseYourOwnIden2ty”

•  Autonomy.Authen2city.Individuality.Freedom.

•  Theme:Weallhaveatrue,authen2cselfhiddenwithinusandthepathtohumanflourishinginvolvesdiscoveringandexpressingthat“trueself”– Wemustbefreefromexternalauthorityorexpecta2onsthatconstrainwhoweare

•  Examples?

CommonStatementsfromour“ChooseYourOwnIden2ty”Culture…

•  NoonecantellmewhatIcanandcan’tdo•  I’mthemasterofmyownfate•  Ipulledmyselfupbymybootstraps•  Aself-mademan/woman•  Ineedtomakesurepeoplerespectme(beingrespectedisparamount)

•  I’mnotdefinedbywhatothersthinkaboutme•  Others?

Problemswith“ChooseYourOwnIden?ty”Approach:1.  Accentonunlimitedfreedom

oeenleadstoparalysis2.  Leadstoanxiety3.  Havingmorechoicesmakes

usdiscontent4.  Thefreedomenthroning

narra2veof“ChooseYourOwnIden2ty”endsuprobbingusoftheveryfreedomitpromises

5.  Thismindsetnega2velyaffectshowweviewGod

•  Havingallop2onsopencanmakedecisionmakingdifficult

•  It’snormallyhelpfultohaveatleastsomelimita2ons

•  Simpleexample:PastaSauce






Contrast:UnionwithChrist1.  UnionwithChristgivesus

permissiontorest–  Thereisonechoicemore

importantthantherest:Thywillormywillbedone?

–  AslongasourwillissetonfollowingChrist,wecanrestinthechoiceswemake.

–  Yourlifeisnolongerinyourhands—youcansurrenderyourplanstoChrist,whohasjoinedhislifetoours






•  Depression/anxietyhasbecomemorecommon

•  Onereasonisafeelingofinadequacyarisingfromacontextinwhichsuccessisalributedtoandexpectedoftheautonomousindividual

•  Example:pressureofsocialmedia






Contrast:UnionwithChrist2.  Removesprimarysourcesof

anxiety–  Theoldway:tryingtojus2fyour

existencebyourwork–  Thenewway:ourlifeishidden

withChrist

RootSourcesofAnxiety•  MyIden2ty/Status

–  AmIsignificant?–  HaveIdoneenough?–  AmIsecure?–  AmIaccepted?

•  MySitua2on–  WhatdoIwanttosee

happen?Gal2:20IhavebeencrucifiedwithChrist.ItisnolongerIwholive,butChristwholivesinme.AndthelifeInowliveinthefleshIlivebyfaithintheSonofGod,wholovedmeandgavehimselfforme.

Col3:3Foryouhavedied,andyourlifeishiddenwithChristinGod

Yes,becauseofChrist

Hedidenough!

AssecureasJesusis!

Yes,becauseofChrist

God’swill,notmine(andItrustHimasbeingcompletelygoodandcompletelypowerful)






Contrast:UnionwithChrist2.  Removesprimarysourcesof

anxiety–  Theoldway:tryingtojus2fyour

existencebyourwork–  Thenewway:ourlifeishidden

withChrist–  OurunionwithChristaddresses

therootcausesofouranxiety–  Result:Welongerworkfor

approval,butfromapproval•  Analogy:AmericanIdolContest






•  Increasedchoicescanleadtoincreasedexpecta2onsofhowgoodachoiceshouldbe

•  Thisleadstoincreasingdissa2sfac2onwithwhateverchoiceyouendupmaking

•  Example:Smartphones






Contrast:UnionwithChrist3.  Weareenabledtobecontent

inallcircumstances–  Phil4:11-13–  UnionwithChrististhean2dote

toourdiscontentment




narra2veof“ChooseYourOwnIden2ty”oeenendsuprobbingusoftheveryfreedomitpromises


•  Wecaneasilybecomeenslavedtotheiden2tythatwehavechosen

•  Example1:pornography•  Example2:Demandsof

“climbingthecorporateladder”






Contrast:UnionwithChrist4.  Wearemostfreewhenwehave

therightboundaries–  Example:fishinafishbowl–  JesusistheCENTERofauthen2c

humanexistence•  Wecan’tunderstandourselves

withoutunderstandingwhoheisandwhathe’sdoneforus

–  JesusistheCIRCUMFERENCEofauthen2chumanexistence•  Hesetstheboundariesof

whatitmeanstobehuman–  Rom8:15—weareadopted

intoGod’sfamily(withboundaries)

–  AlsoJesussetsusfreefromsin(John8:36)






•  WemaybringGodintoblessourplans,butwedon’twanthimplanningforus.

•  WeseeGodasanauthorityfigurewhowillimpedeourfreedom

•  Godbecomesastagehandtotheplaywearewri2ngandstarringin






Contrast:UnionwithChrist5.  Godiscloserandmore

in2matethanweeverimagined–  YouareinvitedintoGod’sstory–  Youdon’thavetodiscoveror

createyourowniden2ty–  Youriden2tyisfoundoutside

ofyourself(inChrist)–  Thisgivesusanaccurateview

ofGod(andaheartofgra2tudeandpraise!)






Contrast:UnionwithChrist1.  UnionwithChristgivesus

permissiontorest2.  Weareenabledtotrulybe

contentinallcircumstances3.  Weareenabledtobecontent

inallcircumstances4.  Wearemostfreewhenwe

havetherightboundaries5.  Godiscloserandmore

in2matethanweeverimagined

Let’sGetPrac2cal…•  WhoamIinChrist?

–  Iamloved(1John4:10)–  Iamfree(Gal5:1)–  IamachildofGod(John1:12)–  Iamanewcrea2on(2Cor5:17)–  Etc.

•  Whydowehavetroublegerngtheseconceptstos2ck?•  Howdowekeep“serngourminds”onChrist?•  Bible’smetaphors:adop2onandmarriage

–  Bothhavealegalandrela2onalaspecttothem–  Wecangrowintherela2onalaspect

TwoTestsandOneExercise•  Test1:IsUnionwithChristRadicallyThreateningtome?

–  UnionwithChristgivesusanewiden2ty,butwemustleavebehindthelifewehavealwaysknown

–  Jesusmustbeinthecenter,andwearedisplaced•  Test2:IsUnionwithChristRadicallyComfor2ng?

–  AreyoucomfortedbybeingunitedwithChrist?–  AreyouexperiencingthefreedomandconfidencethatunionwithChristbrings?

•  Exercise:Thinkintermsof“we”,not“I”–  Not“WhatdoIwanttodohere”,but“Whatshouldwedo?”or“WhatareYoutryingtoteachme?”

–  Changesourmindset—reframesourinternalconversa2on

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