Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 2244
“For we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones.” Ephesians 5:30.
YESTERDAY, when I had the painful task of speaking at the funeral of our dear friend, Mr. William Olney, I took the text which I am going to take again, now. I am using it again because I did not, then, really preach from it at all, but simply reminded you of a favorite expression of his, which I heard from his lips many times in prayer. He very frequently spoke of our being one with Christ in “living, loving, lasting union”—three words which, in addition to being alliterative, are very comprehensive as to the nature of our union with Christ. Those three words, you will remember, were the heads of my discourse in the presence of that remarkable gathering which crowded this place to do honor to the memory of our Brother whose highest ambition was always to honor his Lord, whom he so faithfully served.
Paul here speaks only of true Believers. Men who are quickened by Divine Grace and made alive unto God. Of them, he says, not by way of romance, nor of poetical exaggeration, but as an undisputed matter of fact, “We are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones.” That there is a true union between Christ and His people is no fiction or dream of a heated imagination. Sin separated us from God and in undoing what sin has done, Christ joins us to Himself in a union more real than any other in the whole world!
This union is very near, and very dear, and very complete. We are so near to Christ that we cannot be nearer, for we are one with Him. We are so dear to Christ that we cannot be dearer. Consider how close and tender is the tie when it is true that Christ loved us and gave Himself for us. It is a union more intimate than any other which exists among men, for “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” We were His enemies when Christ died for us, that He might save us, and make us so one with Himself that from Him our life should be drawn, and that in Him our life should be hid. It is, then, a very near and dear union which Christ has established between Himself and His re-deemed—and this union could not be more complete than it is.
It is, also, a most wonderful union. The more you think of it, the more you will be astonished and stand in sacred awe before such a marvel of Grace. Well did Kent say—
“O sacred union, firm and strong, How great the Grace, how sweet the song, That worms of earth should ever be One with Incarnate Deity!”
But so it is. Even the Incarnation of Christ is not more amazing than His living union with His people! It is a thing to be considered often—it is the wonder of the skies and is chief among those things which “the angels desire to look into.” On the surface of this Truth of God you may not see much, but the longer you gaze and the more the Holy Spirit assists you in your meditation, the more you will see in this wonderful sea of glass mingled with fire. My soul exults in the doctrine that Christ and His people are everlastingly one!
This is a very cheering doctrine. He that understands it has an ocean of music in his soul. He that can really grasp and feed upon it will often sit in the heavenly places with his Lord and anticipate the day when he shall be with Him, and shall be like He is. Even now, since we are one with Him, there is no distance between us—we are nearer to Him than anything else can ever be. The very idea of union makes us forget all distance. Indeed, distance is altogether annihilated! Love joins us so closely with Christ that He becomes more to us than our very selves—and though now we see Him not, yet believing, we rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory!
In passing, I may say that this doctrine is very practical. It is not merely a piece of sugar for your mouth—it is a light for your path, for, “he that says he abides in Him ought, himself, also, to walk even as He walked.” We must take care that the love that was round about Christ’s feet is always shining on our path. We must go about doing good, following in the steps of our Lord. It would be giving the lie to this doctrine if we lived in sin, for, if we are one with Him, then we must be, in this world, even as He was—and being filled with His Spirit—must seek to reproduce His life before the world.
These thoughts may serve as an introduction to a fuller consideration of this great subject and I shall begin by saying that, in Holy Scripture, the union between Christ and His people is set forth under various forms. Then I will try to show you that the metaphor in our text is full of meaning. And, in the third place, I will prove to you that the doctrine of our union with Christ has its practical lessons. As we delight our hearts in the glorious Truth of God that “we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones,” may we determine to live as those who are this closely joined to the Lord of life!