Bible Readings:
Hebrews 2:1 – 18, John 20:1 – 18
Sermon Outline:
John 20:17 (NKJV)
17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’ ”
I My Father, your Father, my brethren
II Believers’ Three-fold union with Christ
1 – Election Union
Ephesians 1:4–5 (NKJV)
4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
2 – Faith Union
John 1:12 (NKJV)
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
3 – Glory union
Romans 8:35 (NKJV)
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Romans 8:38–39 (NKJV)
38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Soar we now where Christ hath led,
Following our exalted Head;
Made like him, like him we rise;
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies. — Charles Wesley, 1759
Westminster Shorter Catechism
Q. 37. What benefits do believers receive from Christ at death?
A. The souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory; and their bodies, being still united to Christ, do rest in their gravest till the resurrection.