MA2008 Session 3 - Union with Christ and Masculinity

Presented by Providence Presbyterian Church
Saturday morning (talk #3) Union with Christ and the believer's new identity
I. The problem of the Pauline imperative/indicative.
A. The controlling place of the resurrection as the motif of the Christian life. Paul's thesis:
“Become in Christ what you are in Christ”
B. Sanctification is a gift of God and task of believer.
C. Backdrop: Imperative of Jewish past? Indicative inconsistent?
D. The irreversibility and inseparability of the imperative and indicative. Indicative grounds the
imperative.
E. Solution and central thesis. Phil. 2: 12f. Paul not a moralist!
Paul not Antinomian!
II. The goal/pattern of sanctification
A. Pattern #1. God himself is the pattern of this holiness.
B. Pattern #2. The preceptive will of God [or Law of God] as the pattern
C. Pattern #3. Christ Himself as the pattern
III. Suffering and the Christian life
A. The question: what is distinguishing quality of resurrection life?
B. Paul's view of suffering and the Christian life. 2 Cor. 4:7-12; Phil. 3:7ff.
C. Peter's view of suffering and the Christian life
IV. Preliminary conclusions: the imperative and indicative
A. Foundation is in the uniqueness of Christ's death
B. Angle is missiological
C. Ecclesiastical impact
-Q & A