June 8, 2025 Sunday School - Dr. Carlton Wynne

·52 min·5 clips

Cardinal Bellarmine called assurance the greatest Protestant heresy—why did he fear it so much?

Dr. Carlton Wynne opens the Sunday school session with a prayer and introduces the topic of union with Christ. He references his recent participation in the B.B. Warfield Memorial Lecture Series conference. Wynne starts by posing Cardinal Robert Bellarmine's assertion that assurance is the greatest Protestant heresy, linking it to Roman Catholic views on justification. He explains Bellarmine's fear that justification by faith alone could lead to license. Wynne then transitions to the doctrine of union with Christ as a response, emphasizing its vitality for the Christian life. He reads quotes from John Calvin and Puritan John Preston to highlight the necessity and comfort of being united to Christ. Wynne outlines five traits of this union: spiritual (effected by the Holy Spirit), mystical (a mystery that transcends comprehension), unbreakable (rooted in God's eternal purpose), full (including both justification and sanctification), and free (not based on preconditions like forsaking sin). He discusses how union with Christ addresses Bellarmine's concern by inseparably linking righteousness and holiness. Wynne references Sinclair Ferguson's book 'The Whole Christ' and critiques a hymn lyric about fitness for coming to Christ. He closes with a lengthy quote from Calvin on the abundance of blessings in Christ and takes questions from the audience. The Q&A covers topics like Calvin's quote location, early church views on union, and dimensions of union (predestinarian, redemptive historical, present personal). Wynne ends with a prayer, emphasizing delight in fellowship with Christ.

As heard by us

A measured Sunday school lesson on union with Christ, mystery, and fellowship sealed by the Holy Spirit.

Union with Christ moves past a doctrinal label into the deeper question of how Christian life is joined to Christ. In a Sunday school class at Grace Bible Church in Oklahoma City, the doctrine is presented as vital to Christian experience while also being named with care as…

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Press play when union with Christ feels abstract and you want it brought near to Christian life and experience.

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