Our Union with Christ

Union with Christ refers to the spiritual reality that Christ lives in us, we live in Him and are connected to Him in the deepest possible sense (when we become Christians). This connection lasts for eternity.

It is a teaching (or doctrine) and reality that describes our unbreakable, immovable relationship with Him and should have a huge impact on how we live our lives. This blog will look at greater detail at what it means for us to be united with Christ.

So what does it mean for us to be united with Christ?

1. Jesus lives in us through the Holy Spirit

When a person repents and puts their trust in Christ, the Holy Spirit gives them a new heart, with new desires and a new direction for their lives. They receive eternal life (e.g. they have a restored relationship with God which starts from now into the afterlife and are freed from sin, God’s punishment). This process is called regeneration. Christ (in a mysterious way) lives in us by the means of the Holy Spirit. As the Christian grows in their knowledge of and love for God, they begin to imitate Him in different ways.

2. We are connected to and are being transformed by Him.

The last words of great people have weight and importance. Since they know that death is on the horizon, they say key things that they want the world (or their loved ones to know). This is the case in John 15, when shortly before His death, Jesus describes Himself as the vine and His disciples as the branches. He uses this powerful metaphor to explain the relationship with Him and us.

Jesus says:

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

John 15:4‭-‬5 ESV

The same way that a branch on a tree needs to be connected to its source for life and growth, the Christian must remain connected to Christ to grow and become more like Him. As part of this growth process, God the Father is the vinedresser (or gardener). He prunes or clips the branches so that they can produce more fruit. As the believer is in Christ, God the Father uses His word, His Spirit, life’s circumstances, challenges, failures, relationships and even good times to make us more like Christ. The process of becoming more like Christ is called progressive sanctification.

3. We have experienced what Christ experienced.

Being united with Christ also means that the key elements in His story become ours too. When Christ died on the Cross, our “old man” (or the flesh) also died on the Cross with Him. We are said to be baptised into His death. Paul writes:

“We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.”

Romans 6:6 ESV

The flesh refers to the evil, natural impulses which want to defy God. We are all born with this nature and inherited it from Adam when he rebelled against God. In a very real sense, this part of us died when Christ died on the Cross (meaning that it is no longer our fundamental, core identity – it no longer defines who we are).

Although it has been killed (for the Christian), it still attempts to influence us, our thinking, motives and our actions. Hence why we are called to resist it through prayer, the Word and obedience to God.

When we suffer for obeying God or experience persecution or hardship for our faith, we imitate Christ’s sufferings – the persecution He faced and His death on the Cross. Paul speaks of knowing Christ in the fellowship of His sufferings (e.g. hardship is to suffer with Him and leads to a deeper relationship with Him – Phil 3.10).

As well as our old selves dying with Christ, we were also raised with Him when He rose from the dead! This means that when Christ resurrected, we were given new, spiritual life (or eternal life) in the here and now. We will receive the fullness of our salvation at His return (e.g. new perfect bodies, free from sin, sickness and death). Again, in Romans 6, Paul expands this idea:

“We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.”

Romans 6:4‭, ‬6 ESV

Finally, not only this, but we are seated with Christ in heavenly places (see Ephesians 2.6-7). When Christ died for our sin, rose again and went up to Heaven, He sat next to the Father, at His right hand (completing His mission). The position of the right hand (in the ancient world) was one of honour, privilege and prestige. Since we are in Christ, based on His salvation, we have a similar position! This should not make us arrogant or prideful but rather humble since our salvation is a gift of God’s mercy and undeserved kindness.

4. We are joint heirs with Christ

Before salvation, we were without hope, deserving of God’s righteous wrath and were separated from Him. However, when we submit to Christ as our Lord and Saviour, we are moved from spiritual death to spiritual life and (as the book of Romans says) are adopted into God’s family through Christ (see Romans 8.15).

When an orphan is adopted into a new family, they receive a new identity, family members and all of the benefits of belonging to that family. Any inheritance owed to the children of that family (e.g. the heirs) can now be bestowed on the newly adopted child. When we are adopted into God’s family (the Church), we become heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ! Paul says:

“The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”

Romans 8:16‭-‬17 ESV

What does this mean? When we are born again, the Spirit gives us new hearts and affirms that we are God’s children and heirs of His and joint heirs with His Son. As heirs of God, we receive salvation, spiritual growth and intimacy with God. Being joint heirs with Christ means that we inherit EVERYTHING that He will inherit too. What will Christ inherit? The entire Universe! At His return, we will rule and reign the universe with Him.

What impact does this truth have on our lives?

1. Jesus lives THROUGH us as we submit to Him.

In Galatians 2.20, the Apostle Paul writes that it is no longer he that lives but Christ who lives through by faith (paraphrase). Basically, as we grow in our faith, submit more of our lives, thought patterns and habits to Christ (imperfectly), He begins to manifest Himself through us. We become the “hands and feet of Jesus” to our family, friends, neighbours and work colleagues. We seek to love, encourage and support those around us in the same ways that Christ would.

What specific ways does Christ want to live through you today? We can get a clearer idea of this by reading and obeying His word.

2. Through Christ, we are also united to God the Father and the Holy Spirit

When we come to Christ, we are united not only to Him but also to God the Father and the Holy Spirit. In a mystical way, since Christ is in the Father, when He comes to live in us through the Holy Spirit, we are joined to both the Father and the Holy Spirit. All 3 Persons of God dwell in and are united to us. In His last speech to the disciples prior to His death, Jesus says:

“If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”

John 14:23 ESV

Through Christ, we enjoy relationship with each Person of the Trinity!

3. Our sin negatively affects Christ

When a pregnant woman drinks or smokes heavily during her pregnancy, the baby in her womb may experience damaged health due to her actions. Despite having no choice, the baby is negatively impacted by her destructive decisions. Likewise, since Christ lives in us, when we rebel against God in our thoughts, motives, speech or actions, Christ becomes an unwilling casualty in our sin. Things like pride, greed, sexual lust, sinful anger, laziness, bitterness, unforgiveness, dishonesty, gossip and slander all grieve Christ in us. Like a precious diamond thrown into the mud, our evil actions drag the Holy One within us into our unholy filth. This powerful reality should make us careful about how we think, live, speak and treat others – as carriers of His presence.

Which sinful habits, ways of thinking or speech are you dragging Christ into? Confess them to God, repent, find / plan practical ways to resist them and replace them with godly habits.

Which of these truths resonate with you the most? As we study this reality in more depth, may we grow in our appreciation and wonder that we are united to Christ, fully and forever. May we enjoy deeper intimacy with Him and pursue greater transformation into His likeness. Amen!