UNION WITH CHRIST

By Zackery VanMeter

Recently I read a book titled ‘The Christian’s True Identity, What it means to be in Christ’ by Jonathan Landry Cruse (Reformation Heritage Books, 2019) and the question entered my mind: What does the typical Christian I know think when they hear “Union with Christ”?

I will, to the best of my limited writing ability, attempt to answer this question with their words, the Westminster Standards, and ultimately Scripture. I pray the Lord guides me, blesses us all, and reveals His truth through me in the capacity He has ordained.

I started by asking some friends the question “What do you think when you hear Union with Christ? Raw answer only please.” They obliged and gave great answers! I will only use first names for their privacy:

“Union with Christ to me is an unbreakable relationship with Christ. Where the Holy Spirit works in me to aid in my sanctification. I was a dead branch Christ lifted up and grafted into Himself in order that He may save me and I may bear the fruits of His holiness. Through this Union my sins are forgiven and His righteousness is counted to me. This Union is my Peace and Comfort.”

—Timothy, Presbyterian

“When I hear Union with Christ I understand this to be talking about the whole of salvation, from election to glorification.”

—Clint, Presbyterian

“I think of the Union with Christ being a work of the Holy Spirit bringing us in conformity with Christ in His humanity. A conformity to His heart, His ways and His standards and commandments. First through regeneration, then justification by faith, and then the lifelong process of sanctification. It’s a spiritual and moral union, and our hearts desire to be more Christ like is a result of the gift of salvation. It’s a union that recognizes He’s our substitutionary atonement to be right with God. A union with Christ that shows us that God is our highest end, and Christ is our mediator. A union that says past sins and future sins, Christ died for..but not only did He die for our sins that we deserved in passive obedience but also lived the life we couldn’t and lived for us in active obedience as well. A life long union that how ever far we stray away, we are always called back. He always goes and gets His people. He’s our head and we are the body. Not just individually but a corporate church union as well.”

—Bobby, Presbyterian

“As a follower of Christ upon accepting God into one’s heart and professing that He is our Savior, one is entering into a covenant marriage with God, a bond which cannot be broken. And I relate with a somewhat personal example: As a young teenager I accepted Christ into my heart and was Baptized beginning my Covenant Union with Christ, as an elder teenager I admittedly ran from the Church and lived a very worldly existence, as I grew older the Union I made with God as a teenager was never broken and grew stronger leading me back to the Church and living as an active follower of God.”

—Travis, Baptist

Our Union with Christ is how we as Christian should live. How the Christian should approach everything we do in our daily lives, not just on the Lords Day. It should be the first thing out of our mouths if a person were to ask us “Who are you?”. I am in Union with Christ. One could simplify it and say “I’m a Christian”, but it’s more declarative to hear “I am in Union with Christ”! Christian, be declarative to the world!

Let’s break down what this word union means in this title. If you Google the word you get two immediate definitions I will be using the first:

1. the action or fact of joining or being joined, especially in a political context.

(Google Inc, Oxford Dictionaries)

This definition gives us a fairly represented picture of what a union is in this context. We are joining or being joined to Christ. What does this mean for us? The Westminster answers it for us!

Westminster Larger Catechism

Question 66: What is that union which the elect have with Christ?

Answer: The union which the elect have with Christ is the work of God’s grace, whereby they are spiritually and mystically, yet really and inseparably, joined to Christ as their head and husband; which is done in their effectual calling.

Our Union with Christ is a work of God’s grace where we are joined to Christ. It is nothing we have done to have earned it. It is truly a gift from God to us and for through the Son, Christ Jesus. Our Union is lifelong and is part of our sanctification in Him.

The Westminster Confession of Faith says:

WCF 13-1

They, who are once effectually called, and regenerated, having a new heart, and a new spirit created in them, are further sanctified, really and personally, through the virtue of Christ’s death and resurrection, by his Word and Spirit dwelling in them: the dominion of the whole body of sin is destroyed, and the several lusts thereof are more and more weakened and mortified; and they more and more quickened and strengthened in all saving graces, to the practice of true holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.

Our Union with Christ is furthering and aiding in our sanctification, it will not be completed on this side of glory, but will be perfected when we take our final rest in Him.

We have seen what my friends had to say, we have seen what the Westminster Standards have to say, yet they are not our authority. Our authority is in the very Word of God. Let’s go there to see what God has revealed to us.

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

— John 15:4-5

For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.

— Romans 6:5-7

But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him.

— 1 Corinthians 6:17

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

— 2 Corinthians 5:17

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

— Galatians 2:20

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight

— Ephesians 1:3-8

Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

— Colossians 3:1-4

This is by no means an exhaustive list, it’s all over Scripture! I hope that when you read and study your Bible then you will see everywhere in His Word the revealing of the truth of our Union with Christ. Let this be on the forefront of your mind as we go throughout our day, everyday. Let this be something that guides us, builds us up in Him, and washes us clean when we inevitably sin.

If you’ve made it this far, I would like to thank you for reading! I’ve never written anything before to be put out there for anyone to see quite like this. I’m sure there are mistakes, points I could’ve made, and typos aplenty..even though I’m using Apple Intelligence to knock some of that down. I hope this little concise treatment on our Union with Christ is helpful, and I hope this can spark conversation in charitable fellowship! It may not be something we always think about, but it is an extremely important topic and an extremely important part of our Christian identity. May we ever strive to become more like Christ in our Union with Him.

May the Lord bless you and keep you.

Soli Deo Gloria

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.Lockman.org

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