Union With Christ By Faith

I do believe that there are several aspects of union with Christ. There is surely a representative union. This is the kind of union we see between Adam and his descendants. It is also the same kind of union we see between the second Adam (Christ Jesus) and his family (his brethren, i.e. believers). Thus, in Romans chapter five and I Corinthians chapter fifteen we have "in Adam" and "in Christ."

As a result of being in Adam, all in union with him die. As a result of being in Christ, all in union with him live. Likewise, as a result of union with Adam, all his connection not only suffer death, but are condemned or under guilt. In the same manner, as a result of union with Christ, all his connection not only are revived, but are justified. To become one with Adam requires a human birth. To become one with Christ the second Adam requires a new birth of the Spirit.

I believe that the bible teaches that experimental union with Christ, vital union, a union that is actual, is a union where both Christ and the sinner willingly unite with each other, as in a marriage. The union of a sinner with Christ is an act of will, an act of the will of Christ and an act of faith and trust by the sinner.

Not only do the words "in Christ" denote union (as nearly all adept bible teachers acknowledge) but so also do the words "into Christ" and "with Christ." In all these short prepositional phrases we see how salvation is determined by one's relationship to Christ. In the new testament, Christ is "in" the believer and the believer is "in" Christ, and these words determine salvation. In other words, to be saved, one must be "in Christ" and Christ must be both "in" and "with" the believing sinner. To be lost is to be outside of Christ, and to not have Christ with you. 

My Premises & Conclusion

1) Vital and experimental union (in addition to representative or virtual union) is a primary necessity and prerequisite for regeneration and for every aspect of salvation.

2) Union with Christ is by believing in Christ (act of receiving him) or by faith

3) Ergo. Union with Christ by faith precedes regeneration and every aspect or stage of salvation.

The Hyper Calvinists who say that regeneration precedes faith must deny premise number two, and affirm that union with Christ is before and apart from faith (as the Hardshells and Reformed brethren teach), for they will accept the validity of premise number one. They would say that one is joined to Christ before faith is produced, so union is not by faith. But, what saith the scriptures? What says our Baptist and Calvinist forefathers who were not Hypers? 

Bible Metaphors For Union

Several figures are used in scripture to illustrate this vital union. These are listed by Dr. A.H. Strong in his Systematic Theology. But let us first observe what he says prior to giving those metaphors and figures. In "Union With Christ - The Application of Christ’s Redemption in its Actual Beginning," Augustus Hopkins Strong says the following in his famous Systematic Theology on Union With Christ (See here):

"The majority of printed systems of doctrine, however, contain no chapter or section on Union with Christ, and the majority of Christians much more frequently think of Christ as a Savior outside of them, than as a Savior who dwells within." 

That is so true with regard to many theologians. It was not true with Calvin himself, however, as we will show (as I have before). In most lists of theologians, especially of those who are Hyper Calvinistic in their beliefs or inclinations, on the order of things in the ordo salutis, you won't even see "union with Christ" as one in the list. Yet, it ought to have the preeminence. Both representative union and vital union precede every aspect of experimental salvation. So I have "faith, vital union with Christ, justification, regeneration, sanctification, glorification." 

Here is what Strong gives us on the subject:

1. Scripture Representations of this Union. 

A. Figurative teaching. It is illustrated: 

(a) From the union of a building and its foundation.

(b) From the union between husband and wife.

(c) From the union between the vine and its branches.

(d) From the union between the members and the head of the body.

(e) From the union of the race with the source of its life in Adam.

B. Direct statements. 

(a) The believer is said to be in Christ. in fact, this phrase “in Christ,” always meaning “in union with Christ,” is the very key to Paul’s epistles, and to the whole New Testament. The fact that the believer is in Christ is symbolized in baptism: we are “baptised into Christ” (Gal. 3:27).

(b) Christ is said to be in the believer.

(d) The believer has life by partaking of Christ, as Christ has life by partaking of the Father.

(e) All believers are one in Christ.

(f) The believer is made partaker of the divine nature.

(g) The believer is made one spirit with the Lord.

The rest of this posting and this series will look at the bible verses that speak of these things and show how they speak of that union which is effected through the instrumentality of evangelical faith.

John Calvin, in support of this said: "...we are grafted into his body and made one with him by belief of the gospel..." (As cited in this article here)

That will be what I will be showing is proven by scripture. Later Calvinists have departed from the truth when they put vital union with Christ prior to, and apart from, faith in Christ. This truth was foundational for Calvin and for the Calvinists in his day and shortly thereafter. It was not till later that Hyper Calvinism showed up and find some Calvinists beginning to put "regeneration" before faith, and had it occurring apart from the means of the word of the gospel, and to put regeneration before justification. 

In an article by Lee Gatiss titled "The Inexhaustible Fountain of All Good Things: Union with Christ in Calvin on Ephesians" (Ibid) he says the following about Calvin on union with Christ (emphasis mine): 

"Whilst election is not, of course, an unimportant theme in Calvin’s work, the subject of this article—union with Christ—is a much more pervasive one. It is undoubtedly the key idea in his teaching on the way we receive the grace of Christ. While refuting Osiander, one of his German Lutheran opponents, Calvin says, “that joining together of Head and members, that indwelling of Christ in our heart—in short, that mystical union—are accorded by us the highest degree of importance.”"

I agree one hundred percent. I have written on all this before. (As an example see The Logical Difficulty II)

In another article titled "Union with Christ and Reformed Orthodoxy: Calvin vs. the Calvinists?", John V. Fesko wrote (See here emphasis mine):

"Charles Partee suggested that union with Christ, not predestination, was Calvin’s “central affirmation. Partee presses this point in his later book on Calvin’s theology with a twofold claim. First, though many Reformed theologians contributed to the complex development of the tradition, Partee believes “we can still affirm John Calvin as the greatest systematic thinker among them.” Second, in line with his earlier claim, Partee claims that union with Christ is Calvin’s central teaching. Partee argues that Reformed Orthodoxy departed from Calvin’s teaching: “To put the point briefly and sharply, Calvin is not a Calvinist because union with Christ is at the heart of his theology—and not theirs.”

I also fully agree with this informed statement, although I think Calvin represents the primitive Calvinists (or Augustinians) and not the later Calvinists who promoted the regenerated before faith view, and others who became Hyper Calvinists. Said the same author:

"We append a few statements with regard to this union and its consequences, from noted names in theology and the church. Luther: “By faith thou art so glued to Christ that of thee and him there becomes as it were one person, so that with confidence thou canst say: ‘I am Christ,—that is, Christ’s righteousness, victory, etc., are mine; and Christ in turn can say: ‘I am that sinner,—that is, his sine, his death, etc., are mine, because he clings to me and I to him, for we have been joined through faith into one flesh and bone.’ ”

Next we have these words from Jonathan Edwards also given: 

“Faith is the soul’s active uniting with Christ. God sees fit that, in order to a union’s being established between two intelligent active beings, there should be the mutual act of both, that each should receive the other, as entirely joining themselves to one another.” 

Next we have these words from Andrew Fuller: 

“I have no doubt that the imputation of Christ’s righteousness presupposes a union with him; since there is no perceivable fitness in bestowing benefits on one for another’s sake, where there is no union or relation between.”

Others have affirmed the same truth of the foundational nature of the right understanding of this subject. John Murray said "Union with Christ is the central truth of the whole doctrine of salvation." (As cited here) 

John Owen said: 

 

"[Union with Christ] is the cause of all other graces that we are made partakers of; they are all communicated unto us by virtue of our union with Christ. Hence is our adoption, our justification, our sanctification, our fruitfulness, our perseverance, our resurrection, our glory." (Ibid)

Albert Barnes, in commenting upon I Cor. 6: 17, wrote: "But he that is joined to the Lord - The true Christian, united by faith to the Lord Jesus; see John 15:1 ff."

A.H. Strong in his Systematic Theology wrote (See here): "...we are justified by reason of our oneness with the justified Christ, so we are condemned by reason of our oneness with the condemned Adam." And, "God regenerates the soul by uniting it to Jesus Christ." And, "...faith, indeed, is the act of the soul by which, under the operation of God, Christ is received. This new exercise of the soul’s powers we call Conversion (Repentance and Faith). It is the obverse or human side of Regeneration."

In the next posting we will look at the texts which show that union with Christ is by faith and is what must occur before regeneration or rebirth can occur.