Union with the Risen Lord

I dedicate this work to the one whose heart hungers for wisdom and whose soul longs to taste and see that the Lord is good—Sophia.

To the reader: Beloved, I write for the laity with the intention of stirring their hearts and gently guiding their hands—Deo volente—toward the felicities annexed to union with our Lord Jesus. I earnestly plead with you, dear reader, to engage with this text multiple times, not for the sake of my words, but for the purpose of meditating upon the words of our Lord and the promises He has made to His people.

This writing is grounded in the Confessio Religionis Christianae by Girolamo Zanchi— a systematic exposition of the reformed faith—, the blessed Italian divine of the 17th century. When reading portions of Zanchi’s work—particularly the Confessio—I could not help but be brought to my knees in prayer, thanking my God for engrafting me into His one, holy body, with Christ as its head. Hence, I saw it fitting to share his labors with you all with the hopes that you all—like the Angels—fall prostrate and utter, “ holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.” (Isa.6:3)

Therefore, benevolent reader, I bid you enjoy this labor. I have written it so that all who read may be edified and find the surpassing peace of God, which transcends all understanding (Phil. 4:7).

May the Spirit of Christ illuminate your heart as you read, and may the truths herein lead you ever closer to the Shepherd of your soul.

I : What is Union?

I find it useful to, first and foremost, define the terms that I will be utilizing in this work. We first engage with the word “ union”: what is the end ( goal) of union, how can we achieve this union, and most importantly, who is it that we are unifying with.

According to the Cambridge dictionary, they define it as follows: the act or the state of being joined together. This definition, as short and brief as it may be, is quite accurate to the type of union that we are expositing on. Now, what does it mean in the biblical context? ἑνότης (henótēs), which is “ union”, or also defined as “oneness” in the NT denotes unity and oneness with another object:

Ephesians 4:3,13:

“the unity of the Spirit” (ἑνότης τοῦ πνεύματος)
“the unity of the faith” (ἑνότης τῆς πίστεως)

Other similar terms use the preposition ( prefix) σύν (syn) which quite literally translate to: with or together. As can be seen in the Pauline epistles:

συμφύω (symphyō) – "to be grown together" (e.g., Romans 6:5)

σύνδεσμος (syndesmos) – "bond" or "connection" (e.g., Colossians 3:14: "bond of perfectness")

Another helpful term is the hebrew word, “ אֶחָד (ʾeḥād)” which is the adjectival/numeral phrase for “one”. This word—most famously—is used in Gen. 2:24, and The Shema in Deut. 6:4, to show the absolute unity announced in marriage and the oneness of our God.

Genesis 2:24 – “they shall become one flesh” (וְהָיוּ לְבָשָׂר אֶחָד)

Deuteronomy 6:4 – “The LORD is one” (יְהוָה אֶחָד) – Shema

Therefore, we see that “union” is packed with a lot more than just “the act or the state of being joined together”, but speaks of absolute oneness with the recipient to which nothing can separate.

“ For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

( Rom. 8:38-39)

“ What God hath joined together let us not put asunder”

(Matt. 19:6)

II. With Whom are we united?

As it stands—now that we have defined our terms—we may approach the question: With whom are we united?

The answer is simple: with the risen Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He declares it unequivocally in John 15:1–7:

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 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. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”

Zanchi, grounding his theology in this passage, writes:
“Branches cannot draw vital sap from a vine, nor bough from a tree, as a member cannot derive motion, sense, and life from the head unless the branch and bough are truly joined to the vine and the tree, and unless a member is truly joined to its head.”

He writes this with urgency: we are the branches. Unless we are united to the true Vine, the bough, or the Head of the body, we cannot survive—much less thrive. If we are not in union with the risen Lord, we are like the branch of which Christ speaks: “thrown away… dried up… gathered… cast into the fire and burned.”

III. The final cause of the Union with Christ

The telos—the final end—of being united to the risen Lord is the eternal felicity that flows from His person: namely, salvation and everlasting life.

We confess—together with the creeds and confessions—that the sin of Adam was propagated by his loins, and that by virtue of his fall, sin and death flowed from the head of all mankind. In like manner, we also affirm that Christ’s righteousness and the eternal life He merited are not merely retained in Him, but are graciously imparted to all who are made one with Him by grace through faith. Thus, they are truly joined to Him as members to their Head—the Head of the whole Church (Rom. 5:12).

This offer of the gospel—that is, union with Christ—is freely proclaimed to all, for it must be preached universally and without equivocation (Matt. 28:19). Nevertheless, the grace of this union is efficacious only for the elect—those whom the Father predestined, before the foundation of the world, to be united to Christ, the Head of His chosen people.

IV. Efficient Cause of the Union

To define our terms briefly: the efficient cause is that which—most simply—refers to what initiates or brings about an effect from outside the thing being acted upon. If that concept seems obscure, do not be discouraged; rather, focus on this central truth: Who is the initiator of our union with Christ?

The efficient cause of this union belongs solely and wholly to the Holy Spirit. By virtue of His economic office—that is, His role in the work of redemption, which includes renewing our hearts and baptizing us into the death of Christ (Rom. 6:11)—He grafts us into the body of Christ.

Consider the process of bud grafting: a budding branch (the scion) is united to the trunk (the rootstock) of another tree in order that it may flourish. Likewise, unless the Spirit performs this grafting work, we remain dead in our sins—rotting, cut off, and buried under the weight of our iniquity, with no hope of union with Christ. It is God—by His Spirit—who is the initiator of this beloved union.

Now that we have established these terms, we turn to the second portion of this work:

1. The beauties annexed to union with Christ;
   
   

2. The means by which this union is applied—namely, the means of grace
   
   

3. Our union with the Church of God, which is the body of Christ.
   
   

V: The beauties annexed to Union with Christ.

Transitioning now to the second table of this work, we begin with the immeasurable beauties and joys bestowed through union with Christ: namely, adoption, justification, sanctification, glorification, and many others besides.

O benevolent reader, look and see, taste and bask in the beauties of Christ! For apart from Him there is no adoption, no justification, no sanctification, and no glorification. In Him—and in Him alone—dwells the fullness of deity bodily (Col. 2:9). Before we proceed, however, I must pause to speak briefly on the love of Christ, that most radiant and glorious affection.

Behold this wonder: that He—being the eternal Son of God, enthroned far above the heavens where even Icarus could not dare ascend—chose to descend, taking the form of a servant (Phil. 2:7), that He might embrace us in love and wash us in His blood. He gave Himself freely, without begrudging, that He might be ours, and we His.

My beloved Jesus.
Whenever I ponder this mystery, tears of joy are my only response. The reality of His love is this: His bowels yearn for us. He whispers to us those tender words:

“Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” (Matt. 11:28–30)

Christ truly and wholly loves us—more than we can ever fathom, more than human language can ever fully express. His love transcends comprehension and surpasses every earthly affection. If such a truth does not cause your own heart to yearn for Him in return, I know not what will.

This, dear reader, is the result of our union with Christ. As you have just read, I trust you sense the heartfelt tone with which I speak of my true love. There is no love greater than this—the love which He has planted into the heart of every believer by His Spirit. And this divine love begins, first and foremost, in His adopting us as sons and daughters. Adoption is no abstract privilege; but a tangible expression of His eternal affection. He who was the only begotten Son has brought many sons to glory (Heb. 2:10), and by His grace we are made fellow heirs with Him.

As the Westminster Larger Catechism so beautifully puts it:

Q. 69. What is the communion in grace which the members of the invisible church have with Christ?

A. The communion in grace which the members of the invisible church have with Christ is their partaking of the virtue of His mediation, in their justification, adoption, sanctification, and whatever else, in this life, manifests their union with Him. Let this truth comfort and anchor you: our adoption is not a peripheral blessing, but a central fruit of our union with Christ. Through Him, we cry, "Abba, Father" (Rom. 8:15), not as beggars hoping to be heard, but as children already beloved.

Through the means of this union, we are able to cry out to our Father ( Rom.8:15), be blameless by the merits of our Lord (Gal.2:16), made Holy as He is Holy (Rom. 6:22), and be in perfect communion with Him—through which He wipes away every tear from our eyes ( Rev. 7:17). These are the beauties annexed to Union.

VI: The means by which this union is applied—namely, the means of grace

The normative means by which we receive union with Christ may be likened—though in a lesser analogy—to the simple assurance of a loved one’s promise. Consider this: your mother says to you, “Son, I will be home today at 6:30. When I arrive, let us rejoice and dine together.” What do you do? Naturally, you wait. You watch the clock. You prepare the table. You anticipate her arrival, because you trust she will be where she has promised to be.

So it is—indeed, in a far greater and more glorious sense—with the Lord. He has condescended to bind Himself to means: the preaching of the Word, the administration of the sacraments, and prayer. These are not magical rites whose power lies in the mere elements or human speech. Rather, they are appointed instruments, made effectual by the sovereign working of the Holy Spirit, who applies to us the benefits of Christ with divine efficacy.

God has not left us to wander in uncertainty, hoping to find Him in mystical experience or personal striving. No—He has declared with clarity where He will meet His people. He proclaims:

“Repent and be baptized… and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38),
and again,
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you… Whoever feeds on My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him” (John 6:53–56).
And of the ministry of the Word,
“How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” (Romans 10:14).

Thus, we attend to these means not as lifeless rituals, but as the divinely appointed channels through which Christ communes with His people, and through which we partake of His grace.

VI. The Means by Which This Union Is Applied—Namely, the Means of Grace

As we come to the final portion of this brief work, I wish to affirm and vindicate the true nature of the union we receive from our beloved Christ. This union is real, living, and glorious. It is, first and foremost, a vertical union with our Lord, wrought by the Spirit and sealed in the gospel. But thanks be to God, this union is also horizontal—a communion with all the saints, knit together in one body, with Christ as our Head.

Remember this, dear brothers and sisters, when you partake of the body and blood of Christ. You do not chew with carnal teeth, but with the teeth of faith. And as you do, you are not only communing with Christ Himself, but being bound ever more deeply to His people. To what extent, you ask? Consider the inverse: when you sin, you sin not in isolation—you sin against the body. When you drink of the cup of demons, you bring defilement to the whole body. When you struggle, the body struggles with you; when you weep, the body weeps with you and lifts up its voice to God on your behalf. You are not alone. You are joined in communion with the Triune God, and in fellowship with the saints, both militant and triumphant.

As the Westminster Confession of Faith so eloquently testifies:

"All saints, that are united to Jesus Christ their Head, by His Spirit and by faith, have fellowship with Him in His graces, sufferings, death, resurrection, and glory: and, being united to one another in love, they have communion in each other’s gifts and graces, and are obliged to the performance of such duties, public and private, as do conduce to their mutual good, both in the inward and outward man."
(WCF 26.1)

May we ever cherish this union, and by the Spirit, pursue that which makes for peace and builds up the body in love.

Ultima Verba ab Auctore:

Thank you for taking the time to read this work. Though it may not stand as the most rigorous of my writings, it is, without question, one that is most dear to my heart. For in these pages lie the truths I treasure most. May Christ be glorified, and may His saints be vindicated throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

"Est ergo unio nostra cum Christo arctissima, realis, spiritualis, et ineffabilis: qua toti Christo, tanquam capiti nostro, spiritualiter copulamur; ita ut quod caput est, etiam membra sint; et quod ipse habet, etiam nos, tanquam membra, habeamus."

"Our union with Christ, therefore, is most close, real, spiritual, and ineffable: by it, we are spiritually joined to Christ our Head, so that what belongs to the Head also belongs to the members; and what He has, we also have, as His members."