Daily Thanksgiving: So Great a Salvation | Day 1 - Union With Christ
The Totality of Our Salvation
“. . . apart from me you can do nothing.” - Jesus, John 15:5b
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. - Ephesians 1:3–14 (emphasis added)
Our Identity and Who We Belong to
How much time do you have to talk about “Union with Christ?” Honestly, I’m struggling to find a good place to start reflecting on such a massive topic—no, reality! Maybe the best way to begin is to think about the idea of identity, especially in today’s current cultural climate. I have friends who are in marketing and what is key these days in business and social media is “branding” or promoting oneself or a group with grabbing advertising or design. We live in an Instagram/TikTok culture that is infatuated with individual expression. Many want to put forward a version of themselves online that will show whatever ideal they want others to know them for. I think there is also a hidden motive of longing for attention and a sense of belonging.
Our search for personal significance and meaning has not only exploded in social media but in every other aspect of life. Work has always been an identity marker especially when we make new acquaintances by asking “What do you do?” Ethnicity has been used as a major identity marker and as a weapon through racial prejudice thinking one is greater than another. We have seen since the 1960s the ramifications of the sexual revolution in which our identity is primarily determined by our sexual desires and attractions. We see this search even in politics and how other identity markers intersect with certain political affiliations and factions. And, of course, religious practice is used in the search to find meaning for ourselves.
I bring all of this up to highlight one key thing: We all want to be known and wanted. We all want significance and worth, and if we are honest, we want to belong to someone. But these desires within us are cries of something that we were created for—communion with God. In all of the above, these attempts for meaning are human efforts to define our identity and meaning by our definitions or others. And yet, they cannot truly account for God’s good design for all creation, the corruption and problem of sin, and all humanity’s powerlessness to remedy this. But the good news of the Gospel is that God redeems sinners through Jesus Christ for his glory and our joy in him.
Apart from Him, We are Nothing
In the context of John 15, Jesus tells his disciples to live abiding in him just like a branch thrives because it is connected to a healthy vine that nourishes it. The command to remain or live connected to Jesus presupposes that his followers are defined as those not independent from him but dependent on him. Sure, all people without Jesus are independent to live as they please, but the Bible clearly shows that we are dead in our sinful rebellion against God. We, created by God to be dependent on him and to make his glory evident in our lives, chose to live according to what we thought could make us like him (Gen. 3:1-5), but our identity went from beloved children to rebellious prodigals ruled by our sin lust.
And yet God did not leave us there. Here’s the crazy thing, the story of salvation already existed before creation. I emphasized in the passage from Ephesians 1 all of the instances in which we are united with Christ or “in Christ.” Notice that this union with Christ was predestined. God the Father chose those whom Christ would save “before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him” (Eph. 1:4) The doctrine of election sounds sterile and unloving to sinful ears but “in love, he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will” (v. 5). The eternal Triune God chose to unite undeserving sinners to his Son to become saints through the redemption he would accomplish “through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace” (v. 7).
This work of salvation according to God’s eternal plan is not dependent on our efforts to find meaning for our identity. You don’t see here in this passage any ounce of human striving. Instead, this underserving union we have is all by God’s grace “which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set for in Christ” (vv. 7b-8). If we had a say in your salvation, we would screw it up with our arrogance or shame thinking we have to contribute to our union with Christ. But this salvation’s glory doesn’t belong to us, but to him, and “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory” (vv. 11-12). The meaning, glory, worth, and significance that we long for are not found in or achieved by us. Instead, all glory goes to Jesus, the one whom we are united to and thus saved by. When this eternal plan became real to you when you first believed, "you “were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory” (vv. 13-14). God has not only made you his for today but promised a bright hope to come when he will make all things new.
Again, do you see any ounce of human initiative, searching, striving, definition, merit, or effort?
Jesus was right. Apart from him, were aren’t just unable to do anything.
Apart from him, we are nothing.
Thank God that this is Who You Are, Christian!
My fellow Christian, I need to be reminded of this wonderful reality just as much as you! This is who we are: united with Christ. We are in Christ! All that the Triune God predestined for us through the finished work of Christ is now the definition of who we are. In Christ, we are predestined, chosen, regenerated, converted, justified, sanctified, and one day glorified. The reason why you are not the same but a new creation is because God made Jesus to be our Savior whose work is applied to us through our union with him (2 Cor. 5:17, 21).
Today, thank God who according to eternal plan, the purpose of his will, and his sheer grace united you with Christ. Thank him that because of your union with him, “life is worth the living” and thus you can keep pressing on in your pursuit of holiness, no matter the obstacles, sins, or failures. Because of being united in Christ, all the other identity markers—your relationships, sexuality, ethnicity, etc.—are seen rightly not only according to God’s good design from creation but also through the redemption of Jesus and the restoring work of the Holy Spirit. Thank God that the Christian life is not a soul-crushing waste of time striving for the next thing or a self-made religion but a lifelong adventure of becoming who we are in Christ until we see him.
According to God, you are either a sinner bound for righteous wrath or a saint who is in Christ. If you are not a Christian, I implore you to believe in this good news that God alone saves and to trust in Jesus Christ as the only one who not only saves you but restores you to who you were meant to be:
His.
Father, thank you so much for uniting me to Christ. I did not deserve it, but you chose to love me and give me a new identity. I belong to you in Christ, and I am secure as much as Christ is. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for sealing me in this union by your power when I heard the Gospel. Remind me again and again that I am not a slave to sin, Satan, and death but a son to God through the Sonship of Jesus. In his name, I pray. Amen.