The Believer’s Union With Christ
By Theodore H. Epp
Do we realize that God desires all men to be saved? His heart’s desire is that none should perish but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). This great fact cannot be questioned, but it does raise this question: “Why are there not more people being saved now?”
Much of the fault, I believe, must be placed on those of us who are Christians, because we do not know how to pray effectually either for lost men and women or for weak Christians.
This is a strong indictment, but it is a situation that can be changed for the better if we will learn from God’s Word some important factors concerning effectual prayer. We as believers have a spiritual birthright or throne-right, due to our position as children of God. By reason of this we can expect to cooperate with God in prayer that He can answer. First, however, let us see what the Bible teaches us concerning this throne-right.
We are not speaking here of a birth-right that entitles us to certain earthly properties or material things, but the right to spiritual powers belonging to us by reason of the fact that we are members of God’s family.
Concerning this family the Apostle Paul wrote: “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him that we may be also glorified together” (Rom. 8:14-17).
In addition to this remarkable passage there is verse 32 which says, “He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” By right of the new birth we are heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ.
The advantages of our birthright are not all future. There are present benefits. Our identification with Christ was not confined to His death but includes His resurrection (Eph. 2:5) and ascension also. “And raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (v. 6). He sits in the place of authority at the right hand of the Father (Rom. 8:34), and we with Him. From this stems our present throne-rights. These carry with them potential powers and privileges altogether too few of us have entered into.
This is especially true in prayer life. There are certain things we ought to look for when we pray. We should expect answers to prayer when we appeal to God. How can we pray in such a manner that multitudes of unbelievers will be brought to a saving knowledge of Christ? These things are all vitally tied up with Christ and our relationship to Him.
Basis Of Our Prayer Life
The basis of our prayer life and the basis of our being heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ lies in the fact of our union with Christ. We are one with Him. In Christ lies all the fullness of the Godhead bodily and we “are complete in Him” (Col. 2:9,10). I believe that in this passage the inspired apostle is writing about the Body of which you and I are members. The fullness of God dwells in us because we are united in Christ.
Very often we read in the Word of what we have “in” Christ; but this may not mean much to us since our English word “in” has a variety of meanings. It often means nothing more than location, such as being in a certain place as Adam was in the garden.
But in the context of Colossians 2:9,10 and similar passages the meaning is more than that of place or location. Some translators use the expression “in union with,” or “united in Christ,” to explain the meaning in this context. This is getting closer to the real meaning but is still insufficient. One can be in union by means of a covenant or a contract such as a partnership. Some people testify of having God as their partner. That is good as far as it goes, but it has an implication of placing us on an equal basis with Him. It suggests we are co-partners in some type of work, but this meaning falls short of the real one.
In the original language the thought is “one with Christ,” or “an affinity with Christ,” suggesting a oneness. Galatians 2:20 says, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” The life I now life in the flesh is not my life. It is Christ’s life. It is no more I who am prominent. It is Christ who is prominent.
Consequently, the word “in” in the Colossians passage means far more than being in the same place as Christ, or being near Him, or He being near us. It means more than a partnership with Christ or Christ being a partner with us. It means that out of the two of us there is one new man. Christ is that man and I am in Christ to be that man.
This is why in John 15 we find our Saviour telling us to “abide in Me, and I in you.” It might better be rendered, “If you abide in Me, I will abide in you.” The way He abides in us is through His Word as we find in verse 7: “If ye abide in Me, and in My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”
If we want to become this kind of prayer warrior, not just a prayer partner, but if we want to enter into vital warfare in our prayer life and be used of the Lord, then let us recognize our place in Christ as being one with Him. It is then that we can ask what we will and it shall be done unto us. This is the way we become effectual prayer partners, or better yet, prayer warriors.
A good illustration of what we are trying to say here is that when two metals, copper and zinc, are combined under certain scientific processes they come out as a new metal known as brass. It takes more than just ordinary methods to separate the two, for they have become as one and that a brand new metal or alloy. Now we are one in Christ Jesus, united to Him in an indissoluble union. Consequently, whatever He is heir of, we have a share in. We are heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ.
In Philippians chapter two we find described for us the great step down Christ made from His exalted position in order to save us. There we read, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made Himself of no reputation, and [more than that] took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
Our Saviour emptied Himself of visible glories and was exalted in due time by God. “God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name [the name is Lord]: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Our Saviour humbled Himself before He was exalted by the Father. Now we are admonished to “let this mind be in you,” as it was in Christ. There has to be first of all a putting aside of the old self in order that Christ might be all in all.
This is what is understood in 2 Timothy 2:12 where we learn: “If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him: “if we deny Him, He also will deny us.” The suffering here is not necessarily physical suffering. It could be involved but not necessarily so, not even persecution for our faith. The thought is more that of our taking our place with Him and saying “no” to self, claiming no rights of our own. Romans chapter 6 gives us the necessary information on the “how” of denying the self-life.
Additional light is thrown on what we are, in union with Christ, in the first chapter of Ephesians. There we learn of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus which is of great importance to us. Concerning this Paul wrote: “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints. And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to usward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power” (Eph. 1:17-19).
These three things are very important: (1) the hope of our calling; (2) Christ’s inheritance in the saints; (3) the exceeding greatness of God’s power to usward who believe. This last has to do with power in prayer supplied by God. It was a power demonstrated when Jesus Christ was raised from the dead and placed above all principalties and powers, and all things were put under His feet. We share His life and have a place in His mystical body and have a heavenly heritage. Christ (as joint-heirs) also has a heritage in or through us.
We have been called and blessed with all spiritual blessings within the heavenly or spiritual realm. We have an inheritance in Christ, are scaled with the Holy Spirit, and are now kept by the power of God for the working out of His purposes. We have been raised together with Jesus Christ and made to sit together in heavenly places (Eph. 2:5,6).
This is why we have throne-rights. To fully enter into them the self-life must be completely dispossessed, and we must share the mind of Christ and join with Him in suffering. All that is Christ’s is ours now, if all that we possess and are, is His now.
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