There are blessings associated with our union in Christ. The most obvious one is salvation. But there are others we ought to meditate on. This article somewhat picks up from our previous article – Jesus Didn’t Die on the Cross for our Sins?
I hadn’t planned on talking about this subject so soon again: for the obvious reason, being lack of qualifications. However I’ve been reading the book, “Forsaking Israel.” The first 200 pages explore the rapid rise of supersessionism in the early church. It also discusses the historical development of Covenant Theology, especially the three Covenants and how and individual’s election and salvation are connected to them by CT.
Later on the book applies these principles to God’s Israel (not the predominantly Gentile church). At the end of the CT section Larry Pettegrew discusses justification, righteousness and the benefits of our union in Christ.
These things have much been on my mind lately. So it was a happy surprise that a book about Forsaking Israel would venture there. The following is my clumsy attempt to convey only some of Dr. Pettegrew’s very helpful thoughts. The book is far better.
Our Righteousness in God
Our salvation is based on the “Righteousness of God.” Pettegrew notes that the “righteousness of Christ” is mentioned twice in the New Testament (1 John 2:29; 2 Peter1:1). The NT authors also consistently talk about the “righteousness of God” (Rom 1:17; 3:5; 3:21-22, 25-26; 10:3; 1 Cor 1:30; 2 Cor 5:21; Eph 4:24; Phil 3:9; Jas 1:20).
This righteousness that is provided for us is twice called “the righteousness from God.” If we boast, we ought to boast in the Lord. By being in Christ we receive wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption from God (1 Cor 1:30-31). Pettegrew affirms that no aspect of the doctrine of salvation is outside of the “righteousness of God.” Christians become the righteousness of God by being in Christ (2 Cor 5:21).
Union with Christ
Dr. Pettegrew touches upon dialogue among theologians as to how exactly we “become the righteousness of God.” But I’ll skip over to his input. “Simply answered” we receive it through Spirit Baptism (Gal 3:27). See also Rom 8:1. It is in Christ that we receive the benefits of the New Covenant. He cites D. A. Carson,
I cannot too strongly emphasize how often Paul’s justification language is tied to ‘in Christ’ or ‘in him’ languages… In other words, the language of incorporation or of identification is precisely what grounds ‘the great exchange’: when Christ died, he died my death, so I can truly say I live in him. (The Vindication of Imputation – On Fields of Discourse and Semantic Fields)
According to Pettegrew the “in Christ” intimacy saturates the New Testament epistles. It shows up “specifically more than one hundred times.” For easy reference he summarizes seven redemptive benefits that come through union with Christ. Some of the comments are mine.
The Seven Benefits
1) God chose us in Christ. We were chosen before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless (Eph 1:4).
2) We are adopted as God’s sons [children] in Christ (Eph 1:4-6). [Meditate on this awesome reality and what it means]
3) We are justified in Christ: Therefore there is no condemnation for we who are in Christ (2 Cor 5:17).
4) We are regenerated in Christ: Anyone in Christ has become a New Creation (2 Cor 5:17).
5) We are sanctified in Christ: We have positional sanctification (1 Cor 1:2) and progressive sanctification (1 Cor 1:5).
6) We are preserved in our salvation in Christ. Note that we do not preserve ourselves! If the outcome were left to me I would lose my salvation. These verses a constant source of comfort,
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom 8:38-39
7) We receive the righteousness of God in Christ.
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Cor 5:21
…and be found in him [Christ], not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith. Phil 3:9
Conclusion
All the benefits of our salvation come to us through union with Christ. We receive a new relationship with God, who sees us as righteous because of our identification by faith with His son. Hence, we are seen as adopted sons [children] of God.
These awesome scriptural “in Christ” truths help us to avoid both Legalism and Antinomianism. The prescription for both these errors is to remember the grace and love of God, and our adoption into His family.
I’m very thankful to Dr. Larry Pettegrew for tacking these thoughts at the end of his assessment of Covenant Theology.
Maranatha!
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