Our union with Christ was completely accomplished at the Cross 2000 years ago, but it is increasingly actualized as we abide in Christ daily. If you are Christian, then you are in union with Christ, but sadly too many Christians do not know how to abide in Christ, and therefore what they fully possess never gets taken out for a spin in the day-to-day reality of experiential Christianity. As Christians, you have been baptized into Christ and therefore clothe yourself with Him, and as His body, He has clothed Himself with you. This is the new truth about you as new creations in Christ, but if you do not know how to abide in Jesus, then you will be limited in the “much more” fruitfulness of His life being unveiled in you and revealed through you. The word “abide” simply means “to remain.” We “remain” in the conscious experiential reality of being in Christ by restfully receiving all that He victoriously is for each arising moment. Just like a branch attached to a trunk, restfully receives the life flow of the sap as it continuously flows into the branch. Simply acknowledging Him and His all-sufficient adequacy for each step throughout each day is at the heart of the abiding life. Romans 16:26 uses the phrase “obedience of faith,” and part of the abiding life is one of trusting obedience. To participate in the life that He lives in a practical way, I can’t be going in one direction about a thing, He going in another direction. That’s not the “ remaining” life we are called to. The life of disobedience can’t expect to experience the riches of His life in a practical way. You can live a life of deliberate disobedience and still possess all the fullness of Christ but not experience any of the riches of Christ, other than luring grace that is trying to pull you back in. Jesus will only manifest Himself living the life that He wants to live and the lifestyle that He is committed to, not the life and lifestyle that you want to live outside of His will. We are new creations because we have been included into the life that Jesus lives, but Jesus will only manifestly live through someone who is allowing Him to live the life that He lives. Jesus living His life through us is the whole point of being a Christian. One of the ways that we abide in Jesus and therefore grow increasingly in our experience of the manifestation of His fullness is by doing what He is doing and saying what He is saying. I am so grateful for union accomplished, but I want everything that has been accomplished for me to be actualized in me and manifested through me.
