After we have believed and are baptized into Christ, we have a life union with Christ and are joined to Him. Our being joined to Him is based on His first being joined to us. Therefore, we must first consider how He is joined to us, and then how we are joined to Him.
1) “And the Word [God] became flesh” (John 1:14). Christ is the Word of God and is God Himself (John 1:1). The first step He took in joining Himself to us was to become flesh, that is, to become a man of flesh. As God, He took on a human body with the human nature to join with man as one, thus becoming a God-man. This was the beginning of His being joined to us.
1) “I have been crucified with Christ” (Gal. 2:20); “Our old man has been crucified with Him” (Rom. 6:6); “...died with Christ” (Col. 2:20).
These verses reveal to us that in His crucifixion, Christ brought us with Him through the death of the cross.
2) “You were raised together with Christ” (Col. 3:1).
This word shows us that in His resurrection, Christ also brought us with Him into resurrection.
3) “...seated us together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:6).
This word shows us that in ascending into heaven, Christ also brought us with Him into ascension.
Christ can bring us through death and resurrection and even into ascension because He is joined to us.
1) “Christ is in you” (Rom. 8:10).
Christ first became flesh to join Himself to us, and then He brought us with Him through death and resurrection and into ascension. After He accomplished God’s eternal redemption through these steps, He came into us to further join Himself to us, applying to us what He had accomplished as God’s full salvation. For this purpose, He became the One who is in us and is joined to us.
2) “Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20).
In entering into us and being joined to us, Christ not only is in us but also is living in us; that is, He is living His life in us.
3) “That Christ may make His home in your hearts” (Eph. 3:17).
When Christ is joined to us within, He lives His life in us, and He also wants to make His home in our hearts; that is, He wants to saturate every part of our entire being, mingling with us as one. This shows that He will be joined to us to the uttermost.
1) “...believes into Him [Christ]” (Acts 10:43, lit.); “...baptized into Christ” (Gal. 3:27).
Originally we were born in Adam, apart from Christ (Eph. 2:12). Through our believing and being baptized, we have entered into Christ. This is the beginning of the experience of our being joined to Christ.
1) “But He who firmly attaches us [the apostles] with you [the believers] unto Christ and has anointed us [with the Holy Spirit] is God” (2 Cor. 1:21).
When we believe into the Lord and are baptized, God puts His Spirit in us and anoints us, firmly attaching us to Christ. On the one hand, it is we who believe and are baptized into Christ; on the other hand, it is God who attaches us unto Christ by anointing us with His Spirit.
1) “...In Christ” (2 Cor. 12:2); “...in Christ...a new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17).
By believing and being baptized into Christ, we become men of the new creation in Christ. We become such men by being joined to Christ in our experience.
1) “Abide in Me [Christ]” (John 15:4); “Abide in Him [Christ]” (1 John 2:27).
After we enter into Christ to become a new creation in Him, we must remain in Him and abide in Him, taking Him as our dwelling and our resting place. In Christ we enjoy all that He is to us. We enjoy Him as our life and life supply, and as the peace, comfort, support, leading, joy, and hope that we need to live a heavenly, spiritual, holy, victorious, and transcendent life so that we may become transcendent persons, experiencing our being joined to Him in our living and our walk.
1) “Because I [Christ] live, you shall live also...and I in you” (John 14:19-20); “...live with Him [Christ]” (Rom. 6:8).
Both of these passages speak of our living with Christ. Our being joined to Christ begins with our entering into Him, continues with our remaining in Him and abiding in Him, and is intensified by our living with Him. This is the experience in our living of being joined to Him and of taking Him as life (Col. 3:4).
1) “You also shall be manifested with Him [Christ] in glory” (Col. 3:4).
The ultimate state of our being joined to Christ, taking Him as life, and living in Him is to be manifested with Him in glory when He is manifested. This is the ultimate completion of our experience of being joined to Christ.