An introduction into the believer s union with Christ.

"Man Utd"
Revised & Expanded
Six Letters that Explain the Mystery of the Gospel
Col 1:24-27
By Paul Anderson-Walsh

"Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of His body, that is the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to His saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches and the glory of this mystery which is Christ in you the hope of glory." [Col 1:24-27]

Its a Mystery
By way of introduction to this article, it seemed appropriate to include a brief comment on the nature of Paul's mystery gospel . To this end, some preliminary comments might provide a framework for what follows. In the Pauline corpus the word mystrion, mystery appears twenty-one times. Scholars have defined the word mystery as follows:

"The word mystery in modern speech means a sublime or unclear truth that is marvelled at but only partly understood. The Greek word myst rion, however, describes any divine or heavenly reality which is regarded as hidden or secret and can only be known when revealed by the gods."

Paul asserts that the nature of this mystery has to do with a decisive action that has affected the Gentiles [and all believers] namely on that, they are now indwelt by Christ. Thus, he sees his commission in terms of proclaiming "Him" and bringing everyone to maturity - to the full measure and stature of Christ [Eph 4:13]. With almost maddening economy, Paul defines the mystery in three words "Christ in you."

Paul's revelation is the most profound truth imaginable without it the Christian life is unliveable and unbearable. However, if recognised and entered into it is the pathway way to a life beyond our wildest imaginings.

This article seeks to explain the mystery and explore its purpose. However, interested readers should also refer other Grace Project article pertaining to this subject most notably "Deceived" and "False Self Syndrome" see www.thegraceproject.com click on interactive.

Many titles have been used to express the Pauline mystery "Christ in You" some have called it "The Deeper Life", others have used the term "The Higher Life, still others have used the term "Interior Life." Hudson Taylor's son called it "The Exchanged Life" still others preferred the title "Oneness." All of these definitions are extremely helpful, however, I think on balance I prefer Norma Grubb's definition of the mystery as being "Union Life". It is this definition that I have relied upon and sought to capture in my title "Man Utd." Jesus alludes to the believer's union with Himself in His great prayer recorded in John's mystery gospel when He says:

"I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word, that they may all be one just as You Father are in Me and I in You that they maybe in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. The glory that You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one. I in them and You in Me that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you have sent Me and loved them even ads You loved me. " [Jn 17:20:23]

Life is a Mystery
Have you ever found yourself wondering - "Who is the real you? Most of us have. Moreover, many Christians have to live with the added guilt that comes from a numbing sense that who we are is not who we should be. Consequently, we live our lives trapped in a cycle of performance rotating between commitment, failure condemnation, confession, and re-dedication. Evangelical homiletics has left all but a few caught on the barbed wire of apparent contradiction between "image" and "identity", the person that I appear to be and the person that I actually am.

Socrates said, that, "greatness is to be in reality what we appear to be," and this laid down gauntlet has been picked up by the unrighteous and the self-righteous alike. However, to the Christ-righteous this is the antithesis of union, where greatness [which, in this paradigm must also be redefined, as "other centred living"] is to accept as reality that we ARE precisely who we appear NOT to be.

Speaking personally the apparent paradox of union has been a great struggle to accept. To become settled and live out of the reality that I am who God says that I am regardless of how I feel is a matter beyond intellect, it is in the final analysis a matter of revelation. Before we can face the question, "Do we believe that we are who He says we are?" Perhaps we should first ask, "Who does He say that we are?" Before we answer that let me just restate my simple conclusion, the real good, bad, for better or for worse, or us for richer or for poorer, CANNOT be anyone other than who God says we are.

Who does God say we are?
Before I understood union it was easier for me to believe that I was not who, and could never this side of heaven be, the person that God wanted me to be - perfect [Mtt 5:48].
Nonetheless, becoming who I knew I could not be was the goal of the Christian life.

Sanctification, A.K.A. "Mission Impossible" was the goal that I was determined to reach. Whilst I knew my efforts were doomed to failure, I would still be going to heaven because believing in Jesus, not "sinless perfection" was the salvation criteria. My favourite verse was 1 Jn 3: 2

" Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we know is this; when He is revealed, we will be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is."

I had understood this to be a reference to the second coming, but, then, I saw that John was addressing the "little children" [1 Jn 3:7] a group he had identified earlier
[1 Jn 2:12-14]. These were the spiritual babies; those who knew no more than their sins had been forgiven, however, in the case of what he called the young men and the fathers, the mature or more aware, knew, that "Just as He is so are we in this world" [1 Jn 4:17]. Then, suddenly as a cloud burst union made sense to me, I could see it "when He is revealed, we will be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is" and He is in me, expressing Himself as me. 1 Jn 3:2 was not speaking of His return it was speaking about my coming of age.

Imagine my surprise then when I began to see that I already was the person that I was trying to become. Being the product of a Jesuit education I had become accustomed to reading reports about myself that always said something like "Paul is a bright child but could do much better, must try harder." What was I to make of God's claim that I am the following things, not that I will be, or might be, or could be if only I would try harder but AM:

Perfect Hebs 10:14
The righteousness of God in Christ 2 Cor 5:21
Holy Eph 1:4; Col 1:22
A partaker in the divine nature 2 Pet 1:4
A new creation 2 Cor 5:17
Complete in Him Col 2:10
Just as He is so are we in this world 1 Jn 4:17
Beyond reproach Col 1:22
Blameless Eph 1:4
Seated with him in heavenly places Eph 2:6
Container of the fullness of Christ Col 2:9

Life Choices - To believe or not to believe
The foregoing list is far from exhaustive and in the light of its claims, we are confronted with two choices, [a] belief or [b] unbelief. It is the role of the Holy Spirit to convict both believers and unbelievers alike of unbelief. In the case of the lost man, their unbelief concerns Christ becoming sin for them [Jn 16:8-10] and in the case of the saved man concerning his becoming Christ righteousness. [2 Cor 5:21 If the first work of the Spirit is to convict the unbeliever of his unbelief in Christ then the second work of the Spirit is to convict the believer of his unbelief in his Christ righteousness.

There can be no progress in the Christian life without the most basic and fundamental revelation. In the same way that we accept by faith [and unquestioningly so] that He [Jesus] became as we were, that is in the likeness of sinful man - flesh we must accept by faith that the purpose of His condescension was that we might become as He is divine. At one level, whether we believe that this is true or not, does not alter the fact that it is true. If the Great I AM says I AM, then, I AM. To doubt that is to call God a liar. Well now Christian, do you believe that you are who God says you are?

Through the prism of union, rather than the prison of performance, I can see that sanctification is simply recognition. That it is not a progressive rectification of one's behaviour but rather a progressive recognition of your new identity. What in my formative years was the cornerstone of Christian discipleship that sanctification was a process of becoming holy has been replaced by the axiom of union, which is to know that I AM holy.

Can I be sure that I really am righteous?
The Bible tells me that as a believer, I am One spirit with Him [1 Cor 6:17] that I' am indwelt by Christ [Col 1:27] that it is no longer I that live but it is Christ that not only lives IN me [Gal 2:20] but also AS me and BY me [Acts 17:28; Col 3:4]. The real me, the essential me, is JesUS

There is a line from the film Matrix Reloaded, where Morpheus, in response to the protest "Not everyone believes what you believe" replies "The beauty of what I believe is that it doesn't require you to believe it in order for it to be true." This is just as true of union, whether you as a believer, believe that these things are true about you or not they are still true. Now whilst it does not require you to believe it to be true, it does require you to believe it to live in the power of it.

As a believer, [and if you do not believe this what do you believe] you like unbelievers have a choice. Either:
1. We choose to believe that we are who He says we are and already possess and simply BE
Or
2. We see these as things that I COULD be or SHOULD and aim to BECOME.
The respective outcomes could not be more starkly contrasted. On the one hand righteous works that spring from rest - Fruit that the product of allowing Him to be the reproducer of his own nature in us whilst in return we enjoy the benefits of our branch/vine relationship with the Him [Jn15: 5] On the other hand a works righteousness that results in a harvest of "fruit unto death" [Roms 7:5] disillusionment and spiritual burnout.

If we should choose the latter then inevitably we will be left to languish in the misery of a life dedicated to trying to cultivate the appearance of godliness, but denying the power thereof. Each one of us lives within the power and limits of our choices. Either the limitless and liberating vistas of allowing God to reproduce His nature & likeness in you or be limited to trying to reproduce His nature and likeness through your flesh.

It is impossible to imagine that given the choice anyone would choose imitation over participation. However, for the vast majority of believers what they have come to understand and accept, as being the "Christian life" is some other than the life of Christ. I am bold enough to say that is a counterfeit Christianity or as Paul put it " a different Gospel which is no gospel at all " [Gal 1:6]

For most believers the mystery of the New Covenant remains a secret. Consequently, without it millions of precious, sincere believers find themselves week after week re-committing and re-dedicating their lives in the futile pursuit of trying to become who they already are. How distressing it is to know that the vast majority of us are squandering the opportunity to enter into His rest. How tragic that most of us never discover that between the historical Jesus who was and the futuristic Jesus who will be is the indwelling Jesus who IS. Fulfilling in, through and as us his eternal purpose that He might have a corporate body made in His likeness, that would bear his image, and invested with His authority would have dominion over His earth. [Eph 3:11] This purposes He first revealed in Genesis and this purpose forfeited by First Adam He restored through Jesus Christ, Last Adam [1 Cor 15:45] God made in the appearance of flesh [Phil 2:6-7] He remains that man, though now in resurrected, and ascended, no longer incarnate with us, but indwelling, in us, as us [Col1: 27].

The Consequence of the Union
Therefore, we now ho through the mystery of union have become the visible image of the invisible God. We have been re-made in the IMAGE and likeness of God and as real persons, rather than as the false persons, we once were, when we were by nature children of wrath [Eph 2:3] but now as partakers in the divine nature [2 Pet1: 4] we are containers and conduits of Him. No longer separate from Him or one another as before [Eph 2:14] but one [Jn 17:23].

The nature, His nature, which you and I now express, is fixed by His eternal choice as an other-centred-lover [God cannot be a self-lover because self-love is self-getting, the satanic nature. God is self-giving. He exists for the benefit of others] that is the essence of agape [1 Jn 4:8] now radiates from us to others. [Jn 13:35]

The extent to which we become aware of our oneness or union with Him we can safely say that we are the express IMAGE and LIKENESS of the PERSON of Christ expressing HIS love purposes through us towards others. In other words, we are the means by which the IMAGE of the INVISIBLE GOD manifests, expresses and ministers Himself to His world.

Each one of us is empowered to live by faith in who we perceive ourselves to be and consequently we will bear the fruit of that belief, either fruit unto death [Roms 7:5] or the fruit of the Spirit [Gal 5:22-23] a harvest of either self-righteousness or Christ-righteousness. Most of us have been raised on a staple diet of Jesus died for our sins, but that is only half the Gospel - whatever happened to the other half, that Christ is my life? Without a revelation of the mystery "Christ in You"- that it is no longer I that live but Christ that lives in me and the life that I do live I live by the faith of the Son of God [Gal 2:20], I will never know union. I will never be able to live the "abundant life" of Christ [Jn 10:10] I will never be free from condemnation [Roms 8:1] I will never bee free to be me. Instead, I will be consigned to an impoverished sub-Christian life unaware that all the time I was Him in human form.

We are courtesy of Last Adam, Adam at Last, not just Adam again, but an Adam that will last. We have become the Adam that exceeds our progenitor, because we are Adam the creation united with the Creator - Man United, united with God allowing that unity, that oneness to express itself to one another, gladly suffering for the Gospel, for one another and simply suffering one another, and in so-doing counting it all joy [Jas1: 2]. Knowing that producing righteousness, love, joy, goodness, kindness gentleness, peace, patience, self-control is not a work of the flesh, but the fruit of the Spirit, the consequence of Him giving his life for you in order that He could give His life to you so that His could live Hi life through you. Enabling you to say, "Ah, have we been with you so long, and you still don't know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Son " [Jn 14:9]