"For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."
Pastor Dunnington preached an entire sermon on that one verse. Correction. On the first half of that verse.
I have always read that verse in terms of the second half -- the "to die is gain" part. I never saw this verse as an affirmation of union life.
What is union life?
Paul uses the term frequently in his writing. How often? He uses the phrase in Christ 74 times, in Jesus six times and in him eight times in his various writings.
What does it mean to be united with Christ?
Dr. Robert Clinton1 defines it:
Union life is a phrase which refers both to the fact of the spirtual reality for a believer joined in spirit with the resurrected Spirit of Christ and the process of that union being lived out with Holy Spirit power so that the person is not dominated by sin in his/her life.
Reformed types like to use a fancy theological term for it. Sanctification.
It is the process of Christ in you as you. It is a mystical union between you and Christ that grows over a lifetime as you become transformed into more and more the image of Christ.
I like the term sanctification, but I think union life has a mystical component that a "cold and metallic" term like sanctification runs the risk of missing.
While Paul teaches about this union life in Romans 1-7, he models union life in the book of Philippians. That is what makes Dunnington's sermon series on Philippians so thrilling. We get to study a model of sanctification -- a demonstration of a life -- a union life. The life of Paul.
Clinton identifies seven characteristics of union life modeled by Paul in Philippians.
1) Christ-centered. A desire to have Christ impact his everyday testimony.
2) Inner Resources. The recognition that the indwelling of the Spirit of Christ was the source of power -- the very same power that raised Christ from the dead.
3) Joy. Joy in the midst of hard, shaping life experiences, is the hallmark of a believer in union with Christ. Paul uses five different words for Joy in the book of Philippians alone!
4) Relationships. A person in union life longs for unity with other believers.
5) Sovereign mindset. A recognition of the hand of God at work in life shaping events and activities -- even trials.
6) Destiny / growth to maturity. A driving, inexorable passion to move toward maturity in Christ.
7) Peace. Like joy, a hallmark of those in deep union life.
Dunnington brought the centrality of union life with Christ home in his sermon yesterday. For Paul to live was Christ. It was not to live for Christ. It was not to serve Christ. It was not to be obedient to Christ. It was not to accomplish things for Christ.
For Paul, life was Christ. Period.
Think about that. Paul's entire worldview was Christ-centered and focused. He saw all of reality in terms of Christ. Paul's entire being was union with Christ.
Friends, this concept is very easy to read about, but very difficult to wrap your mind around. I have spent a lifetime trying to understand this mystical union with Christ. God is using Pastor Dunnington, Robert Clinton, Jack Miller, Clyde Godwin and others to take me through the paradigm shift of understanding absolutely everything in terms of union life with Christ.
Are you experiencing that kind of life? Do you want to?
If you have ever spent anytime around someone who is deep into union life with Christ, it is something special and unforgettable. The thing about those people is that they are not seeking that kind of life. They are seeking Christ and intimacy with Him. The seven union life characteristics are simply a by product of someone who has that kind of intimate union with Christ.
1 Dr. Robert Clinton, Union Life - Intimacy With God, pg 282, Titus, Apostolic Leadership.
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Posted by: | May 29, 2006 at 19:24
Well said, and of course I want that union with Christ as Paul had. I fail at it every day though. The prize of Christ is the goal, and to strive for it is our highest reason to be on this earth.
Posted by: Carl Holmes | May 29, 2006 at 21:46
That sermon reminded me of a friend who passed away at the age of 100 a few years ago. Mrs. Pringle really lived like that. She seemed to live Christ, not just have Him as a piece of her life. She seemed (to me) to have met the goal of making Christ her life, and I strive to do that, though I fail.
Posted by: Rachael | May 30, 2006 at 14:23
>Are you experiencing that kind of life? Do you want to?
The social aspects have always been the sticking point for me... some people enjoy going to church, I've always had to drag myself. And inevitably, I stop doing it and then the everyday worries pile on and bury everything.
I want to say more, but it's really late and it's been a bad day. Maybe later.
Posted by: carlaviii | May 31, 2006 at 00:53
Rachael,
"She seemed (to me) to have met the goal of making Christ her life, and I strive to do that, though I fail."
That is a wonderful goal, Rachael. Failure is part of the process. When you fail, repent and claim the promise of 1 John 1:9. Repentance is a sign of victory in your life, not failure!
I met Mrs. Pringle once. She was a shut in by the time I got to Roanoke. This may sound weird, but when I think of her, I think of the Christmas carol : GOOD KING WENCESLAS. We were doing Christmas carols for the shut ins at church, and when we got to Mrs. Pringle's house, someone called on me to pick a carol. I picked Good King Wenceslas for some strange reason. Mrs. Pringle did not seem to mind. Good thing for her that good singers were there drowning out my off key notes.
Here is the tune:
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/g/o/goodking.htm
Posted by: Mr. Dawntreader | May 31, 2006 at 08:14
Carla,
"The social aspects have always been the sticking point for me... some people enjoy going to church, I've always had to drag myself. And inevitably, I stop doing it and then the everyday worries pile on and bury everything."
I don't know your situation. But it seems to me you need to change your focus from church to Christ.
That does not mean you suddenly start skipping church and become a hermit.
It means that your focus changes from living for Christ, to living with Christ. From serving Christ, to being with Christ. From believing in Christ, to knowing Christ.
It is an entirely different way to live as a Christian -- and it is liberating.
You suddenly want to go to church -- not for the social aspects -- not because you will feel guilty if you don't -- but simply because you want to be with Christ and with people whom Christ has indwelled. You will desire unity with other followers because it is Christ's presence you sense in them.
Posted by: Mr. Dawntreader | May 31, 2006 at 08:20
I've heard the theory plenty of times, thanks. What I need is data.
I'm involved in cat rescue -- does that qualify as Christian?
I'm thinking I need to find a new job, but there's no way I can do that without leaving my current employer in the lurch -- it's really stressing me out. Is that a good Christian conscience?
I read a lot of Japanese comics and review them online. Does that even matter?
Coming from an evangelical background and being extremely introverted... I'm always certain that I'm not doing it right. (The depression may be talking there, too.)
I know this isn't the best place to talk about it, but trying to talk to an actual person would be much harder.
Thanks for being patient.
Posted by: carlaviii | June 02, 2006 at 00:16
"I know this isn't the best place to talk about it, but trying to talk to an actual person would be much harder."
I am an actual person! ;) But I know what you mean.
"I've heard the theory plenty of times, thanks. What I need is data."
That's just it. I've heard the theory for 20 years as a dedicated follower of Christ, and yet I have rarely lived it.
You don't need data. You don't need knowledge. You don't need more theory.
You need Christ -- not to be saved by Christ a long time ago -- you need Christ this morning, this afternoon and this evening.
How does Christ dwelling in you relate to cat rescue and Japanese comics? How does Christ dwelling in you relate to depression? How does Christ dwelling in you relate to your husband and your marriage?
Until all of your view of reality relates to the reality of Christ dwelling in you -- then you are not experiencing what Paul meant by "for me to live is Christ".
The meaning to life is Christ. Period.
Posted by: Mr. Dawntreader | June 02, 2006 at 07:45
Carla,
You brought up Japanese comics. That happens to be a large part of my 14 year old daughter's world now.
She is highly introverted, highly intelligent, and highly artistic.
Can you explain to me why Japanese comics might be an obsession to someone like that?
I look at the comics and the Japanese animation features she spends hours watching and I scratch my head and wonder what she sees.
Please help.
Posted by: Mr. Dawntreader | June 02, 2006 at 07:53
re: manga (and all of the following is strictly IMO)
Anime/manga, especially the romance genres, are very attractive to teenage girls because there is a large emphasis on introspection, on the fears that all teenagers feel (of rejection, mostly), the questions that they ask (should I conform or should I be myself? is a big one) and the pace is much slower than your average Hollywood/Marvel storyline. Even in action-oriented anime/manga, there is a lot more introspection than you'd find in a summer blockbuster.
Mix that with a very powerfull communication form (which manga/comics/animation is, and for an excellent discussion of that I highly recommend Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics) and you have a potentially highly addictive form of entertainment. Plus, attached to the anime industry is a highly efficient merchandizing system to maintain consumer loyalty. That part hasn't quite made it over to the U.S. -- yet.
I've been a fan of the stuff for almost 15 years, though, and I can tell you that it has its limitations. It's just as devoted to stereotypes and tired old plotlines as Hollywood is -- just a different set of stereotypes and tropes. Bear in mind that Japan is not Christian, even though many of the qualities they value are also valued by Christians. Violence and nudity in particular are handled more casually, though at the same time any physical contact between genders is supercharged with meaning. I could go on a long time about the differences between Japanese and Western graphics, but that's an essay for another time.
If anyone's curious, my review site is http://prosperosmanga.blogspot.com/ I review from the POV of a longtime fan of both Japanese and Western graphic literature (which I am) and you can certainly feel free to ask questions (though nobody has, yet).
Posted by: carlaviii | June 04, 2006 at 22:20