Thus far in our studies we have defined what union with Christ is and we have considered how the sinner is brought into union with Christ. We still want to address a third component: what are the effects of union with Christ? What are the results or the fruits?

When the Holy Spirit unites a sinner to Christ there are certain consequences. Christ grants His people many blessings flowing forth from the union with Him. These spiritual blessings will be reflected in the consciousness of the believer. John Flavel writes in this setting: "The design and end of the application of Christ to sinners is the communication of his benefits to them; but all communication of benefits necessarily imply communion, and all communion as necessarily presupposes union with his person...''¹ Many effects or blessings of union with Christ are mentioned in Scripture. Let us consider some of them.

The blessing of the imputation of Christ's righteousness⤒🔗

The righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ is imputed to a sinner as an immediate consequence of his union with Christ by faith. The Lord grants forgiveness of all sins. This is the blessing of justification. We must keep in mind that the union with Christ is never the judicial ground for justification. That ground rests only in the Lord Jesus Christ as the sole meriting cause (Rom. 3:22,23).

The blessing of sanctification←⤒🔗

A direct effect of the union with Christ is that the walk and attitudes of God's child are gradually renewed according to the image of Christ (2 Cor. 3:18). As a fruit of his union with Christ God's child receives many gifts and blessings which all focus upon the daily renewal and sanctification. We can mention some examples, but many more could be mentioned: knowledge (Eph. 1:18), fellowship with Christ (1 Cor. 1:9), unspeakable joy (1 Pet. 1:8), peace (Rom. 5:10), the experience of the love of God (Rom. 8:39), living in the strength of Christ (Phil. 4:13), daily renewing (2 Cor. 4:16), light in the soul (1 Pet. 2:9), fellowship with the Father and with the Son (1 Jn. 1:3), inward teaching (1 Jn. 2:27) and the fruit of the Spirit as mentioned in Galatians 5.

When John Flavel observes all the blessings of the union with Christ, he urges the people of God to a life of sanctification and dedication unto Christ:

How humble and lowly in spirit should you be under your great advancement. It is true, God hath magnified you greatly by this union; but yet do not boast. You bear not the root, but the root you, Rom.11:18. You shine, but with a borrowed light. How zealous should you be to honour Christ, who hath put so much honour upon you. Be willing to give glory to Christ, though his glory should rise out of your shame... How circumspect should you be in all your ways, remembering whose you are, and whom you represent. Shall it be said that a member of Christ was convicted of unrighteous and holy actions? God forbid.²

The blessing of communion with the Lord Jesus Christ←⤒🔗

The people of God have communion and fellowship with Christ. They share in his experiences, they share in His sufferings and also become a partaker of His triumph. Scripture references which teach this are Romans 6:5: "For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection;" Romans 6:8: "Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him;" Romans 8:17: "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with (him), that we may be also glorified together;" Philippians 3:10: "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;" 1 Peter 4:13: "But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy."

In this connection we may also mention the fact that God's people will suffer for the sake of their union with Christ. In Mark 10:39 Christ tells His disciples that they would also drink the cup that Jesus had to drink and be baptized with the same baptism as with He was baptized. The communion with Christ implies also suffering for the sake of Christ (2 Timothy 3:12). John Flavel writes in this connection: "The sympathy between Christ and believers proves a union between them: Christ and the saints smile and sigh together."³ Flavel further underlines the fruitfulness of this union: "We are married to Christ that we should bring forth fruit to God ... All the fruit we bear before ingrafting into Christ is worse than none ... Christ is a fruitful root, and makes all the branches that live in him so too."⁴

Flavel emphasizes that as a consequence of the communion with Christ a child of God shares in all the wealth of Christ: "How rich and great a person do the little arms of faith clasp and embrace! ... All that Christ hath becomes ours, either by communication to us, or improvement for us: his Father, John 20:17; his promises, 2 Corinthians 1:20; his providences, Romans 8:28; his glory, John 17:24; all are ours by virtue of our union with him."⁵

This also applies to the special blessing of adoption, mentioned by Thomas Boston. Boston emphasizes that through their adoption God's people have access to God as their Father and so may receive the fulfilment of all their wants. Speaking of the people of God he writes: "They have the Spirit of adoption, Rom. viii. 15, namely the Spirit of his Son, which brings them to God, as children to a Father; to pour out their complaints in his bosom, and to seek necessary supplies..."⁶

The blessing of future glory←⤒🔗

The believers will be raised up from the dead in likeness to Christ's glorified body. They will experience eternal communion with Christ in heaven. There believers will be fully consecrated to Christ in body and soul. An important aspect of the future of the people of God is their reign with Christ. He promises His people that they will reign with Him in glory. This reign is a direct consequence of their following of Christ. Scripture references which show this are 2 Timothy 2:12: "If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him: if we deny Him, he also will deny us;" 1 Corinthians 6:2: "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?" Revelation 2:26: "And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations;" Revelation 3:21: "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne."

Concerning the blessed resurrection of the people of God, John Flavel writes: "The manner in which the saints shall be raised at the last day, proves this mystical union between Christ and them; for they are not to be raised as others, by the virtue of Christ's resurrection as their Head, sending forth vital, quickening influences into their dead bodies, which are united to him as well as their souls."⁷

Flavel knows how to comfort God's people concerning their future blessed resurrection, when he writes: "Believers are his members, his fullness, he cannot therefore be complete without you: a part of Christ cannot perish in the grave, much less can it be left to burn in hell. Remember, when you feel the natural union dissolving, that this mystical union can never be dissolved; the pangs of death cannot break this tie."⁸

Thomas Boston writes beautifully about the victory over death which shall be given to all of the spiritual seed of Christ. He writes:

The promise of eternal life comprehends a promise of victory over death, to be conferred on all and every one of the spiritual seed, in the encounter with that last enemy ... After the wearisome march, and the reiterated fights of faith they have in their passage through the wilderness of this world, they have to pass the Jordan of death, and to fight the last battle with that enemy. But the victory is secured on their side by promise; of which there are two chief branches, to wit, a promise of disarming death, and a promise of destroying it.⁹

It is striking how A.W. Pink words the future glory of God's people:

Christ will everlastingly delight in the Church, and the Church will everlastingly delight in Him. There will be mutual intercourse, an unrestrained opening of heart one to another. In communication communications are made by both parties. One party bestows favour upon another, and the recipient reciprocates by giving back to the donor, according to the benefit received, grateful acknowledgement: those communications, from both sides, flowing from love and union.¹⁰

The blessing of spiritual unity of all believers←⤒🔗

The union with Christ furnishes the basis for the spiritual unity of all believers and for the communion of saints. They are called to be one as they are motivated and led by the same Spirit of Christ. Referring to the people of God, L. Berkhof writes:

They are animated by the same spirit, are filled with the same love, stand in the same faith, are engaged in the same warfare, and are bound for the same goal. Together they are interested in the things of Christ and His Church, of God and His Kingdom. John 17:20,21; Acts 2:42; Rom. 12:15; Eph. 4:2,3; Col. 3:16: 1 Thess. 4:18; 5:11; Heb. 3:13; 10:24,25; Jas. 5:16; 1 John 1:3,7.¹¹

In conclusion we may state with John Murray:

Union with Christ is a very inclusive subject. It embraces the wide span of salvation from it's ultimate source in the eternal election of God to its final fruition in the glorification of the elect. It is not simply a phase of the application of redemption; it underlies every aspect of redemption both in its accomplishment and in its application. Union with Christ binds all together and insures that to all for whom Christ has purchased redemption he effectively applies and communicates the same.

Therefore: "Nothing is more central or basic than union and communion with Christ."¹²