UNION WITH CHRIST
UNION WITH CHRIST
JBS Our subject this evening is conscious union with Christ. In the counsel of God we are united to Christ, but the apostle prays that they may know it. The word “know” is conscious knowledge. The counsels of God are all secured to you, but the point is that you may have present knowledge of union, and that which results from it. If you are not in the state for it you cannot enter into it. There is the state belonging to the condition; you must be in the practical state for union with Christ, or you can never enter into the reality of it. It is by the Spirit of God that I know that I am united to Christ. Everything is accomplished in Christ, but it is only known to me as the Spirit makes it known. If you do not know Romans you will never know Ephesians, though you may read it morning, noon, and night. We ought to be exercised as to what He is teaching us.
Genesis 24 gives us the illustration of union. Abraham’s steward was sworn to bring one of the stock of Abraham for a bride for Isaac. The great point was, she was to be of the same kindred. That is the first thing. If anyone asked me what is the great delay in souls knowing union, I should say, They do not enter into the fact that they are of the same stock as Christ. We get it in Hebrews 2: 11, “all of one”. If you put a noun to that you spoil it; you lose the idea. We do not get union in Hebrews, we get companionship and “all of one”. Saints do not realise they are of the same stock as Christ. He did not come to improve our stock but to bring us into His, so that He is not ashamed to call us brethren. This is a most important point in view of union, for nothing that is not of Christ could be united to Him. It used to be said [p. 343] that He is our elder Brother; that is not said, but through the cross we are His brethren, and therefore there can be union without disparity. You cannot improve kindred, you can improve acquaintance by consort, but you cannot have consort without suitability. The idea of union has been lost sight of and degraded. It has been used, as in one of our hymns, as a confirmation of salvation. It has nothing to do with it. There can be no knowledge of union unless I am at home with Him. The Holy Spirit conducts you to the spot where He is, but I must first know that I am of Him, “all of one”. “Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit” (John 12: 24). After He rose from the dead, He said, “Go to my brethren.” He could never have said that before.
Ques What about “Whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother?” Matthew 12: 50.
JBS That indicates the character, but no one could be of the same order until He rose again from the dead. Nothing goes into heaven but what came out of heaven. If you are not of Christ you will not go to heaven. He was the Man “out of heaven” - a man of an entirely new order. The church is of His order and is united to Him. We know so little of it. I often wish I knew more of the tastes and interests of the new man. It is only as we know Christ that we find them out. The first thing in learning is to discover one’s ignorance, then to look for light.
Well, the first thing in Genesis 24 is that the steward is sworn to bring one of the same kindred; then he asks the Lord that the damsel who would show him grace should be the person. Rebekah comes. He puts the question to her; she has grace; she draws water for him and for the camels also. He found her out by her grace. The person ready to be conducted into union is the person who has [p. 344] grace, condition.
Ques. What is condition?
JBS I am of His stock - the old man put off - the new man put on. The most beautiful natural sentiment cannot be united to Christ. There was nothing in Eve that did not come from Adam. Adam said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh” (Genesis 2: 23). The apostle says, “This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church” (Ephesians 5: 32). When I think of the greatness of it, I wonder I am not more set upon it; more captivated by it. God’s destination for us is the highest in His kingdom as to position. As to relationship with Him we are sons. I do not know many who have conscious knowledge of union. Many accept it as a doctrine, but that is not being in it.
Ques What is the mark of a person who knows it?
JBS We get it in the second prayer in Ephesians. What you have there is the consequence of union. If you find a person truly united to another, what is the chief thing in his heart? The person to whom he is united. That is Christ. He is dwelling in my heart and I am in His heart. This prayer is not the state of an individual, it is the state of the bride. It is divine state answering to divine standing. Romans is individual state, but here, Ephesians 3, it is the state consequent on union with Christ. The Christ dwells in your heart. As with a good wife - all the interests of her husband absorb her. The first point in the prayer is, He fills my heart; the second, I am in the whole range of His glory; the third, I know His love. No one really knows His love as stated here unless he knows union. The effect of union is - you get the heart of the bride. If you ask what is the enjoyment, I answer, First get it, and then you will understand it. Christ dwelling in your heart absorbs all your affections. It is very emphatic, “the Christ”, all that concerns Him, I have all His interests at heart. The wise woman (Proverbs. 31) is thinking of all that concerns her lord.
[p. 345] Christ is not a visitor in your heart, He is living there. You are in spirit in heaven, and you are occupied with His interests here - His personal concerns. It is not a question of what you are doing, but what is occupying your heart.
You will not answer to the prayer of chapter 3 unless you know the prayer of chapter 1.
Ques What is the point of the prayer in chapter 1?
JBS You are not only enlightened but you have “the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him”. Until you are in the knowledge of God you will never understand the mystery; you can have no conception of it. These Ephesians were ready for it. When we begin to know a little of it we long for every one to know it. I often wish at prayer meetings that there was more exercise of heart as to how little we know union. It would transfer us from the individual circle to His circle. A wife must leave her own interests for her husband’s.
There is first the call, then the history. Our calling is to be united to Christ. Historically we have to go where He is. Rebekah had the call first, the history follows; she is conducted from the far country to Isaac’s country. We must leave this place for His place before we can know union. The Spirit conducts us there. When Rebekah is to go to Isaac the first thing she has to do is to break with her family. If you cannot break with your family you will not learn union with Christ.
Rem Explain.
JBS Her family wanted to detain her in Mesopotamia. She had to refuse, and to leave them there. They say, “Abide with us a few days, at the least ten”. But she says, “I will go”. That is decision. I am set for it. The true heart starts. Happy for her that she did not delay. If she had stayed ten days, she would have stayed many a day longer. I have seen people fall back by what is commendable in nature. Natural [p. 346] ties are commendable and therefore the more hindering. First love sacrifices everything for company. We read of the disciples in Luke 5: 11, “When they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him”. They had just received a great mercy in the multitude of fishes, but they say, as it were, We think more of this poor man than of all else, we will forsake all and follow Him. I have never seen anyone do that without getting manifold more. The more you are separated from the world the more you get of divine things; you get more acquaintance with God’s things. The company of Christ is better than anything that anyone could give up. He likes our company. Nothing will ever draw the heart to Him till we know His love. A person to be loved by, and to love, is beyond anything. That leads on to union. If I know His love and love Him, I want to be with Him where He is.
Ques You do not want to teach us that natural claims are to be disregarded?
JBS No; in Luke 14 one of those who refused the great supper says, “I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come;” he should have said, I will come and I will bring her, too! A natural claim is like the bed of a river; that is where it ought to run.
The first mark of a man in the Spirit is that his body is a living sacrifice.
Ques Is 1 Corinthians 6: 17, “He that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit”, union?
JBS That is connected with responsibility. Union is not responsibility, it is privilege - His grace.
The first part of the prayer is the calling - that you may know it. You cannot know union till you are brought to His place. It is there that the Spirit is ready to conduct you. If you have not come there, you have not answered to the affection of Christ, or to the Father’s purpose. The prodigal had not answered to the father’s heart until he was at the feast [p. 347] enjoying the fatted calf.
Ques What is the hope of His calling?
JBS The wonderful position to which we are brought, showing the manner of the grace.
Ques What is “the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints?”
JBS He inherited Canaan through Israel. It is not the saints that are the inheritance; many think it is the saints themselves but it is through them.
What I press is union now with the Person in heaven. If you are in the present consciousness of union you will come out in heavenly power; you will be known by what your heart is bound up with.
Read the closing verses of Genesis 24:52-66. There are a great many steps. Rebekah had first to break with her family, and then to go through the wilderness. I see some who have broken with their family, but who cannot take the journey. Rebekah had not only decision but she had continuance. I never saw a man delay to do anything, that he did not miss it. Then when she got sight of Isaac she took a veil and covered herself; she got sight of her head and she veiled her own head. Then she goes with him, and he brought her into his mother’s tent, and he loved her, and Isaac was comforted. If we really knew union with Christ we should be a comfort to Him on earth where He has lost Israel, of which the death of Sarah is the type. That shows that the type belongs to the present moment. The celebration of the marriage is the public avowal of what is true now by the Spirit.
Ques What are the seven types of the church?
JBS (1) Eve. (2) Rebekah - you have left everything for him. (3) Leah. (4) Asenath, Joseph’s wife; he gets her to comfort him in exile. (5) Zipporah. (6) Ruth. (7) What you and I ought to be now - Abigail; we repudiate all the acts of the old husband and minister to the wants of the rejected King. Moses got Zipporah in exile, he could not save his nation [p. 348] then, but he saved the women from the shepherds. If your heart is set on saving, you will save someone.
Ques Why do you leave Rachel out?
JBS Rachel is Israel, surpassed by Leah. Rachel brought in the idols.
In Ephesians 3: 17 - 20 you get a wonderful thing - your endowment. Four things: Himself, He dwells in your heart; His property, you have a new world and new interests; His love, which passeth knowledge; and His power. Himself, His interests, His property, His love and His power. “According to the power that worketh in us.” In His power you come out for Him on the earth. You come out in two great circles: His circle - the church, and your own circle. You love your wife as Christ loved the church. Wives are subject as the church is to Christ; and in chapter 6 you are superior to all the forces of the enemy - the fulfilment of John 12: 31. If we knew more it, what a condition of unspeakable joy and prosperity would be ours! with only one divine object before us - to be here for Himself. Oh! if we felt it more - how little we answer to His purpose! God’s purpose for every one of us, His great destination for us which is beyond conception, is that we should know that we are united to Christ in heaven. May each one of us know what it is to have this divine joy in the midst of the darkest circumstances.
Ques Will you enumerate the subjects of these readings?
JBS (1) Acceptance and Deliverance. (2) Liberty. (3) The assembly. (4) The priesthood. (5) The wilderness. (6) Christ the Head. (7) Union with Christ.