The Core

What is the essence of Christianity? Personal union with Jesus Christ. Paul uses the picture of being united with Jesus (in Christ, with Christ, united to, one with Christ) 163 times in the New Testament. Pastor Ray Ortlund infers that an idea so frequented would be assumed to be the point of the book. 

"We must understand that as long as Christ remains outside of us, and we are separated from him, all that he has suffered and done for the salvation of the human race remains useless." John Calvin, Institutes 3.1.1 

Union with Jesus is the essence because from this vital connection flows the very life of God into mortal men. Union with Christ takes the objective gospel and makes it subjectively alive. 

This life from God brings about noticeable distinctions in the world of our experience. It goes from Jesus' words on a page to exclaiming with the disciples, "you have the words of eternal life" (John 6:68).

Within the mystical realm of our union with the risen Lord we change. We bear fruit. We sin. We repent. We mature. Jesus takes us from dirty to clean, from alienation from God to reconciled, from orphan to child of God, from blind to seeing, from prisoner to free man, from debtor to heir of the world, from dead to alive. All through an irreversible, instantaneous and actual union of the soul with Jesus. This comes about through faith alone by grace alone. 

We can't lose sight that the purpose of Christianity is not understanding the gospel. The purpose is not exhibiting a passion for the gospel. And lastly the purpose is not doing deeds in the name of the gospel. The purpose is union with Christ, which is the core producing minds, hearts and hands aflame with the gospel for the glory of God.

"So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ," (Romans 10:17).

(HT: Dane Ortlund for pointing us to the marvel of this mystery in ITG)