Union With Christ—His Glory and Interests Are Ours - All The LORD is near Daily Devotionals for 2026

Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?
Acts 9:4

Union With Christ—His Glory and Interests Are Ours
Paul could give no testimony to what Jesus was during His life on earth, but his ministry begins with the glory of Jesus, as the Lord in heaven. Jesus appears to him in the glory of His Sonship, and Lord is the title by which Saul addresses Him: "Lord, what do You want me to do?"

"Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" is the expression of Christ and the Church, being one. The interests of the Lord were thus shown to be centered in His poor, rejected, and persecuted people. In this we see what the place of the Church is on earth, to have the same heavenly interests with Christ on high, which makes us willing to suffer with Him here, that we may also be glorified together with Him.

That which is the daily comfort of the feeblest saint is that he has a glory above the brightest glory of all dispensations. That Christ and the believer are one is the very highest glory, and yet this brings him into fellowship with Christ about common things. The knowledge of the lordship of Jesus keeps the mind in quietness, and enables the believer to leave all to the Lord, in the certainty that in the world to come all the promises of God will be "to the glory of God through us" (2 Cor. 1:20).

While we have full interest in the glory of Christ, He has an interest in the smallest thing that concerns us, and our portion is to suffer with Him, as having a common interest with the Lord—"Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?"—suffering here because the world is against the lordship of Jesus.

We are not only accepted because of what Christ has done, but accepted as children, having the very same interests with Christ, being heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ. We have personal interest with Christ about Himself.

J. N. Darby