The Believer’s Union With Christ - All The LORD is near Daily Devotionals for 2024

But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit.
Romans 8:9

The Believer's Union With Christ
The believer is not in the flesh, but in the Spirit; he is in Christ; he has died out of his old Adam standing in the death of Jesus, and has been quickened, raised up, and seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. He has been born of the Spirit, and is indwelt by the Spirit. He has been brought out and brought in. Hence Scripture speaks of us as "accepted in the Beloved," "complete in Him," "preserved in Christ Jesus," and "sanctified in Christ Jesus."

We are a new creation in Him who is Head of all principality and power, are always before God in Christ, in all His acceptability and nearness, and loved by the Father as He loved the Son. This is where redemption has brought us, where divine, perfect love has set us; so that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as He is, so are we in this world (1 Jn. 4:17). We have died unto sin, died with Christ, and are alive unto God in Him. Having received remission of sins, we are united to Christ by the Holy Spirit, joined to the Lord—one spirit (1 Cor. 6:17). This is a man in Christ. "We were in the flesh," but having died with Christ, and risen with Him, we have eternal life in Him, and are united to Him by the Spirit.

Oh the marvelous depths and heights of divine grace! Its depths, in embracing us when in our sins and guilt, exposed to the wrath of God; and its heights, in bringing us to God in Christ for everlasting blessing.

Those who have not received this truth may be trying to work themselves into nearness to God—and be always disappointed—instead of taking, in simple faith, the nearness and acceptance in Christ which His own grace has given us.

H. H. Snell