The Mysterious Union

Your Unshakeable Identity in Christ

There are some things in this life that just stop you in your tracks, aren’t there? A sunset that paints the sky in colors you’ve never seen. A melody that feels like it was written just for your soul. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s a simple, profound truth from Scripture that makes you grab hold of your chair and say, “Now that is amazing.”

When it comes to the vast, swirling mysteries of the Bible, there’s one particular truth that captures my imagination like no other. It’s the stunning, life-altering reality of our new identity in Christ!

If you’ve spent any time thumbing through the New Testament, you know the pages are jam-packed with these “Who-you-are-now” declarations. One respected theologian tells us there are at least 175 of these identity statements! That’s more than a hundred chances to gaze into the mirror of God’s Word and see the new you!

These aren’t just feel-good fortune cookie phrases designed to give us a case of spiritual goosebumps. No, sir. These are Spirit-inspired blueprints, a compendium of early church theology, built to give us a twofold revelation:

• They show us how we are to live practically in this world.

• They give us a specific, precious glimpse into the character and activity of God himself.

Example

Take for instance, the classic identity statement: We are “children” of God. What a beautiful picture!

This doesn’t just make God our Heavenly Father; it reveals His very nature. He is a nurturing Father who actively raises and develops His children to maturity. He’s not a distant boss; He’s a loving parent. And what does that mean for us, His kids? It means we are invited—no, instructed—to sit at His feet, ready to be raised and matured.

Practically speaking, how do we participate in that divine guidance? We do the spiritual equivalent of:

• Learning to walk: Stepping out in faith, even when our knees feel wobbly.

• Learning to talk: Speaking words of life and praise instead of complaint.

• Learning to act and behave: Modeling the godly character of our Heavenly Dad.

And that’s just one example! Scripture piles on the magnificent truths, showing us we are Anointed, Salt, Light, More Than Conquerors, Beloved, Saints, Holy, Adopted, Redeemed, Righteous, and even Ambassadors of Reconciliation.

But amid all the thunderous declarations, there are a few subtle, quiet passages—gems hidden in plain sight—that hold the deepest truth about our spiritual formation. And our corporate identity in Christ. Let’s dust off a couple of these marvelous mysteries.

The Mystery of Profound Union

Our first stop is a lightning-flash moment on the road to Damascus. Turn with me to a familiar, yet stunning, passage in Acts 9:3-5:

“Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ And he said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.’”

Did you catch that? If you’re like me, you’ve read this a hundred times, but let that phrase sink in: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”

Saul (later Paul) wasn’t physically dragging Jesus out of Jerusalem. He was hunting down, imprisoning, and persecuting Jesus’ followers—the infant church! And yet, Jesus so profoundly, so completely, identifies with His church that He calls their suffering His own!

This isn’t a direct identity statement saying, “You are United with Christ.” But the implication? Oh, the implication is rich! It illustrates the unabandoned love of God for His people and the mysterious, inseparable spiritual union that connects our life to His.

The suffering of the saint is the suffering of the Savior.

This shocking statement informs us of a deep truth: we are so united with the Person and work of Christ that we simply cannot view our lives and existence in any other way. No part of our lives can be viewed as separated from the Lord. Paul later spells it out for us in Romans 6:5: “For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.”

This is the call to a complete self-rethink! You are not just you anymore; you are united to Christ. You are His, and He is yours. There is no part of your life—no conversation, no check, no chore, no choice—that can truly be considered separated from the Lord. It’s why Paul would later charge us, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17).

Your life is nestled safe and sound, hidden in Him. As Romans 8:38-39 so eloquently reminds us, nothing—not death, not life, not rulers, not things present, nor things to come—will “be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The Mystery of the Offensive Church

The second hidden identity passage takes us to a conversation between Jesus and Peter, recorded in Matthew 16:18:

“And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

For a long time, I read this passage as a defensive promise. It sounded like Jesus was saying, “Hang on tight, Church! The demonic forces are coming for you, but they won’t quite break through your spiritual fortress.” I imagined a little church huddled behind high walls, fending off attacks.

But then I took a closer look at the key word: gates (πύλη). Think about it. Are gates used as an offensive weapon? Does an army grab their city gates and rush into battle? Of course not!

The gates of a city or a fortress are the last line of defense for a kingdom under siege.

Jesus, the Master Strategist, is not describing a church cowering in a corner. He is depicting the gates of hell—the kingdom of darkness—as the one under siege!

Here is the subtle, yet powerful, identity statement: We are the Church, the Body of Christ, and we are called to be on the offensive!

Our identity as Christ’s Church is not passive; it is dynamic. We are His kingdom, built with the purpose of making advances against the kingdom of darkness. We are called and designed to take back that which the enemy has imprisoned.

The great instruction for us is to put forth the effort—the joyful, earnest, tireless effort—to share the Gospel, to shine the Light, with the intent of rescuing the people the devil has blinded and imprisoned. Our greatest calling is to participate with the Lord of Hosts in spreading the Good News of salvation and a real, lasting relationship with Him.

This mission requires one thing above all else: unity.

Remember Jesus’ warning about the kingdom of darkness? “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand” (Mark 3:24-25).

This applies just as much to the Kingdom of God! If we spend our energy divided over denominations, secondary doctrines, and theological squabbles—and fail to unify over the one thing that truly matters: The Gospel of Jesus Christ—how can we possibly be effective in storming the gates of hell?

The world is watching, and frankly, we’re often a mess. We’ve become experts at creating entire seminars dedicated to bashing a brother’s tertiary beliefs, yet we often fail to lock arms over the primary mission. Could it be that this very division is why the Church is struggling in the Western world?

This glorious, implicit identity passage shows us that we are valuable to God’s plan of salvation. You and I are co-workers with the Lord in bringing the message of hope to those imprisoned by the enemy’s deceptions.

But we must be a unified front.

A Call to Formation

My friend, your identity is not found in your job, your net worth, your past failures, or your perfect track record. Your identity is found in this Mysterious Union:

You are united with Christ, and you are called to advance His Kingdom.

Take these truths—these precious glimpses into the heart of God—and let them inform your daily life. Let them change how you walk, how you talk, and how you choose to live.

As an individual, live as if the persecutor of your soul is persecuting Jesus Himself. Live as one who is loved and inseparable from the Savior.

As the Church, link arms with every believer who holds fast to the Gospel. Turn your attention away from petty squabbles and towards the gates that must be breached.

Live your identity. The Lord of Hosts is waiting for you to step up to the battle line!

What is one practical area of your life—a habit, a relationship, or a mindset—that you can now bring into the light of your identity as one “united with Christ?”