Some Thoughts On How Divine Aseity Gives Understanding To Christian Identity And Biblical Manhood

Isaiah 48:11 “For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; For how can My name be profaned? And My glory I will not give to another."

Introduction:

In the last post we explored God's Divine Aseity (A-say-i-tee). To grasp once again this core trait of God's Aseity, I quote from the great Christian scholar and defender of Biblical Christianity, Dr. William Lane Craig: 

"When we come to the subject of God’s self-existence that we’ve been looking at, we can say that the Scripture clearly teaches that God is uncreated and independent of anything else. Everything other than God depends upon God for its existence, whereas God depends upon nothing." 

In today's post I want to consider how focusing on God's Divine Aseity can greatly clarify God's identity and its relationship to Christian identity. This study will offer a starting point for considering how true Biblical manhood can be sculpted by considerations centered-on God. Specifically, we will see how Christian men (and women of course) can benefit from focusing upon this incredible quality of God's Divine Aseity.

How Divine Aseity is core to God's Identity

Isaiah 48 and 49 are among some of the greatest chapters in the Old Testament to get a glimpse into the Triune identity of God. Isaiah 48:1-11 has the Lord affirming the Oneness of His being, namely that He and he alone is God, and that He does not share His glory with another. In fact as we have been noticing the past couple of days, the phrase "I am the first, and I am the last" and other phrases like it affirm the Oneness and uniqueness of God in His Aseity (a-say-i-tee). 

To remind the reader again, God's Aseity refers to how He is independent and His own source of life and existence. Bible teacher John MacArthur comments on Divine Aseity in his exposition of John 5:26:

"But now when you talk about His self-existence, you’re talking about the essence of His nature. One is eternality, two is equality, three is essence. His self-existence is critical. Through the years, this has kind of been an abstract idea, kind of left in the back waters of theology and theologians have a word for this, they call it the aseity of God … a-s-e-i-t-y, the aseity of God, very obscure term but it means the self-existence of God."

MacArthur continues on: 


"What does it mean that He is self-existent? It means in simple language, go down to verse 4, here it is again, four words. I told you John’s economy of words is stunning. “In Him was Life.” In Him was Life.” John 5:26 says it again, that in God is life and in the Son is life. This is an amazing statement. Life not bios, not just physical life, but zoe, the biggest, broadest term for all kinds of life. And what it’s saying is this. Life was in Him. What do you mean by that? Well look at it from a negative standpoint. He didn’t receive life from any from any other source. He didn’t develop life from some other power. This is self-existence. He wasn’t given life, He didn’t receive life, He possesses it as an essential of His nature. In Him was life."

All things, whether people, angels, rocks or stars depend on God for their existence or life. God however is different and is the only Being who is self-sufficient, meaning then that He alone can Create, Perform Salvation and reign over all things. As was already noted in previous posts, Divine Aseity is what defines God as God; aseity is God's "Godness". 

Men in particular need a fresh, powerful appreciation of Divine aseity

This trait is important in Isaiah's overall argument against idolatry and the worldliness that was stealing away the hearts of his people and which still attempts to grab hold of our hearts today. Men in particular prize the thought of self-sufficiency. The autonomy of humanity is a major by-product of fallen man. God alone is self-sufficient. Whenever a man tries to "do it all on his own" or "be the lone-ranger", emotional, spiritual and relational burnout in marriages, jobs and life result. As a man myself, I constantly have to battle that tendency to be a "lone-ranger" and see my own insufficiency. Asking help from others and being immersed in a Christian community (i.e the local church) reinforces this notion that we as creatures are dependent on outside sources, and God alone is sufficient in-an-of-Himself.

Men in the Bible who were transformed by the revelation of God in His Divine Aseity

When we scan the scriptures in both Old and New Testaments, we find God revealing Himself to men to effect change in their lives and to clarify His calling to them. Think of Moses for example. In Exodus 3, we find God revealing to Moses His very Divine name that is centered around Divine aseity - namely "I am who I am" or Yahweh, Jehovah. Moses' life and character was radically changed as a result of that encounter, resulting in a catapulting of him into leadership and service to God. 

Other Biblical characters could be mentioned: Abraham, David, the 12 Apostles and the Apostle Paul. A moments reflection and further study of the relevant Biblical texts will show how much Divine aseity can transform a man into a man of God. We can of course apply all that has been said to the women of the Bible such as Sarah, Hannah, Mary and Martha. 

Mankind's purpose is to know God and he derives His purpose from God

Mankind was originally designed to be a being in relationship with others. In marriage, men are to relate to their wives. As fathers, the man is to consider his children's needs above His own. Then of course, the Christian man must remember that he derives his identity and sense of being from God. Manhood is best cultivated in the context of relationships.

God in His own unique way expresses His very essence by the inter-relating of the Three Persons of the Godhead. This One God identifies Himself in a plural way in Isaiah 48:16 as the One who was sent by the Lord God, along with the Spirit of God. Though only brief, the passage gives us a glimpse into the three-fold identity of God that is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 

Applications for understanding Christian identity and Biblical manhood in light of God's Divine aseity

As we close out today's post, I want to suggest the following life-practical applications of Divine aseity to understanding Christian identy in general and Biblical manhood in particular:

1. God's Divine Aseity means we as dependant creatures are accountable to Him.

Knowing that we are accountable to Him in both this life and the one to come ought to affect how we treat fellow Christians, those outside the faith and prompt us to encourage everyone for Jesus sake. 

2. God's Divine Aseity means that God is sufficient and that without Him, we are insufficient.

Divine Aseity reminds me that Jesus is All-sufficient and that you and I by ourselves are insufficient. Christian men ought to take notice. The Lord and His word is the norm by which we live in an otherwise abnormal world that is dying and in need of Jesus Christ. 

3. God's Divine Aseity means God, rather than culture, is the norm by which we ought to live.

Culture attempts to conform men to its image apart from God. Jesus Christ, though sharing fully in the One Divine nature with the Spirit and the Father, still shares in our humanity. He by His Spirit urges us to love our neighbor as ourselves and to love His Father with all our hearts, souls mind and strength. (Matthew 22:37). 

4. Divine Aseity reminds us that apart from God, true manhood cannot be grasped, since the eternal Son took unto His Person a truly human nature

Without God, true manhood cannot be grasped. Afterall, the eternal Person of the Son chose to unite to His Person a truly human nature by which we could behold true humanity and true manhood in action. 

Closing thoughts:

May we ever depend upon our Master in heaven, upon whom we depend for everything that pertains unto life and to godliness through His word (compare 2 Peter 1:4-11).

Some Major Biblical Passages On Divine Aseity

Genesis 21:33 "Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God."

Introduction:

In our last post we considered the concept of God's Divine Aseity. We noted how this quality of God's being is what makes God - God. We also referred to Divine Aseity as: "God's "Godness". Theologian R.C Sproul notes about aseity:

"Because God Himself had no beginning, He was already there in the beginning. He antedates the created order. When we affirm that God is eternal, we are also saying that He possesses the attribute of aseity, or self-existence. This means that God eternally has existed of Himself and in Himself."

The patriarch Jacob in the opening verse above refers to God as "El Olam" or "God-eternal". Such a title points us to considerations about Divine Aseity. 

In today's post, I want to list some of the major Biblical texts that express this central feature of God's being - offering brief commentary that shows the life-practicality of Divine Aseity to daily living. So, let us look at some key Biblical texts on this subject.

1. Exodus 3:14 "God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

Here we see God revealing His most intimate, covenant name - Yahweh or I am who I am. Is it not interesting that at the heart of God's redemption of His people that He would reveal His very name as His very character as the self-sufficient God? This is highly appropriate for God to do, showing that He is uniquely able to save His people. 

2. Psalm 90:1-4 "Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.

2 Before the mountains were born

Or You gave birth to the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. 3 You turn man back into dust And say, “Return, O children of men.” 4 For a thousand years in Your sight Are like yesterday when it passes by, Or as a watch in the night."

Here we find God's Divine aseity as a source of comfort to His people. Moses is the author of this Psalm and had been the first man in history to had received the revelation of God's covenant name "Yahweh" which refers to His self-existence or aseity.

3. Psalm 102:25-27 “Of old You founded the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. 26 “Even they will perish, but You endure; And all of them will wear out like a garment; Like clothing You will change them and they will be changed. 27 “But You are the same, And Your years will not come to an end."

This precious text contrasts God's divine aseity with the relative brevity of the universe. Theologians and philosophers refer to the universe and all of its contents as being "contingent", meaning that it depends on something greater and outside of it for its existence. God is a se or from Himself, which is to say, God is self-sufficient and without need of the universe to sustain Himself. Interestingly enough, Hebrews 1:4-13 incorporates Psalm 102:25-27 to describe the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

4. Isaiah 40:28-31 "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable.

29 He gives strength to the weary,

And to him who lacks might He increases power. 30 Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly, 31 Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary."

Isaiah is centering on God's Divine aseity to provide comfort to the people of God. 

5. Isaiah 43:10-11 “You are My witnesses,” declares the Lord,

“And My servant whom I have chosen,

So that you may know and believe Me

And understand that I am He.

Before Me there was no God formed,

And there will be none after Me.

11 “I, even I, am the Lord,

And there is no savior besides Me."

Isaiah uses the phrase: "there was no God formed and there will be none after me" to demonstrate why the pagan deities possess neither reality nor are worthy of worship. We find this similar type of language used by Isaiah in Isaiah 44:6; 45:6, 11,18. Sometimes we find the best way to begin thinking about God, and such mind-bending concepts as Divine aseity, through describing what God is "not". God is not finite, but infinite. God is not material, but immaterial or spiritual. God is not mortal but immortal. This way of describing God is what we call "apophatic theology", meaning that we state what "God is not". It is oftentimes discovered that once we have asserted what God is not, we exclude all other created things from the category of being we call God. God, and God alone is self-sufficient or aseity. 

6. John 5:26 "For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself".

When Jesus asserted the Divine aseity of the Father, He was hardly stating anything controversial, since the Old Testament plainly expresses the Divine Aseity of the Father. However, when Jesus claims that He too possess this same quality, now his opponents find all sorts of red-flags raised in their minds. This is one of several statements found throughout the four-Gospels where Jesus claims Himself to be truly Divine. Divine aseity is at the heart of what makes God-God. Touching His Deity, the Son of God is aseity.

7. 1 Timothy 6:16 "who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen."

As Paul closes out his letter to young pastor Timothy, he ends with a doxology or exclamation of praise to God. Paul wrote 1 Timothy to instruct a young Pastor on what he needed to preach and how to pastor. Timothy needed to possess a high view of God. Divine Aseity would be at the center of this young pastor's God-centered ministry. This ought to give us a clue today concerning how big of a vision of God we need in the contemporary church.

8. Revelation 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

The Apostle John sees a profound vision of Jesus. This verse is truly a commentary on that one, ineffable holy name "Yahweh" first revealed to Moses in Exodus 3:14. We find references to Divine Aseity in other places in Revelation such as Revelation 4:10-11.

Closing thoughts:

Today's goal was to introduce the reader to some of the major verses in the Bible that speak about God's Divine aseity. May these verses lift our minds and heart up to God's throne and cause us to depend all the more on Him. 

Reflections On What Makes God, God - i.e Divine Aseity - And Why It Matters To You

Isaiah 43:10-11 “You are My witnesses,” declares the Lord, “And My servant whom I have chosen, So that you may know and believe Me And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, And there will be none after Me. 11 “I, even I, am the Lord, And there is no savior besides Me.

Introducing Divine Aseity (A-say-i-tee)

When you read through Isaiah 43-44, you find celebrated a characteristic of God that is unique to Himself - a trait that Bible teachers call "aseity" (a-say-itee). I like to think of this eternal quality of God as being "God's Godness" or "what makes God - God". Theologian Dr. R.C Sproul writes concerning God's Divine Aseity: 

"When we affirm that God is eternal, we are also saying that He possesses the attribute of aseity, or self-existence. This means that God eternally has existed of Himself and in Himself."

God's Divine Aseity (from two Latin words: "a" and "se" meaning "from oneself") refers to God's uniqueness and independence from the rest of creation. Unlike everything else, which derives its existence from God (whether the universe, galaxies, people, animals, plants, and so forth) - God is His own source of His own life. The universe itself is dependent on God, since it was He who spoke it into existence (Genesis 1:1-2; Psalm 33:6). Theologians throughout the centuries have pointed to particular Biblical texts that express God's Divine aseity, such as Psalm 90:1-4; 102:25-27; Isaiah 40:28-31; 43:10-11; 44:6; John 5:26 and Revelation 4:10.

Why God's Divine Aseity is so important 
The modern classic book on the doctrine of God by J.I Packer, "Knowing God", lays out the practical and profound reasons why Christ-followers ought to include God's aseity in their everyday lives:

"In theology, endless mistakes result from supposing that the conditions, bounds, and limits of our own finite existence apply to God. The doctrine of his aseity stands as a bulwark against such mistakes. In our life of faith, we easily impoverish ourselves by embracing an idea of God that is too limited and small, and again the doctrine of God’s aseity stands as a bulwark to stop this happening. It is vital for spiritual health to believe that God is great (cf. Ps. 95:1–7), and grasping the truth of his aseity is the first step on the road to doing this."

Below the reader will find four life-practical reasons for focusing on God's Divine aseity.

1. Aseity is the essential starting place for the worship of God

To begin, Divine Aseity is important for the worship songs we commonly sing. One of my favorite hymns that celebrates the Aseity of God is the song "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing." The lyrics of the hymn begin as follows: 

"Come thou fount of every blessing Tune my heart to sing Thy grace Streams of mercy never ceasing Call for songs of loudest praise". 

How do great songs of worship like this hymn rely on God's Aseity? The fact that God is described as a fountain means that He is His own source of blessing. We are dependent on God for everything and celebrate the Triune God of scripture that alone is our source of life and eternal life. A fountain of water feeds itself in producing a beautiful stream of water to be enjoyed by all who look upon it. Likewise, God's Aseity refers to all that we see of Him flowing outwardly from within the kind of God he is: eternal, self-sufficient, infinite, holy, immaterial, changeless, uncreated and many more attributes expressed in the Bible. There is God. There is everything else. The universe and all it contains is not even a footnote in comparison to the vast aseity of God. 

The Apostle Paul's burst of worship in Romans 11:36 assumes Divine Aseity: "For from Him and to Him and through Him are all things. To Him be the glory for ever and ever, amen."

2. Aseity is essential to understanding God in His Word

Another reason we could cite as to why God's Aseity is so important is in how the revelation of Himself to us in His Word requires Him to possess this quality. Isaiah brings out three main titles of God: Savior (Isaiah 43:3), Creator (43:15) and King of Israel (43:15). As you read these chapters, you find a repeated phrase that speaks of God's Aseity - namely that God is the only Lord, and there is no other, neither before nor after Him. (Isaiah 43:10-11; 44:6-8).  God's Aseity insures that God is the sole source of salvation, the sole source of all things as Creator and the Sole King over His people.

3. Aseity is essential to waging war on worldliness

Isaiah then contrasts God who is Aseity to that of man made idols that are not gods at all (Isaiah 44:9-20). Quite the opposite of Aseity is the fact that idolatry is foolishness, since men take blocks of wood or stone and take half for firewood and half to make an image.  Those false gods cannot save, only condemn. 

Furthermore, idols cannot create but only destroy and they cannot reign but only be worthless. The idols that we combat are those idols that come up in our hearts. Whenever we begin to think that God or Christ is not enough, and that we need to "supplement" He and His word, we have drifted into the realm of idolatry or worldliness (1 John 2:15-17). Only when we see God in His Aseity do we realize the lie of sin, that nothing can fully complete except God alone.

4. Aseity is essential for the work of salvation

Only the God that is Aseity, the God that is His own Source of life and eternal power, can redeem and forgive (Isaiah 43:10-11;44:21-28).  For example, when you turn to Colossians 2, you discover two essential truths about Jesus Christ: He being truly God and truly man. Take everything you just learned about God in Isaiah 43-44 and apply it to the Son, Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ, touching His Divinity, shares the same exact qualities with the Father, being the "fulness of Deity in bodily form" (Colossians 2:9). 

The Son shares in the same nature of aseity as the Father, meaning He can be regarded as the Savior, Creator and King (Colossians 2:10-11). Equally important is the fact that the Son came to begin sharing in our humanity, meaning He could now die for our sins and raise from the dead (Colossians 2:11-15). By being both truly God and truly man, Jesus Christ's saving work carries with it infinite value and is effectively applied to all who by grace through faith believe on Him (Colossians 2:1-7).

Closing thoughts:

Celebrate God's aseity. Praise Christ today for His aseity - the quality that makes Him an equal sharer with the Father and the Spirit and thus the source of your salvation. Also praise Him that He came to share in your humanity so that He could shed His blood for you and rise from the dead.

Behold Your God! Outlines And Reflections Of Isaiah 40

Isaiah 40:9 "Get yourself up on a high mountain, O Zion, bearer of good news, lift up your voice mightily, O Jerusalem, bearer of good news; Lift it up, do not fear. Say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!”

Introduction:

There are certain chapters in God's Word that contain enough revelation about God to provide a sweeping overview of His essence and attributes in one place. Isaiah 40 is a Mount Everest in the study of "Theology Proper" or the doctrine of God. Isaiah's marvelous chapter functions like a Divinely revealed telescope, giving the reader the opportunity to view the reality, the being and attributes of God. Its as if Isaiah is beckoning us to run to this chapter and urging us to "behold your God!". In this one chapter we get thoroughly introduced to the God of sacred scripture.  In today's blog I want to give you the reader an outline of this marvelous chapter. The goal is to whet the appetite for more of God!

The prophet Isaiah begins the chapter with God being the source of comfort and ends with the same truth. We as human beings search for comfort in created things and then consider God. Whenever we turn to the Old and New Testaments, the order is reversed!  To paraphrase the great Christian thinker A.W Tozer's practical application of theology proper: whatever enters into a person's heart when they think about God represents the most important thing about that person. To summarize Tozer's point - the one goal of life is this: to know God. In contrast to pagan deities, Isaiah is aiming to show his readers and us what kind of God God is with respect to His being, attributes and character. 

What kind of God is the God of the Bible and Who is he revealed to be in Isaiah 40?  

1. God is One God Who is Personal.    Isaiah 40:1-9

Note: The seeds of thought pertaining to God's Triune identity in the New Testament are found in the first nine verses of Isaiah 40. God is indeed One in being and plural in terms of His identity. God's capacity to relate within Himself explains why human beings made in his image are by nature relational. Isaiah begins his chapter by showing us how God is one and yet Personal.
  
A. God is the Personal God that is the  One True God.  Isaiah 40:1

B. This Personal God is Father, Son and Spirit. Isaiah 40:2-9 
    
2. God is Perfectly Infinite.    Isaiah 40:10-26

Note: Christian thinkers refer to what is called "Perfect Being Theology". God as a Perfect Being refers to how He is the greatest being that can be conceived. Many of the major characteristics or attributes describing God's very being are found in Isaiah 40:10-26. Like rays of the sun, the attributes of God carry in them the totality of both their source and the other qualities of God. Thus, for example, God is all-knowingly wise and all-wise in terms of the knowledge He possesses. We sometimes refer to God's perfections as "The Perfect Being" as being necessarily perfect, meaning that He cannot be any other way. You and I, dear reader, are not necessary beings, but what we call "contingent", meaning that we could had possessed different qualities than what we have. I could be shorter or taller, fatter or thinner. God, however, is unchanging and thus necessarily exists, possessing the following attributes as described by Isaiah.

A. All-Good God (Omni-Benevolent)     Isaiah 40:10-11

B. All Wise God (Omni-sapient)     Isaiah 40:12

C. All Knowing God (Omni-scient)     Isaiah 40:13-14

D. Infinite.               Isaiah 40:15-17

E. Self Existent (Aseity).
    Isaiah 40:18-20

F. All Present (Omni-present) 
   Isaiah 40:21-22

G. All Powerful (Omni-potent) 
    Isaiah 40:23-26

3. God is the Providing God.   Isaiah 40:27-31

Note: When we study theology proper or "The Doctrine of God", we not only discover how God is above His creation or "transcendent", but also how He is ever relating to and near to His creation or "immanent". God's provisions bring home most practically this point.

A. He is able to provide.                           Isaiah 40:27-28

B. He knows how to provide.

    Isaiah 40:29

C. He knows to whom to provide.

    Isaiah 40:30-31

To God be the glory! May you and I dear reader find our strength in Him as we enjoy Him!

Why Jesus needed to ascend into Heaven rather than remain here on earth for our sakes

John 14:16-20 "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. 18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. 20 In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you."

Introduction:

In our last post we began considering what it means to be united to Jesus Christ. Union with Christ lies at the core of Christian identity. Union is that ministry of the Holy Spirit that connects the Christian to Christ. Such union begins at conversion and continues on into sanctification. In the above opening passage, we see first mention of this concept by the Lord Jesus Christ. This truth is relayed in the context of the devastating announcement that He was going to be leaving His disciples. His promise to the disciples was that upon His ascension into Heaven, He would have the Holy Spirit sent to them in His name (see John 14:26-27; 15:26-37; 16:8-12). Today's post wants to briefly explain why Jesus words here in John 14,15,16 turn out to be better for our sake. In other words: why did Jesus need to ascend into heaven rather than remain here on earth as it relates to our relationship to Him and He with us?

It is far better for Jesus to be "in" us and us to be "in" Him than how He was with His disciples

Now it is at this point I raise this question: which is better? to have the physical, pre-pentecost Jesus here and localized or to have the glorified physical post-pentecost Jesus in Heaven? I raise this question as it pertains to comparing the relationship with Christ experienced by all Christians versus what the disciples had in the four Gospel accounts. 

I'm sure we all have said to ourselves: "how great it must had been to hear Jesus preach, watch Him do miracles and eat meals together with Him". The disciples had certainly come to enjoy the company of their master. However, Jesus' ultimate aim was not merely to be with them. Doubtless He would go to the cross and die for them (and us) and rise from the dead. 

However, even beyond those crucial works, the Lord Jesus Christ was expressing this incredible state whereby He could be "in" His people and He "in them. The only way this amazing state could be achieved was for Jesus to ascend 40 days after His resurrection and for the Holy Spirit to be sent in His name at Pentecost in Acts 2. The Lord Jesus Christ functions currently as the Mediator between believers and God (see 1 Timothy 2:5 and 1 John 2:1-2). In as much as we are saved by Christ's accomplished work at the cross and resurrection (see Ephesians 1:7; Romans 4:25); the Christian is also a recipient of His ongoing work as Prophet (Hebrews 1:1-2); Priest (Hebrews 7:24-25) and King (Romans 9:5; Philippians 3:20). These incredible benefits are possible due to the Holy Spirit's uniting of each Christian to Christ in justification and continuing such connection in sanctification (1 Corinthians 1:30). Thus, these are some of the main reasons why Jesus needed to ascend into Heaven rather than remain here on earth for our sakes.

Thoughts on the relationship between Romans 1:1-3:20 to 3:21-5:21 to 6:1-8:39

Romans 1:1 "Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God."

Introduction:

In today's brief post, I want us to consider how the introduction and three major sections of Paul's letter to the church of Rome fit together. Paul's letter consists of unfolding to his readers and us God's powerful Gospel as spelled out in Romans 1:16-17. It is undeniable that Paul's thoughts unfold in a logical and ever-escalating fashion as he takes the reader though the foothills and summits of the Gospel. By considering certain major transitional words (such as, although, therefore, because, much more), one can begin to see an overall flow of thought. For the sake of those wanting to study, teach or preach Romans, I offer the following suggested themes of Romans 1:1-3:20; 3:21-5:21 and 6:1:8:39...

1. The Gospel Introduced. Romans 1:1-17

2. The Crises Of Sinful Man In Need Of The Gospel. Romans 1:18-3:20

3. The Cardinal Truth Of The Gospel: Justification By Faith Alone. Romans 3:21-5:21

4. The Christian Life In Sanctification Flowing From Justification In Union With Christ. Romans 6:1-8:39.

Now these headings are by no means meant to be final headings. Instead, they give the reader an idea of Paul's main subject matter in each of these key sections. Certainly, one can consult a standard study Bible, commentary or Bible dictionary to gain a more detailed understanding of each section. It is sometimes helpful though in one's study of scripture to mark down what one sees in reading through a Bible book so as to keep in mind and in heart what is before them. We read the Bible so as to live the Bible for the glory of Christ.  

One Sweet Powerful Union - Understanding The Christian's Union With Jesus Christ

Romans 6:5 "For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection."

Introduction:

Whenever we talk about the Christian life as presented in the New Testament, certain terms are used to describe it. With regards to the beginning of the Christian life, we discover one is regenerated or born again - thus marking the official moment of entry into the Christian life. In this moment of entry, a whole host of graces are experienced simultaneously: regeneration (John 3:3-5); justification or God's legal declaration and accrediting of Christ's righteousness to the sinner (Romans 4:3; Galatians 3:23-24); adoption into God's family (Romans 8:14-16; Galatians 4:4-6); sealing or preserving of one's faith (Ephesians 1:11-14) and of course the beginning of one's sanctification or growth in Christ (Philippians 1:6). 

The second way the New Testament describes the Christian life is by the broad term of sanctification. In conversion (which includes justification, adoption and all the beginning graces of salvation), one is declared positionally right with God in Jesus Christ. In sanctification, one is being made in experience and practice what God declared them to be in position and circumstance at salvation. In conversion, God is the one doing the work of calling, regenerating and justifying the sinner. The faith expressed by the sinner in salvation is a response to the call and facilitating work of the Spirit - apart from whose working there would be no faith to express (see John 16:8-16; Ephesians 2:8-9). Sanctification, or post-conversion Christian living, entails a cooperative effort between the Holy Spirit and the Christian (see Philippians 2:12-13). We can graphically illustrate what we're talking about below:

justification/conversion       Sanctification

point & time work of God(.)        Progressive                                                             cooperative effort 

                                             between us and God

                                                     --------Heaven

                                                ------

                                        (.)---          

                                       sanctification

                                                                                begins

Both ways of the describing the Christian life are distinct and yet related to one another. Conversion or justification by faith is a point and time event (symbolized by the "dot" (.)). Sanctification is, on the other hand, an "onward & upward" progression, signified by an onward and upward series of "ups" and "downs" which gradually and progressively increase one's experience of God. It must be noted that the course of one's sanctification may not be a consistent onward and upward upon close inspection, however, the overall course of the Christian life ought to be characterized by arriving at a closer walk with God and greater Christ-likeness. 

Avoiding extremes

The question is: how is one's conversion connected to their post-conversion or sanctification? This question is important, since many Christians live practically as if their sanctification is totally up to their will-power. Other Christians will go to the other extreme and say: "let go, and let God". The first extreme, called "activism", envisions the Christian doing all the work in sanctification. The second extreme, called "quietism", pictures God doing all the work. Both extremes are in error due to missing one key vital truth that connects God's work of conversion/justification to the cooperative work He and the believer have in sanctification: namely union with Christ. 

One Sweet Powerful Union: Union with Christ

The Evangelical Dictionary of Theology defines "union with Christ" as having to do with identification with Christ. It notes on page 588:

"...the theological concept of identification with Christ relates a Christian to the person and work of Christ by Divine reckoning, by the human experience of faith, and by the spiritual union of the believer with Christ effected by the baptism of the Holy Spirit."

Theologian Michael Horton on page 587 of his volume:"The Christian Faith" describes this union of the believer and Jesus Christ in both salvation and sanctification as follows:

"Nevertheless, our subjective inclusion in Christ occurs when the Spirit calls us effectually to Christ and gives us the faith to cling to him for all of his riches."

To understand this union more concretely, Jesus compares union with Him as a branch to a vine and the vine to the branches (John 15:1-7). In Ephesians 5:22-33, the union of Christ and His people is likened unto the union shared between a husband and the wife. This idea of "union with Christ" is vital, since Christ connects not only our justification and sanctification together, but also connects His Person and current work to us by the ministry of the Holy Spirit that both initially and progressively continue such a connection (see 1 Corinthians 12:12-13). 

In closing

As we have briefly considered the importance and meaning of "union with Christ", I want to leave the reader with a quote from a recent book on sanctification, with particular reference to the topic at hand. Dr. Sinclair Ferguson declares the sweetness of this union on page 59 of his book: "Devoted to God - Blueprints For Sanctification":

"Thus, through the Spirit's uniting us to Christ we have been connected to the source of our salvation. His justification-God's declaration that He was righteous-is our justification; his sanctification-since He sanctified Himself for our sakes-is also ours. Thus, everything Christ did He did for me in obedience to His Father. All that He has done is therefore mine as a gift. He gave Himself for me, in His love to me; and now through the Spirit all that He did is mine."