Rejoice in Our Union With Him

Michael E. WoodFebruary 14, 2011
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who have died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. Romans 6:1-4 (ESV)

Grace is not a license to continue in sin, but the means by which the Spirit of God reveals to us through His Word the beauty and the glory of what Christ has wrought within us. We are freed from the reign of sin by the unmerited favor of God the Father through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. By the same power that he was raised from the dead we are enabled to walk in newness of life by the glory of the Father. Therefore, to continue under the reign of sin is impossible for the child of God. For where the reign of sin did abound, the reign of grace does much more super abound. It is not that we don’t sin and are not in need of regular confession and repentance which continues to give glory to God, but we grow in the confidence of our union with Christ. The more we grow in our objective understanding of what He has accomplished, the more we are enabled to live subjectively in accordance with what He has done by experience. As one songwriter put it, we witness His power to save us, setting free from self and sin.

While contemplating for a number of days how to frame these lines of scripture into poetry while meditating upon them and reading sermons by Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones and Charles Spurgeon, the following words with music came to mind after hearing the message, “Propitiation, Reconciliation, Redemption” by Pastor Robert Briggs in confirmation of the things that were already given to me.

Rejoice in our union with Him,
For Christ is the presence of glory within.
It was in His death that the reign of our sin
Did come to an end by the power and glory of God.

What is it that caused us to see?
The God of all glory gave strength to believe!
For when Christ arose our dear Father bestowed
Abundance of grace to the praise of His glorious Name!

And now as He reigns from on high,
Christ gave us His Spirit by which we draw nigh.
Delighting in mercy and over us sings
So sweetly the songs that His infinite grace to us brings.

Oh when our Great King shall return,
And fills up the vision of which we did learn,
As vessels of mercy and jewels of His grace;
Then perfect reflections of beauty beholding His face.