Once the light of these truths breaks forth upon Christians, the inevitable question always surfaces: "How do I apply these things to my life?" We are so used to formulas with cause-and-effect relationships that all this talk about identity can drive us mad. Rather than give us a list of things to do, Paul has told us what has already been done. He has ushered us into us into a totally new way to live. It cannot be overstated that we must first become well-established in these truths before moving forward to the rightful use of ourselves. Until independent self-effort is thoroughly crippled, we will forever be stuck trying to live out a quality of life which eludes our grasp. Towards the end of his letters, Paul eventually moves on to instructing the churches in their daily lives; but he does this only after many chapters (plus the years he taught them in person) of unfolding the finished work of Christ in all of His glory and accomplishment. We need time and help from the Body of Christ to come to a deeper understanding of these things.

In the meantime, because we are active people in a fast-moving world, we need to know what activities deserve our attention the most. With this in mind, here are a few helpful suggestions (for those who like "to do" lists):

1. First and foremost, understand that God Himself causes all spiritual progress in your life. Even your desire to grow comes from Him (Phil.2:13). Learn to rest in the assurance that He will mature you at His pace (yours will be way too fast). You cannot make these things happen. You are completely helpless in this matter, and you are utterly dependent on His will, whether you realize it or not. Do not try to fabricate His fruit in your life. Trust Him to manifest Himself in you as He pleases.

2. Ask God to open the eyes of your heart to see His presence in your life (Eph.1:15-18). It is possible to grasp union with Christ "intellectually" without real spiritual sight. But when God opens your spiritual eyes to see Christ more clearly, it will minister "life" to you in a way in which mere mental comprehension cannot. When He does, you will find that growth in Christ has less to do with changing your actions or your environment than it does with changing how you see your life. Christ does not become more fully your life, you simply see more fully that he already is (Phil. 1:21).

3. Now you just live life normally. This suggestion may strike you as strange, but God's subtlety cloaks and conceals His work more than anything else. What does it look like when "God is working in you to will and to do His pleasure"(Phil.2:13)? It looks just like you doing it, and it looks like you doing very normal things. We have become so accustomed to looking for God in unusual, miraculous places that we have failed to see that all of life is spiritual. Your union with Christ cannot be limited to certain portions of your life, as if you are relating to Him only while you are thinking about "spiritual things." Christ lives through you in all the mundane daily activities of your life, and God orchestrates every moment without exception towards the goal of expressing Christ in you (Rom.8:28).

4. Seek a real "Body"-type experience among other Christians. You need the encouragement and safety of living in the spiritual community which the New Testament assumes you have. After a brief detour in Romans 9-11, Paul's teaching about union with Christ climaxes in chapter 12 with a description of life in the Body of Christ. All subsequent instructions make sense only among an intimate fellowship of believers, a sight which is all too rare today. Treasure what fellowship you have, and seek the exposure and encouragement which accompany what John calls "walking in the light"(1 John 1:7).

5. Learn what it means to behold the Lord. The secret to the Christian life (which should be no secret at all) is that you solve your problems by looking away from them! Notice how frequently the Bible speaks of "looking off unto Jesus" (Heb.12:2), being transformed by "beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord"(2 Cor.3:18), and keeping your eyes on Him to keep you from getting caught in the snares of life (Psalm 25:15). As trials and temptations arise in your life, don't try to overcome them by making them the object of your attention. Seek "higher ground." Paul counsels us to "seek those things which are above, where Christ is . . . set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth"(Col.3:1-2). Because Christ is there, you are too (Eph.2:6, Col.3:3), so it makes sense to spend some time there, "renewing your mind"(Rom.12:2). This is "entering the Holiest of Holies through a new and living way," and "boldly approaching the throne of grace"(Heb.10:19-20, 4:16). Learn to behold Him in the midst of your daily life.

6. Affirm what God has said about you without looking to see if it is changing you. "We walk by faith, not by sight"(2 Cor.5:7). Appearances can be deceiving, and God does not want you to fellowship with Him for what it does to improve you. Seek only Him, not His gifts or His work. When you find that sin still resides within you, "turn your eyes upon Jesus." Norman Grubb calls this "turning on the light." Sin, flesh, and the world are like darkness which is always with us. But when you "set your mind on things above," you turn on the light, and the darkness disappears. The darkness is still there and real as always, but it has been "swallowed up" by the light (God Unlimited, p.107).

7. In everything you do, act as if Christ were truly living through you. Bill Gillham gives an excellent tip at this point: God's definition of hypocrisy is "pretending to be what you are not," while Satan's definition is "acting contrary to how you feel" (Lifetime Guarantee, p.135). When you decide to live and act as if Christ were living through you, you are not pretending; but you may be acting contrary to how you feel. Do not pay attention to whether or not you "feel holy." Simply believe that He is in fact your life, and do not feed your flesh's desire for results. Believe God and leave the results to Him.

8. Expect your life to become an unimaginable paradox of strength and weakness. His power shows up best in weakness (2 Cor.12:9), so He will spend the rest of your life disabling you (or rather, getting you "in touch" with your inability). Growth will look like deterioration. Expect God to coordinate everything that happens to you towards that end. Your faith in Christ's work as presented here will be tested and tried, but what comes out in the end is a precious jewel to the Lord (1 Peter 1:6-7).

9. Expect growth in this to take your whole life. There are no shortcuts, no quick fixes, no instant maturity mixes.

10. Hold nothing back from the Lord in your heart but give yourself, together with all of the Body of Christ, to be sacrificed for His pleasure (Rom.8:36, 2 Cor.2:15). A corporate sacrifice is His goal (Rom.12:1).

Contradictions?

One more word of clarification is in order: What do we do with all of the passages in scripture which seem to teach that we have not yet been made one with Christ, or that we can lose our union by not acting right?

First we must determine to whom these words were directed, before we prematurely apply them to ourselves. The audiences of the scriptures fall into two categories: those before the cross, and those after. Old Testament exhortations, as well as the words of Jesus, were spoken before the cross. Therefore they must be interpreted in light of Christ's finished work on our behalf. On the other hand, most of the letters of the New Testament were written to assemblies of believers who had already been established in, or at least introduced to, an explanation of our union with Christ. Only after drinking deeply of the wellsprings of grace can we properly approach the directives of Peter, Paul, James, and John. First see Christ as your life, and the Author and Perfector of your faith (Heb.12:2), then you will come to your instructions with a heart of acceptance and dependence. God Himself will be faithful to finish the work He has started in you (Phil.1:6).

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Some Books That Might Help

Edwards, Gene. The Divine Romance. Tyndale, 1992.

George, Bob. Classic Christianity. Harvest House, 1989.

Gillham, Bill. Lifetime Guarantee. Harvest House, 1993.

Grubb, Norman. God Unlimited. Christian Literature Crusade, 1962.

McVey, Steve. Grace Walk. Harvest House, 1995.

Nee, Watchman. The Normal Christian Life. Tyndale, 1977.

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