# How does one achieve union with Christ?



## Jash Comstock (Mar 29, 2012)

More specifically, how does someone restore union with Christ when they have drifted away from his presence? I ask this, because as of lately his presence has been strange and remote. I don't really know how to draw near to him. I am not knowingly living in an unrepentant state. Any thoughts?


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## rbcbob (Mar 29, 2012)

Union with Christ is sovereignly and unilaterally achieved by God who before the foundation of the world chose us in Christ, in which union we are eternally secure.


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## Rufus (Mar 29, 2012)

Not feeling close to Christ does not mean your not in union with Him. Many of us, if not most, have experience times of distant, that doesn't change the fact of what we are.


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## Jash Comstock (Mar 29, 2012)

I'm sorry, I didnt mean union with Christ in relation to salvation. I meant communion in day to day life.


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## Gesetveemet (Mar 29, 2012)

Grace Gems!


*Octavius Winslow *Personal Declension and Revival of Religion in the Soul


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## PuritanCovenanter (Mar 29, 2012)

> *Q. 79. May not true believers, by reason of their imperfections, and the many temptations and sins they are overtaken with, fall away from the state of grace?*A. True believers, by reason of the unchangeable love of God,[SUP]342[/SUP] and his decree and covenant to give them perseverance,[SUP]343[/SUP] their inseparable union with Christ,[SUP]344[/SUP] his continual intercession for them,[SUP]345[/SUP] and the Spirit and seed of God abiding in them,[SUP]346[/SUP] can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace,[SUP]347[/SUP] but are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.[SUP]348[/SUP]​​​*Q. 80. Can true believers be infallibly assured that they are in the estate of grace, and that they shall persevere therein unto salvation?*
> A. Such as truly believe in Christ, and endeavour to walk in all good conscience before him,[SUP]349[/SUP] may, without extraordinary revelation, by faith grounded upon the truth of God’s promises, and by the Spirit enabling them to discern in themselves those graces to which the promises of life are made,[SUP]350[/SUP] and bearing witness with their spirits that they are the children of God,[SUP]351[/SUP] be infallibly assured that they are in the estate of grace, and shall persevere therein unto salvation.[SUP]352[/SUP]​​​*Q. 81. Are all true believers at all times assured of their present being in the estate of grace, and that they shall be saved?*​​​A. Assurance of grace and salvation not being of the essence of faith,[SUP]353[/SUP] true believers may wait long before they obtain it;[SUP]354[/SUP] and, after the enjoyment thereof, *may have it weakened and intermitted, through manifold distempers, sins, temptations, and desertions;*[SUP]355[/SUP] yet they are never left without such a presence and support of the Spirit of God as keeps them from sinking into utter despair.[SUP]356[/SUP]



I am just posting this to bring notice to the Larger Catechism. 

Spiritual dryness is not uncommon in the Christian life. We all have seasons where we perceive a nearness to God and or a distance.


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## moral necessity (Mar 29, 2012)

Jash Comstock said:


> More specifically, how does someone restore union with Christ when they have drifted away from his presence? I ask this, because as of lately his presence has been strange and remote. I don't really know how to draw near to him. I am not knowingly living in an unrepentant state. Any thoughts?



I think it is helpful to view this in light of an analogy: How would you, as a father, encourage your young child to draw near to you if he had been absent from your company for a while? You would encourage him with your gentle smiles and warm reminders that his is your beloved son, that he is in your favor, that he is the object of your affection and concern, and that you desire his company and conversation at all times. 

Pray and talk to your father about your distance you have allowed to occur. Speak your thoughts to him as plain and as unedited as they are within your mind (for he knows them without disguise), and ask with humility that he soften your heart and draw you more often into his company (for he bends the will and affections towards him). And, think on the truth that he is ever present with you in every circumstance and at all times, and so, converse with him within your mind and your heart as if he is genuinely in your company, for he is. The practice of this for a few hours alone will be greatly beneficial in forming a habit of fellowship and conversation with him, and will lead you to (by his Spirit's power), over time, delight in his company more and more, even enough to where you crave it (Ps.42).

Blessings!


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## Jerusalem Blade (Mar 30, 2012)

Hello Jash, welcome to PB.

As you said – and as was pointed out – one should make the distinction between union with Christ, and communion with Him, the former effected by the Spirit of God when He regenerated us (Rom 6:3-8; 1 Cor 12:12-13; Eph 4:4-10; Col 2:11-13; 3:1-4), and the latter effected by an active faith – cleaving to – the Lord’s promises in His word. Of course, in this communion with Him, He is the initiator, sustainer, and helper, though He does bring us to the place where *we* are active in our believing and trusting Him.

This is effected primarily through our reckoning His words as facts in the reality of spiritual life. When Jesus says, “Come to Me, all ye who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt 12:28), those word reflect His heart in the living moment. When He says, “him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37) He gives the assurance that no one will be rejected who sincerely comes to Him. There are multitudes of such promises in this vein. I’ll attach a pdf to this post with many verses that may be used to have confidence in approaching Him and being accepted by Him. He loves you no less now, as His disciple, than He did when you were an enemy and He died for you, and then called you to Him in regeneration. The attached 2-page paper, _Communion With God: Basic Principles_, has seven sections of appropriate Scriptures:

Access into His presence
Content of God’s heart toward you as you are in His presence
Stability and irrevocability of this access
Failure (sin) and renewal
Unworthiness (sinfulness) and acceptance
Suffering and affliction
Joy

I hope this is helpful. By the way, I like what Charles said in post #7 – the things I write are Scriptural bases for that (I also have the paper in A4 size for UK and European readers, and will provide that upon request).

View attachment 2774


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## Jerusalem Blade (Mar 30, 2012)

Some further thoughts on this, Jash.

This – communion with God – pertains in great measure to our prayer life. Nor need it necessarily be a result of spending hours in prayer (though that would not be a bad thing at all); rather it is a matter of faith and heart. If your heart but _desires_ to be near Him . . . this is the _crux_ of it. (And if your heart doesn’t desire this, simply ask Him to put this desire in it.) Consider these verses:

*Prov 15:8* the prayer of the upright is His delight
*Prov 15:29* He hears the prayer of the righteous
*1 Pet 3:12* The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers
*James 4:8* Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you

Now there are many states of mind which will discourage us – tiredness, a sense of our unworthiness, a knowledge of our failure to be “spiritual” enough, that is, reading the Bible, praying, thinking about God, etc – but we do not have access to Him based on our merits or our performance. Here is something I got at a church I used to go to:

_Galatians 3:3 -- After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?​_
Christians will always drift back toward a legalistic view of salvation. It starts subtly: our spiritual fervor, or devotion, or ministry involvement, or consistency, or new-found obedience really are signs of our Christian vitality. Before long, however, we begin to think of them more and more as the cause of our vitality.

Being right with God slowly drifts from grace alone to grace plus achieving this standard. At this point, Paul tells us we have created a false gospel, a gospel of law rather than grace. The same grace that began our relationship with Jesus is what keeps us in that relationship. "Lay your deadly doings down, down at Jesus' feet; / Rest in Him, and Him alone, gloriously complete."
From lesson Three – In Line With the Gospel (Study: "A Community Which Serves God's Purposes"). Redeemer PCA​ 
Often the devil will put the thought in our minds that we just don’t matter to God, He has much more important things and people to care for – and besides, He’s just too far away from our miserable life to hear. These are all lies! Christ loved you so much He endured the shame of the cross for the joy that was set before Him (Heb 12:2) – what was that joy? The rescue and bringing to His kingdom of *you*, and the rest of His bride, for whom He was willing to lay down His life, *and* within His own soul bear the wrath of outraged justice against sin due us, that we would not have to bear it eternally. He loves us and is intimately involved in our lives. When we are especially needy, and when pain afflicts our souls, these are gifts of His providence that compel us to seek comfort in His presence.

Part of joyous communion with Christ is simply being aware that He is present, that He loves us with an everlasting love (Jer 31:3), that we are in good standing with Him, and that our heart is filled with a responding grateful love.

We may _feel_ He is distant, but this feeling is not what is real. He has said, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee . . . I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Heb 13:5; Matt 28:20). Nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:35-39). You see how important living by the Scriptures are – by what they say concerning the realities of life? Of the tremendous love of God for us?

I'll be praying for you.


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