close with Christ

[cupotea]

When I read Puritan works, from time to time I find the phrase of
"close with Christ".

What is the modern English equivalent for this phrase?

Thank you for your help.

 

[Pergamum]

Receive Christ.


The phrase "close with Christ" is to take action and unite with Christ by faith.

Though some on the PB will not like the phrase "accept Christ" (and me too, because you receive a King, not merely accept a King) I find nothing objectionable about the phrase "receive Christ" but I will use "close with Christ" among some friends because it means the same thing and was used by the Puritans.



Many Calvinists have had a well documented doctrine of "seeking" and spoke much of "seekers." I think some current calvinists have recoiled against this phrase due to the "Seeker Sensitive" movement, but even Joanthan Edwards spoke about seeking the Lord, even pre-conversion, and the final step at the end of this seeking is closing with Christ and uniting with Him and his benefits.

Hooray for duty-faith.

 

[turmeric]

Some people (J. Vernon McGee) used to speak of "doing business with the Lord" in what I believe was an attempt to modernize the phrase.

 

[moral necessity]

I tend to think it implies the making of a conscience, reconciled, and finalized choice to trust in the finished work of Christ for one's righteousness before the Lord, and to abandon all other trusts in one's own works or merits. It is a way of expressing the making of a final decision. Like, whenever one decides to marry a person and actually becomes engaged, they "close" with that choice they selected and renounce all other options. We "close" on a house when we sign the final paper indicating the seriousness of our selection. And so, closing with Christ indicates that we have come to a place where we identify with him and him alone to stand for us before the Father as our only righteousness and assurance.

Blessings!