V. The Benefits of Union:

V. The Benefits of Union:

V. The Benefits of Union:

The Advantages and Blessings That Flow from the Branches' Connection to the New Stock

I now discuss the benefits that true believers gain from their union with Christ. The primary benefits they receive include justification, peace, adoption, sanctification, growth in grace, fruitfulness in good works, acceptance of these works, establishment in the state of grace, support, and special guidance from providence. Communion with Christ is an immediate consequence of union with him, encompassing all other benefits. As a branch connected to its source shares in all that it contains, a believer united with Christ shares in his abundance, launching into a sea of happiness and discovering a paradise of pleasures. They gain a saving interest in the hidden treasures of the Gospel and the unsearchable riches of Christ. As soon as a believer unites with Christ, they possess him, with all his fullness (Song of Solomon 2:16), "My beloved is mine, and I am his." And "how shall he not with him freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:32). "Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come, all are yours" (1 Corinthians 3:22). This communion with Christ is the overarching blessing that flows from our union with him. Now, let's consider the specific benefits mentioned earlier.

The first specific benefit a sinner receives through union with Christ is justification. Being united to Christ, they share in his righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30), "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness." They are no longer condemned but justified before God, as they are in Christ (Romans 8:1), "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." The aspects of this benefit are the pardon of sin and personal acceptance.

Even if there are shallow places in the sea, their sins are not cast there but into the depths, where they will never resurface. Their sins will be forcefully sunk, like lead in the mighty waters of the Redeemer's blood. Not only are their sins forgiven, but they are also forgotten (Jeremiah 31:34). Though their future sins may still deserve punishment and make them subject to temporary consequences and fatherly discipline according to the covenant of grace (Psalm 89:30-33), they can never be actually liable to eternal wrath or the law's curse, for they are dead to the law in Christ (Romans 7:4). They can never fall away from their union with Christ, nor can they be in Christ and under condemnation at the same time (Romans 8:1). This concept is based on the doctrine of a believer being dead to the law, as explained by the Apostle in Romans 7:1-6, which is evident from the second, third, and fourth verses of the eighth chapter. In this regard, the justified person is blessed, as the Lord does not hold their iniquity against them (Psalm 32:2), just as someone who has no intention of charging a debt does not record it in their account book.

Thus, the person united with Christ is justified. The entire process can be understood as follows: Christ, as the Saviour of lost sinners, captures the criminal through the Spirit and draws them to Himself. The sinner, in turn, clings to Christ through faith. As a result, the Lord our righteousness unites with the unrighteous individual. This union with Christ leads to communion in His unsearchable riches and, consequently, His righteousness – the white garments provided to clothe the naked (Revelation 3:18). Christ's righteousness becomes the believer's, and because it is rightfully theirs, it is imputed to them. God's judgement, which is always true, considers it as belonging to the believer. The believing sinner, having a righteousness that fully satisfies the law's demands, is pardoned and accepted as righteous (see Isaiah 45:22-24; Romans 3:24; and Romans 5:1). Now, they are free. Who can accuse those whom God justifies? Neither justice nor the law can, as they have been satisfied and have obtained their demands in Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:20).

The believer's sins, once recorded as a debt, have been blotted out by Christ (Colossians 2:14). Even if justice were to look for the record again, Christ has removed it. The believer may wish for the record to be torn apart, and indeed, it has been pierced by the nails that drove through Christ's hands and feet. The torn record cannot be reassembled, for it was nailed to the cross, which was buried with Christ and will never rise again, as Christ dies no more. The condemned person's veil has been destroyed (Isaiah 25:7). Death, which once threatened the sinner, has been swallowed up in victory (Isaiah 25:8). Glory be to Him who "loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood."

The second benefit that arises from union with Christ, and comes through justification, is peace; peace with God and peace of conscience, according to the level of awareness the justified have of their peace with God (Romans 5:1). "Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God." (Romans 14:17), "For the kingdom of God is not about eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit." Whereas God was their enemy before, now He is reconciled to them in Christ: they have a covenant of peace with Him; and, like Abraham, they are friends of God. He is well pleased with them in His beloved Son. His word, which previously spoke terror to them, now speaks peace if they correctly understand the language. Love is present in all aspects of their lives, working together for their good. Their consciences are cleansed of the guilt and filthiness that burdened them: the conscience-purifying blood of Christ flows through their souls due to their union with Him (Hebrews 9:14), "How much more shall the blood of Christ—purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God!" The bonds placed on their consciences by the Spirit of God, acting as the Spirit of bondage, are removed, never to be imposed again (Romans 8:5), "For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear." The conscience finds peace as soon as the soul becomes aware of the application of that blood, which occurs sooner or later, depending on the level of faith and the timing God deems appropriate.

Unbelievers may have troubled consciences, which they may temporarily ease: but, unfortunately, their consciences become peaceful before they become pure, so their peace is merely a seed for greater horror and confusion. Neglect may provide temporary relief to a tormented conscience; people ignoring its wounds, which close on their own before the impurities are removed. Many bury their guilt in the grave of a poor memory: conscience stings for a moment; eventually, the person forgets their sin, and that is the end of it; but this is only a temporary reprieve. Business or life's affairs often provide relief in such cases. When Cain is banished from the presence of the Lord, he starts building cities. When the evil spirit comes upon Saul, he does not call for his Bible or the priests to discuss his situation; instead, he calls for music to play it away. Many, when their consciences begin to feel uneasy, fill their minds and hands with business, seeking to distract themselves and regain peace at any cost. Some will sin against their convictions and thus gain some relief for their consciences, as Hazael eased his master by smothering him. The performance of duties may also provide some relief to troubled consciences; and this is all that legalistic believers resort to for calming their consciences. When their conscience is wounded, they will pray, confess, mourn, and resolve not to do it again: and so they become whole again, without applying the blood of Christ through faith. But those whose consciences are rightly calmed come to the blood of sprinkling for peace and purification. Sin leaves a sting behind it, which will, at one time or another, cause them significant pain.

Elihu shows us both the situation and the solution in Job 33. Consider the situation a person may be in, to whom God has thoughts of love. He sends convictions into their conscience, making them stick so firmly that they cannot free themselves (verse 16), "He opens the ears of people and seals their instruction." Their very body becomes sick (verse 19), "They are chastened with pain on their bed, and with constant distress in their bones." They lose their appetite (verse 20), "Their life loathes bread, and their soul dainty food." Their body wastes away, leaving only skin and bones (verse 21), "Their flesh is so wasted away that it cannot be seen, and their bones, once invisible, now stick out." Though they are not prepared for death, they have no hope of life (verse 22), "Their soul draws near to the pit, and their life to the messengers of death." They are expecting every moment for devils, these destroyers (Revelation 9:11), these murderers (John 8:44), to come and carry their soul to hell. What a dreadful situation! Is there any hope for such people? Yes, there is hope. God will "restrain their soul from the pit" (Job 33:18), even if He brings them to the brink of it.

Now, observe how the sick person is healed. The physician's skill is insufficient here; the illness lies deeper than their medicine can reach. It is soul trouble that has brought the body into this disorder; therefore, the remedies must be applied to the person's soul and conscience. The physician for this case must be a spiritual physician, using spiritual remedies such as righteousness, ransom, and atonement. Upon applying these, the soul is healed, the conscience is quieted, and the body recovers (verses 23-26), "If there is an angel at their side, a mediator, one out of a thousand, to tell a person what is right for them, to be gracious to them and say, 'Spare them from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom for them'—then their flesh is renewed like a child's; it is restored as in the days of their youth. They pray to God and find favour with Him; they see God's face and shout for joy."

The appropriate physician for this patient is a messenger, a mediator (verse 23), which some interpreters, not without reason, understand to be the great physician, Jesus Christ, whom Job had called his Redeemer (Job 19:25). He is a messenger, the "messenger of the covenant of peace" (Malachi 3:1), who comes at the right time to the sick person. He is a mediator, the great mediator of God's plans of love for sinners (Job 33:23), "one in a thousand," even "the foremost among ten thousand" (Song of Solomon 5:10). "One chosen from the people" (Psalm 89:19). One to whom "the Lord has given the tongue of the learned—to speak a word in season to the weary" (Isaiah 50:4). It is He who is with them, by His Spirit, now, to "convince them of righteousness" (John 16:8), as He was with them before, to "convince them of sin and of judgment." His work now is to show them their uprightness or righteousness, that is, the mediator Christ's righteousness, which is the only righteousness arising from the payment of a ransom, and upon which a sinner is delivered from going down to the pit (verse 24). Thus, Christ is said to declare God's name (Psalm 22:22) and to preach righteousness (Psalm 40:9). The phrase is remarkable: it is not to show the person, but to show humanity, their righteousness. This subtly suggests that He is more than just a human being, who reveals or declares this righteousness. Compare Amos 4:13, "He who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals to humanity what their thoughts are." There seems to be a sweet allusion to the first declaration of this righteousness to humanity or, as the word is, to Adam after the fall, while he lay under terror from the wrath of God. This declaration was made by the messenger, the mediator, namely, the eternal Word, the Son of God, called the voice of the Lord God (Genesis 3:8), and likely appearing in a human form.

Now, while He, through His Spirit, preaches righteousness to the individual, it is assumed that the person accepts the offered righteousness. As a result, the ransom is applied to them, and they are delivered from going down to the pit, for God has a ransom for them. This is indicated by the words, "Deliver them" (Job 33:24). Thus, their conscience, purified by the blood of atonement, is pacified and gently quieted. "They shall pray to God... and see His face with joy" (verse 26), which they had previously beheld with horror. In New Testament terms, this means "having a high priest over the house of God, they shall draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having their heart sprinkled from an evil conscience" (Hebrews 10:21-22). But then, what happens to the body, the weak and weary flesh? "Their flesh shall be fresher than a child's, they shall return to the days of their youth" (Job 33:25). Indeed, "all their bones," which were chastened with strong pain (verse 19), "shall say, 'Lord, who is like you?'" (Psalm 35:10).

A third benefit stemming from union with Christ is adoption. Believers, being united to Christ, become children of God and members of the heavenly family. Through their union with Him, who is the Son of God by nature, they become the sons of God by grace (John 1:12). Just as when a branch is cut off from one tree and grafted onto another, the grafted branch, through its union with the adopting branch, becomes a part of the same stock into which it is grafted. So, sinners, being grafted into Jesus Christ, whose name is the Branch, have His Father as their Father, His God as their God (John 20:17). This way, those who are by nature children of the devil become children of God. They receive the Spirit of adoption (Romans 8:15), namely, the Spirit of His Son, which brings them to God, as children to a Father, to pour out their complaints in His embrace and seek necessary supplies (Galatians 4:6). Under all their weaknesses, they receive fatherly pity and compassion (Psalm 103:13).

Though they were once abandoned, they are now cherished as "the apple of His eye" (Deuteronomy 32:10). Whoever pursues them, they have a refuge (Proverbs 14:26). In times of common calamity, they have protective chambers where they can hide until the danger has passed (Isaiah 26:20). He is not only their refuge for protection but also their portion for provision within that refuge (Psalm 142:5). They are provided for in eternity (Hebrews 11:16), and whatever they need for the present, they shall not lack (Matthew 6:31-32). Timely correction is also their privilege as children, so they are not allowed to continue in their faults like others who are not children, but servants of the family, who will eventually be turned away for their misdeeds (Hebrews 12:7). They are heirs of, and shall inherit the promises (Hebrews 6:12). They are heirs of God, who Himself is the portion of their inheritance (Psalm 16:5), and joint-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17). Since they are children of the great King and heirs of glory, they have angels as their attendants, sent forth to minister to those who will be heirs of salvation (Hebrews 1:14). The angels serve as their guardians and protectors, ensuring their well-being and assisting them on their journey towards eternal life. This privilege further emphasizes the remarkable benefits that come from being united with Christ and adopted as children of God.

A fourth benefit is sanctification (1 Corinthians 1:30), "But of him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification." Being united to Christ, they partake of His Spirit, which is the Spirit of holiness. There is a fullness of the Spirit in Christ, and it is not like the fullness of a container that only holds what is poured into it; rather, it is the fullness of a fountain for diffusion and communication, which is always sending forth its waters and yet remains full.

The Spirit of Christ, the spiritual sap in the stock that is communicated to the branches, is the Spirit of grace (Zechariah 12:10). Where the Spirit of grace resides, a confluence of all graces will be found. Holiness is not just one grace, but all the graces of the Spirit; it is a constellation of graces, the essence of all graces in their seed and root. As the sap conveyed from the stock into the branch flows through every part of it, the Spirit of Christ sanctifies the whole person. The poison of sin spread throughout the spirit, soul, and body of a person, and sanctifying grace pursues it into every corner (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Every part of the person is sanctified, although no part is perfectly so.

The truth by which we are sanctified is not confined to the head, but runs with its sanctifying influences through the heart and life. While there are some graces in every believer that stand out above the rest, such as meekness in Moses and patience in Job, every child of God possesses a holy principle that aligns with the holy law, loving and approving of it. This is evident from their universal respect for God's commands. It is clear that they are endowed with all the graces of the Spirit because there cannot be less in the effect than there was in the cause.

Now, this sanctifying Spirit, which believers partake, serves two purposes for them. Firstly, it is a spirit of mortification; "through the Spirit, they mortify the deeds of the body" (Romans 8:13). Sin is crucified in them (Galatians 5:24). They are united with Christ in the likeness of his death, which was a lingering death (Romans 6:5). Sin in a saint, though not entirely dead, is dying. If it were dead, it would be removed from sight, but it still hangs there, working and struggling under its mortal wounds. When a tree receives a strike that reaches its core, all the leaves and branches begin to fade and decay. Similarly, when the sanctifying Spirit comes and breaks the power of sin, there is a gradual ceasing from it and dying to it in the whole person, so they "no longer live in the flesh to the lusts of men." They do not make sin their trade and business; their main goal is not to seek themselves and satisfy their corrupt inclinations. Instead, they are seeking Immanuel's land and walking in the highway to it, the path known as the way of holiness, even though the wind from hell, which was on their back before, now blows directly in their face, making their journey difficult and often driving them off the highway.

Secondly, this Spirit is a Spirit of vivification for them; it is the Spirit of life, making them live unto righteousness (Ezekiel 36:27), "And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes." Those who have been "united" with Christ "in the likeness of his death shall also be in the likeness of his resurrection" (Romans 6:5). At Christ's resurrection, when his soul was reunited with his body, every member of that blessed body was enabled to perform the actions of life. Likewise, the soul, influenced by the sanctifying Spirit of Christ, becomes more and more capable of performing all the actions of spiritual life. As the entirety of the law, not just fragments of it, is inscribed on the holy heart, believers are enabled to transcribe that law in their lives. Although they cannot write a single line of it without blemishes, God, for Christ's sake, accepts their performance in terms of sanctification; they are disciples of his own Son and led by his own Spirit.

This sanctified Spirit, communicated by Jesus to his followers, is the spiritual nourishment that branches receive from the source they are grafted into. This nourishment preserves, continues, and activates the life of grace given to them in regeneration. It is the nourishment by which the new being lives and grows towards perfection. Spiritual life needs to be fed and must receive a supply of nourishment. Believers obtain this from Christ, their head, whom the Father has appointed as the source of influence for all his followers (Colossians 2:19). This supply is "the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:19).

Saints feed richly on Christ's flesh and blood for their spiritual nourishment, yet the Lord himself teaches us that "it is the Spirit that gives life" (John 6:63). The human nature is united with the divine nature in the person of the Son, and, like the bowl in Zechariah's candlestick (Zechariah 4), it lies at the fountainhead as the glorious means of conveying influences from the fountain of Deity. Christ receives the Spirit without measure, having a fullness of the Spirit due to that personal union. Hence, believers, being united to the man Christ, partake more and more of that Spirit for their spiritual nourishment by effectively applying Christ to their souls through faith.

God's holiness cannot admit an immediate union with a sinful creature, nor can it have immediate communion with it. Yet, the creature cannot live the life of grace without communion with the source of life. To provide for both God's holiness and the salvation of sinners, the second person of the Holy Trinity took a sinless human nature into personal union with himself. This holy, harmless, and undefiled humanity could immediately receive the fullness of the Spirit, which Christ could then communicate to his followers by his divine power and efficacy.

Imagine a tree with its roots in the earth and its branches reaching to heaven. The vast distance between the root and the branches would not interrupt the communication between them. Likewise, the distance between Christ in heaven and his followers on earth cannot hinder their communication. Although the parts of the mystical Christ, namely the head and the members, are not physically joined, the union is still real and effective. Our Lord himself shows us that even if we were to consume his flesh in a physical and carnal way, it would not benefit us (John 6:63).

The followers of Christ on earth are united with their head in heaven through the invisible bond of the same Spirit dwelling in both. In Christ, the Spirit dwells as the head, and in his followers, as the members. The wheels in Ezekiel's vision were not contiguous to the living creatures, yet they were united by an invisible bond of one Spirit in both. When the living creatures moved, the wheels moved with them. When the living creatures were lifted up, the wheels were lifted up as well (Ezekiel 1:19-20).

We can see the difference between true sanctification and the mere semblance of it, found among some strict followers of Christianity who are not genuine Christians and have not been regenerated by Christ's Spirit. This false sanctification is similar to what has appeared in many morally upright non-Christians. True sanctification results from the soul's union with the holy Jesus, the first and immediate recipient of the sanctifying Spirit. Through their union with Jesus, his followers receive sanctifying influences. In contrast, false sanctification is a product of a person's own spirit, which may appear to possess elements of true holiness but does not arise from supernatural principles or aim towards the high goals of genuine holiness. Instead, it originates from and returns to the self, lying as far from true holiness as nature does from grace.

Those who possess this false holiness are like common boatmen who rely on their own efforts to move forward, while the ship bound for Immanuel's land sails with the divine Spirit's guidance. How can there be true sanctification without Christ? Can we achieve true sanctification without partaking of the Spirit of holiness? Can we partake of that Spirit except through Jesus Christ, "the way, the truth, and the life?" The falling dew has as much chance of penetrating a solid rock as the influences of grace have of reaching sinners in any way other than through Jesus, whom the Father has appointed as the source of influence (Colossians 1:19; 2:19).

This is why many people fall away from their apparent sanctification and never recover: they are not genuinely connected to the true vine. In contrast, others recover from their setbacks due to their union with the life-giving source and the revitalizing Spirit (1 John 2:19).

A fifth benefit is growth in grace. "Receiving nourishment, they grow with God's growth" (Colossians 2:19). "The righteous will flourish like a palm tree; they will grow like a cedar in Lebanon" (Psalm 92:12). Grace has a growing nature; on the way to Zion, they progress from strength to strength. Although the holy person may initially be a child in grace, they eventually become a young adult and then a parent (1 John 2:13). Sometimes they may only crawl towards heaven, but later they walk, run, and soar with wings like eagles (Isaiah 40:31). If a branch grafted into a stock never grows, it is evident that it has not connected with the stock.

Some may ask, "If all true Christians are growing, what about those who seem to be regressing instead of growing?" I reply that there is a significant difference between a Christian growing continuously and growing at all times. All true Christians do grow, but they do not necessarily grow constantly. A tree that has life and nourishment grows to its full potential, but it does not always grow – it doesn't grow during winter. Christians also have their winters when the influences of grace, necessary for their growth, cease (Song of Solomon 5:2).

It is through faith that the believer receives gracious influences from Jesus Christ, as each lamp in the candlestick gets oil from the bowl through the connecting pipe (Zechariah 4:2). If the pipe is blocked or the believer's faith is dormant and inactive, other graces will dim and appear ready to be extinguished. As a result, the depraved nature will gain strength and become active. What then will become of the soul? There is still one sure ground of hope. The believer's faith is not like the hypocrite's, which is like a pipe disconnected from the fountain. The faith still serves as a bond between Christ and the soul, and because Christ lives, the believer will also live (John 14:19). The Lord Jesus clears the means of conveyance, and then influences for growth flow, and the believer's graces look fresh and green again (Hosea 14:7). Even in the worst of times, saints have a principle of growth within them (1 John 3:9), and they will revive again after their declines when the winter is over and the Sun of Righteousness returns with warm influences.

Mud thrown into a pool may settle there, but if it is thrown into a fountain, the spring will eventually clear it out and run as clear as before. Secondly, Christians may misunderstand their growth in two ways: 1) By judging their situation based on their current feelings. They may not perceive themselves to be growing, but that is no reason to conclude they are not growing (Mark 4:27). If a person were to stare at a growing tree, they would not see it grow, but if they compare the tree's present state to its past state, they will see the growth. Similarly, Christians can determine whether they are growing or declining by comparing their current and former conditions. 2) Christians may misunderstand their growth by measuring it only by the advances of the top, not the root. Even if a person is not growing taller, they may be growing stronger. If a tree is connecting with the ground, establishing itself in the earth, and spreading its roots, it is growing even if it is not taller than before. Likewise, even if a Christian lacks the sweet consolations and strong affections they once had, if they are growing in humility, self-denial, and dependence on Jesus Christ, they are a growing Christian Hos. 14:5, "I will be as the dew unto Israel, he shall cast forth his roots as Lebanon."

Question: "Do hypocrites grow at all? And if so, how can we distinguish between their growth and true Christian growth?" Answer: To the first part of the question, hypocrites do grow. Tares have their growth, as well as wheat: the seed that fell among thorns did spring up (Luke 8:7). However, it brought no fruit to perfection (Luke 8:14). Indeed, a true Christian may have a false growth. James and John seemed to grow in the grace of holy zeal when their spirits grew so fervent for Christ's cause that they wanted to set fire to an entire village for not receiving their Lord and Master (Luke 9:54). But it was not genuine growth; hence, Jesus rebuked them (Luke 9:55), saying, "You do not know what kind of spirit you are of."

To the second part of the question, true Christian growth has a unique beauty that distinguishes it from all false growth: it is universal, regular, and proportional. It is a "growing up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ" (Ephesians 4:15). The growing Christian grows proportionally in all aspects of the new self. Under the kind influences of the Sun of Righteousness, believers "grow up like calves of the stall" (Malachi 4:2). It would be considered a monstrous growth if a creature's head grew without its body or if one leg grew while another did not; if all parts did not grow proportionally. Yet, such is the growth of many in religion. They grow like rickety children with large heads and slender bodies; they gain more knowledge but no more holiness in their hearts and lives.

They grow very active outwardly but remain cold inwardly, like someone experiencing an ague. They are more concerned with the externals of religion than ever before, yet remain as ignorant of the power of godliness as ever. If a garden is watered by hand, some plants will receive much water, some little, and some none at all; therefore, some will wither while others flourish. However, after rain from the clouds, all plants grow together. Similarly, all the graces of the Spirit grow proportionally by the special influences of divine grace.

Branches grafted into Christ, growing correctly, grow in all aspects of growth simultaneously. They grow inward, becoming more closely united with Christ (Ephesians 4:15) and clinging more firmly to Him as the source of all influences, which is the foundation of all other true Christian growth. They grow outward in good works, in their life and conduct. Like Naphtali, they give goodly words, and like Joseph, they are fruitful boughs. They grow upward in heavenly-mindedness and contempt for the world, as their conversation is in heaven (Philippians 3:20). Finally, they grow downward in humility and self-loathing. The branches of the most significant growth in Christ, in their own eyes, are "less than the least of all saints" (Ephesians 3:8), "the worst of sinners" (1 Timothy 1:15), and "more brutish than any man" (Proverbs 30:2). They recognize that they can do nothing, not even "think anything as of themselves" (2 Corinthians 3:5), that they deserve nothing, being "unworthy of the least of all the mercies shown unto them" (Genesis 32:10), and that they are nothing (2 Corinthians 12:11).

A sixth benefit is fruitfulness. The branch grafted into Christ is not barren but bears fruit (John 15:5): "Whoever abides in me, and I in them, bears much fruit." Souls are united to Christ so that they may bear fruit for God (Romans 7:4). Those who are barren may be branches in Christ by profession, but not by true implantation. Whoever is united to Christ bears the fruit of gospel obedience and genuine holiness. Faith is always accompanied by good works. The believer not only emerges from the grave of their natural state but also sheds their grave-clothes, the dominating lusts in which they walked like a ghost, dead while living in them (Colossians 3:7-8). For Christ has said of them, as of Lazarus, "Unbind them and let them go."

Now that the believer has put on Christ, they embody Him, so to speak, like an actor in borrowed robes portraying a king on stage, walking as Christ also walked. Now the fruit of the Spirit in them is found in all goodness (Ephesians 5:9). The fruits of holiness will be evident in the hearts, speech, and lives of those who are united to Christ. The hidden person of the heart is not only a temple built for God and consecrated to Him but also used and employed for Him, where love, fear, trust, and all other aspects of unseen religion are exercised (Philippians 3:3). The heart is no longer the devil's common ground, where thoughts roam free; even vain thoughts are detested (Psalm 119:113). Instead, it is God's enclosure, a garden protected for Him (Song of Solomon 4:16). It is true that there are still weeds of corruption because the ground is not yet perfectly cleared, but the person, on the day of their new creation, is set to tend and maintain it.

A live coal from the altar has touched their lips, and they are purified (Psalm 15:1-3). There may indeed be a smooth tongue where there is a false heart. The voice may resemble Jacob's, while the hands belong to Esau. But, "If anyone among you thinks they are religious and does not bridle their tongue but deceives their heart, their religion is in vain" (James 1:26). The power of godliness will govern the tongue, even if it is a world of iniquity. If someone is a follower of Christ, their speech will reveal it; they will speak the language of Canaan, not the language of Ashdod. They will neither be silent in their religion nor let their tongue run unchecked, given that grace has added a third guard to the tongue's natural double guard.

The fruits of holiness will be evident in their outward behaviour, for they have clean hands and a pure heart (Psalm 24:4). They are a godly person, dutifully observing the commandments of the first table of the law, and a righteous person, honestly fulfilling the duties of the second table. In their conduct, they are both a good Christian and a good neighbour. They act towards God as if people's eyes are upon them, and towards others, believing that God's eyes are upon them. They dare not separate in their practice what God has joined in His law.

Thus, the branches in Christ are full of good fruits. These fruits are a collection of vital actions for which Jesus Christ is both the source and the goal. He is the source because He lives in them, and "the life they live is by faith in the Son of God" (Galatians 2:20). He is the goal because they live for Him, and "for them, to live is Christ" (Philippians 1:21). Religious duties are like orphaned children in rags; some people will not accept them because they never loved them nor their Father; some take them in because they might be useful to them. However, the saints accept them for their Father's sake, that is, for Christ's sake, and they are lovely in their eyes because they resemble Him. This new life of the saints could never have been shaped from the natural abilities of their souls by any combined force of all created power. They would have remained eternally barren if they had not been "married to Christ, bringing forth fruit unto God" (Romans 7:4).

If you ask me, "How can your nourishment, growth, and fruitfulness be advanced?" I offer these few suggestions:

A seventh benefit is the acceptance of their acts of holiness before the Lord. Even though they may be quite imperfect, they are accepted because they are connected to Christ, the blessed foundation on which the branches grow. In contrast, the acts of others are rejected by God, as seen in Genesis 4:4-5 and Hebrews 11:3. The believer sees many faults in their best performances, but the Lord graciously accepts them.

There is no grace in the heart without a corresponding weakness of corruption. Even their sincerity has a mixture of duplicity or hypocrisy, as seen in Galatians 2:13. Hence, there are shortcomings in the exercise of every grace and the performance of every duty. Yet, this does not hinder their acceptance, as described in Song of Solomon 6:10. The dawning of grace and goodwill to Christ is pleasant and acceptable to Him.

Despite the remnants of unbelief causing the hand of faith to shake, the Lord is so pleased with it that He employs it to obtain pardons and supplies of grace. The faith of the man who cried out, "Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief!" in Mark 9:24 was effective. Although the remnants of worldly affections make their love's flame weak and smoky, He focuses on the beauty of the flame, as seen in Song of Solomon 4:10.

Their good works are accepted, and even the smallest acts done in faith and from faith are considered significant. If they cannot offer gold, silver, or precious stones, their smaller contributions will not be rejected, as they are dipped in faith and the Mediator's blood. Even a cup of cold water given in the name of a disciple will be rewarded (Matthew 10:42). Not a single good word or tear shed for Christ will go unnoticed (Malachi 3:16, Psalm 56:8).

Their intentions are accepted for the actions, and their sorrow for the lack of intention is accepted as intention itself, as seen in 2 Corinthians 8:12. Their groanings are heard in heaven, and their meaning is well understood there. Their small contributions are more valuable than other people's large offerings. Their stammering and broken sentences are more pleasant to their Father in heaven than the most eloquent speeches of those not in Christ.

The Mediator takes their petitions, adjusts them, and presents them to the Father, resulting in their acceptance in the heavenly court.

Every true Christian is a temple for God. If you look for sacrifices, they are present; they offer the sacrifice of praise and do good deeds. With such sacrifices, God is well pleased, as stated in Hebrews 13:15-16. Christ himself is the altar that sanctifies the gift (verse 10). If we look for incense, it is there too. The graces of the Spirit are found in their hearts, and the Spirit of the crucified Christ fuels them and puts them into action. As the fire was brought from the altar of burnt offering to set the incense alight, their graces ascend heavenward like pillars of smoke (Song of Solomon 3:6). However, even the best of incense will leave ashes behind; our great High Priest takes away the ashes and refuse of all the saints' services through his mediation on their behalf.

An eighth benefit of union with Christ is stability. The Christian cannot fall away but must persevere until the end, as stated in John 10:28. Indeed, if a branch does not connect with the trunk, it will fall away when strong winds blow. However, the branch connected to the trunk stands firm regardless of the wind. Sometimes a stormy wind of temptation blows from hell and shakes the branches in Christ, the true vine. Still, their union with him is their security; they may be shaken but never removed. The Lord will provide a way of escape along with the temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Calm periods are rarely prolonged; there is almost always some wind blowing, so branches are rarely entirely at rest. However, sometimes violent winds arise, threatening to tear them from their trunk. Similarly, saints face daily temptations, and sometimes the wind from hell rises so high and blows so fiercely that it makes even the strongest branches touch the ground. Yet, being connected to Christ, they rise again, despite the most violent efforts of the prince of the power of the air (Psalm 94:18).

The Christian grows through these trials, benefiting from them as they reveal the soul's connection to Christ and Christ's connection to the soul. Just as the wind in the bellows, which could extinguish a candle, instead fuels a fire, such temptations often invigorate the true Christian, awakening the graces of the Spirit within them. This reveals both the reality and the strength of grace in them. As Martin Luther, that great man of God, said, "One Christian who has had experience of temptation is worth a thousand others."

Sometimes a stormy wind of trouble and persecution from people in the world blows upon the vine, which is Christ in a mystical sense. However, union with the trunk provides sufficient security for the branches. During times of peace and outward prosperity for the church, while the angels hold back the winds, many branches are attached to the trunk without truly connecting or drawing life from it, even though they are bound by external ordinances. These branches may remain on the trunk for a while and stand with ease during calm periods. But when storms arise and winds blow, they will begin to fall off one after another. The stronger the wind, the greater the number of branches that will fall. Some large branches, when they fall, may even drag others down with them and bruise or press down some true branches. These true branches would also fall if it weren't for the strong grip the trunk has on them.

In these situations, many branches that were once high and prominent are found lying on the ground, withered and ready to be gathered up and thrown into the fire (Matthew 13:6; John 15:6). However, no matter how violently the winds blow, none of the truly grafted branches that are connected with the trunk are missing when the storm turns into a calm (John 17:12). The smallest twig growing in Christ will endure and survive when the tallest cedars growing on their own roots are knocked down (Romans 8:35, 36-39). However severely Israel is "sifted," not even the smallest grain or "little stone" will fall to the ground (Amos 9:9). This is an allusion to the sifting of fine pebble stones from heaps of dust and sand. Though the sand and dust fall to the ground or are blown away by the wind and trampled underfoot, not even a small stone will fall, reflecting the precision of the sieve and the care of the sifter.

There is nothing more prone to fall to the ground than a stone. Yet, if people professing religion are living stones built on Christ, the cornerstone, even if they are small stones, they will not fall to the ground, whatever storm beats upon them (1 Peter 2:4-6). All the good grain in the church of Christ is of this kind: they are stones in terms of solidity and living stones in terms of activity. If people are solid, substantial Christians, they will not be like chaff tossed about by every wind, having so much liveliness that they have nothing of the stone. And if they are active Christians, whose spirits stir within them, as Paul's did when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry (Acts 17:16), they will not lie like stones, to be turned over, cut, and carved according to the whims of others, having so much of the stone that there is no liveliness left in them.

Our God's house is vast, containing not only vessels of gold, but also of earth, as mentioned in 2 Timothy 2:20. Both kinds of vessels are susceptible to becoming dirty. Therefore, when God brings affliction upon the church, He has regard for both. The vessels of gold are not destroyed but instead, refined by the fiery trials of affliction, much like goldsmiths refine gold. As stated in Isaiah 1:25, "And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross." Conversely, vessels of earth are destroyed, being broken into pieces, as if they were pottery. As Isaiah 1:28 declares, "And the destruction," or breaking "of the transgressors, and of the sinners, shall be together." This passage may allude to the law that required the breaking of vessels of earth when unclean, whereas vessels of wood and gold only needed to be rinsed (Leviticus 15:12).

The ninth benefit of being grafted into Christ is support. If you are a branch grafted into Christ, the root supports you. The believer leans on Christ as a weak woman on her beloved husband during a journey, as expressed in Canticles 8:5. He relies on Him as a feeble old man relies on his staff, as described in Isaiah 50:10. He rolls his burdens onto Him, much like a person unloads a weight that is too heavy to carry alone, onto another who can bear it, as noted in Psalm 22:8. Many weights can hang upon and press down the branches in Christ, the true vine. Nevertheless, no matter what weight the branches bear, the stock supports both the branch and the weight upon it.

Objection: "But if the saints are so supported, how is it that they often fall under temptation and discouragements?"

Answer: 1. However low they may fall, they never fall off, and that is a significant matter. They "are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation," 1 Pet. 1:5. Hypocrites may fall so that they fall off and fall into the pit, like a bucket falling into a well when the chain breaks. But even if a child of God falls so low that the waters go over their head, there is still a bond of union between Christ and them; the chain is not broken, and they will not go to the ground. They will be drawn up again, as Jesus said to Simon in Luke 22:31-32: "And the Lord said, 'Simon, Simon, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not.'"

Answer 2. The falls of the saints come from their failure to utilize their union with Christ, their failure to use Him by faith to stay or bear them up. Psalm 27:13 says, "I had fainted, unless I had believed." Just as a nurse holds a child in her arms so that it cannot fall to the ground, yet if the unwary child does not hold onto her, it may fall backward in her arms and be hurt. David's fall broke his bones, Psalm 2:8, but it did not break the bond of union between Christ and him; the Holy Spirit, the bond of that union, was not taken from him, verse 11.

I shall list the final benefit of being united with Christ, which is the special care of the Husbandman, as mentioned in John 15:1-2, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit." By virtue of their union with Christ, believers are the objects of God's special care and providence. Christ is God's vine, and the saints are His vineyard that He has a special interest in and concern for, as stated in Song of Solomon 8:12, "My vineyard, my very own, is for myself." The Keeper of the vineyard does not slumber nor sleep and watches over it day and night. He waters it with the dew of heaven, as mentioned in Isaiah 27:3, and dresses and weeds it to increase its fruitfulness, as stated in John 15:2. The luxuriant twigs that hinder fruitfulness are cut off, mainly through the ministry of the Word and cross or afflictions. Believers require the ministry of the Word, as emphasized in 1 Corinthians 3:9, "For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building," as well as the cross, as mentioned in 1 Peter 1:6.

Therefore, if we were to consider the cross as one of the benefits that flow to believers from their union with Christ, I believe that we would not be wrong. Surely, in their sufferings, they "suffer with him," Rom. 8:17. The assurances they have of the cross have more the nature of a promise than a threat, Psalm 89:30-33, "If his children forsake my law...then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless, my loving-kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail." This looks like a tutor's promise to a dying father to take care of the children left with him, and to give them both nurture and admonition for their good. The covenant of grace truly turns the spears of affliction into pruning hooks for those in Christ, Isa. 28:9, "By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged, and this is all the fruit to take away his sin." So why should we be angry with our cross? Why should we be frightened by it? The believer must take up his cross and follow his leader, the Lord Jesus Christ. He must take up his cross every day, Luke 9:23, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily." Yes, he must also take up his cross on special days, Lam. 2:22, "Thou hast called, as in a solemn day, my terrors round about." For a long time, the Jewish church had many pleasant meetings at the temple on solemn days for the worship of God, but they experienced a solemnity of a different nature when God called the Chaldean army to burn the temple and lay Jerusalem in ruins. And since the church of God is still militant in this lower realm, how can it be that the clouds will not return after the rain? But the cross of Christ, which is the name given to the saint's troubles, is a kindly name to the believer. It is a cross indeed, not to the believer's graces, but to his corruptions. The hypocrite's seeming grace may indeed breathe its last on a cross, as the grace of the stony-ground hearers did in Matthew 13:6, "When the sun" of persecution, verse 21, "was up, they were scorched, and because they had no root, they withered away," but never has one of the real graces in a believer died on the cross. In fact, as the candle shines brightest at night, and the fire burns most fiercely in intense frost, so the believer's graces are usually most vigorous in times of trouble.

The cross has a certain pleasure and sweetness for those who can discern and find it. It is pleasant for a Christian to be tried for heaven and stand as a candidate for glory. It is a joy to travel over mountains where the Christian can see the footprints of Christ and the flock who have gone before them. It is sweet for a saint to exercise their grace and see how a good God crosses their corrupt inclinations and prevents their folly. It is refined pleasure to observe how God pinches unruly lusts, taking away their provision, so that the Christian can govern them. Truly, there is a paradise within this thorn-hedge. Often the people of God are in bondage, which is not loosed until they are bound with cords of affliction. God throws them into a fiery furnace, which burns off their bonds, and then, like the three children, they are loose, walking in the midst of the fire. God gives His children a potion with one bitter ingredient, and if that does not work, He puts in a second, a third, and so on, as needed, to work together for their good. With cross winds, He hastens them to their labour. They are often found in such ways that the cross is the happiest thing that they can meet with. Worldly things often slow the Christian down on their way to heaven. God sends a wind of trouble that blows the burden off the Christian's back, allowing them to walk more speedily on their way. After God has drawn some gilded earth from the Christian's heart that was drawing them away from God, they can trust in the name of the Lord. It has been observed that "no history makes mention of any man who has been made better by riches." I doubt whether modern histories can supply the defect of ancient histories in this point. But many have been worse off for riches: thousands have been hugged to death in the embraces of a smiling world, and many good men have been wounded by outward prosperity, wounds that must be cured by the cross. Sometimes, spiritual imposthumes gather in the breasts of God's people in times of outward prosperity and are broken and dispersed by the cross. It is kind for believers to be healed by stripes, although they are usually so weak as to cry out for fear at the sight of the pruning-hook, as if it were the destroying axe. They think that the Lord is coming to kill them, when He is actually coming to cure them.

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