Uniting in Love預覽

Communion with the Son

Jesus Christ is before all things, and in Him, all things hold together.

The Church is a Christ-centered church, and our knowledge of God is located in Christ. Jesus is the revelation of the Father, and the Spirit draws us to the Son.

Our union with Christ Jesus is essential to our identity and all that we have. Our justification, sanctification, and glorification – our salvation— flow out of our union with Christ. He is the medium of all communication between God and us, as Christ is the perfect mediator between God and man.

Jesus is the eternal Son of God and the Word become flesh, both truly God and truly man. It is by Jesus that we know God and know ourselves. When we discover the attributes of God through the lens of Christ, not only do we understand better, but we are actually comforted and drawn to love Him more.

Our union with Christ is what makes us alive, and our communion with God is by the love of Christ.

Christ’s love is active and effective. Christ loves us into a covenant with God. He loves us so that we become holy. He loves us into heaven.

As we consider Scripture’s analogy of Christ and his bride, the church, we see Jesus seeking his people as a lover pursues his beloved. He pursues, and his bride responds. There is great joy as Jesus gives of himself in delight, and we move beyond merely knowing God into experiencing him in communion.

We can sometimes think that we do not deserve the love of Christ. Why would the perfect groom choose us as his bride? But the perfect lover never abandons his beloved.

And the beloved should not hide from her lover. We are to respond to the love of Christ. We are to return his affections. Our affections for Christ are awakened inside of us in response to his love.

How can we best abide in the true Vine so we are nourished to bear fruit and our joy may be full?

We must know Jesus. We learn and study Him. We abandon our inaccurate thoughts and distorted ideas about him and see him clearly and fully. For to know him is to love him.

What a joy it is to hear the excellencies of Jesus proclaimed! He has brought us out of darkness and into his marvelous light. To commune with him, dust off the shadows and come into the light.

Reflection Questions

How do you know that Jesus loves you?

How can you best respond to His love?

How can your church help you love Jesus more?

How can you help your church love Jesus more?

Why is it important that Jesus is both God and man?