In the previous chapter we discussed the nature of the church, as well as the obligation to join and remain with her. We shall now speak of the communion true members of the church have with their Head Jesus Christ and each other, and also how they must exercise this.
The Relationship Between Christ and His Church
The Lord Jesus not only gives many and excellent benefits to His church, but He and His Church mutually belong to each other, are united with each other—and exercise communion with each other, all of which is wondrous beyond comparison. These three elements comprehend all true felicity.
All true believers are the property of Christ, and Christ is the property of all true believers. This is indicated by the possessive pronouns “mine” and “his,” which so frequently are employed in the Song of Solomon, as well as in many other texts. “My beloved is mine, and I am His” (Song 2:16); “Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled” (Song 5:2).
This is first of all based and founded upon a gift. The Father has given them to the Son. “Thine they were, and Thou gavest them Me” (John 17:6); “Ask of Me, and I shall give Thee the heathen for Thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession” (Ps 2:8).
The Father has likewise given the Son to believers. “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given” (Isa 9:6); “And gave Him to be the head over all things to the church” (Eph 1:22).
Secondly, this is based and founded upon purchase, for Jesus obtained them at great expense. He purchased them with His blood; He has paid the price and they are thus His property in full conformity to the law. “For Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood” (Rev 5:9).
Thirdly, this is based and founded upon victory. Believers were once in the power of Satan, being in his snare and taken captive by him at his will. By His death, the Lord Jesus has conquered and bound the devil, delivering the elect from his power and translating them into His kingdom. “That through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Heb 2:14-15); “When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: but when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils” (Luke 11:21-22).
Fourthly, this is based and founded on marriage. In a marriage covenant both parties become the property of each other by way of mutual surrender. This is also true of this relationship. “Yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou becamest Mine” (Ezek 16:8). In Hos 2:19-20 reference is made to this marriage covenant. We read there, “And I shall betroth thee unto Me for ever.” This covenant can therefore never be broken, nor can the partakers of this covenant ever be separated from Him. “Yea, I shall betroth thee unto Me in righteousness.” It has the Father’s approbation and is His delight. As a consequence of Christ’s suffering and death they have been translated into a state wherein they can approach unto God, whose justice has truly been satisfied, and become His children in Christ. “And in judgment”; that is, to keep them as the apple of His eye and to take vengeance upon all who offend them. “And in lovingkindness, and in mercies.” This entire transaction is marked by love, friendliness, goodness, and beneficence. “I shall even betroth thee unto Me in faithfulness”; that is, I shall do so in truth, faithfully, and with certainty, and thus never leave you nor forsake you. “And thou shalt know the Lord.” I shall enlighten the eyes of your understanding, I shall reveal Myself to you, and cause you to see and to taste all My beauty.
Fifthly, this is based and founded upon surrender. From the side of the believer there is likewise a heartfelt, total, and absolute surrender, doing so without any reservation. They yield themselves unto the Lord (2 Chron 30:8); “One shall say, I am the Lord’s; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord” (Isa 44:5); “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom He hath chosen for His own inheritance” (Ps 33:12).
The Nature of the Union Between Christ and His Church
This belonging to each other also implies union. The nature of this union is inexpressible, and can better be experienced by the believer than expressed in words. This union is neither one of essence as the divine Persons are one, nor personal as the human nature has been assumed by Christ as divine Person. This union is also neither one of mixture as water and wine are mixed, nor does a transformation take place as if believers would become Christ Himself, and thus would become God or Christ. This union is neither a sacramental union such as the union between the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper with the body and blood of Christ, nor is it merely an external relationship. It also does not consist in the believer’s conformity to Christ in the way of sanctification.
Rather, this union is established:
(1) by the indwelling of the Spirit of Christ in believers: “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you” (1 Cor 3:16);
(2) by spiritual marriage (cf. Ezek 16:8; Hos 2:19-20);
(3) by faith which, by its very nature, unites: “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith” (Eph 3:17);
(4) by love which, due to its very nature, cannot tolerate separation, but seeks the most intimate of unions. “My Father shall love him, and We shall come unto him, and make our abode with him” (John 14:23); “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ” (Rom 8:35). This union is therefore real, essential, true, complete, without any reservation, eternally inseparable, spiritual, and without any corporal dimension.
Scripture refers to this union by means of several expressions and explains it by way of various comparisons.
Scripture refers to this union as:
(1) “being one”: “But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit” (1 Cor 6:17); “For if we have been planted together …”1 (Rom 6:5);
(2) “putting on Christ”: “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 13:14).
(3) “being rooted in Christ”: “Rooted and built up in Him” (Col 2:7);
(4) being mutually in each other. a) Christ is and lives in believers. “I in them” (John 17:23); “Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you” (2 Cor 13:5); “Christ liveth in me” (Gal 2:20). b) Believers in turn have been elected in Christ. “According as He hath chosen us in Him” (Eph 1:4). They are also baptized in Him. “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Gal 3:27). “Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death” (Rom 6:4). They live in Him. “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him” (Col 2:6); “And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:6). The Lord Jesus gives expression to this mutual indwelling when He states, “He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit” (John 15:5).
Scripture expresses the intimacy of this union by a variety of comparisons.
First, it compares this union to a marriage. “They two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church” (Eph 5:31-32).
Secondly, this union is compared to the union of the body with the Head. “… and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is His body” (Eph 1:22-23); “Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ” (1 Cor 6:15); “And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God” (Col 2:19).
Thirdly, it is compared to the union between a tree and its branches. “And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree” (Rom 11:17); “I am the vine, ye are the branches” (John 15:5).
Fourthly, it is also compared to a house, which is built up by uniting many stones together. “To whom coming, as unto a living stone, … ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house” (1 Pet 2:4-5); “And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord” (Eph 2:20-21). The comparisons point to a most intimate union in the natural realm. However, the spiritual union between believers and Christ is of a more intimate nature than these.