DR. FOWLER: Soul Rest (Part 3)

Since God dwells in us in Spirit-form, the scriptures employ numerous explanations of how the spirit-union is established and functions. We must be "born of the Spirit" (John 3:5,8), Jesus said.

Dr. James Fowler is one of the leading authors on the believer’s union with Christ. He has written 20+ books on the topic. He is a theologian, Board Member of IOM America, and dear friend of Dr. Stephen Phinney. He is the founder of Christ in You Ministries. We hope you are blessed by his series, “Soul Rest.”

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The Christian in "spirit-union" has exchanged darkness for light.  The risen Lord Jesus told Saul that his mission was to "convert people from darkness to light" (Acts 26:18). To the Colossian Christians, Paul wrote, "He (Jesus) delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son" (Col. 1:13). "Called out of darkness into His marvelous light" (II Pet. 2:9), Christians are "saints in light" (Col. 1:12), "sons of light" (I Thess. 5:5), and "children of light" (Eph. 5:8), for "the life was the light of men" (Jn. 1:4).

Spirit-union is such an integral and intimate union that the identity of the Christian is based on the presence of Jesus Christ. Spirit-union is an identity-union. The deepest sense of any person's identity is in the realm of the spirit.

            Christians are "sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus" (Gal. 3:26). We are "children of God" (I Jn. 3:1,2) - no longer "children of the devil," but "children of God" (I Jn. 3:10), for "as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12). Christians are "the people of God" (I Pet. 2:10), intended to "rest" (Heb. 4:9) as God's own possession (Titus 2:14). Christians constitute the new "Israel of God" (Gal. 6:16; cf. Rom. 9:6). We are "members of God's household" (Eph. 2:19), and "citizens of heaven" (Phil. 3:20). Every Christian is a "priest" (I Pet. 2:9; Rev. 1:6) with access into the Holy of Holies of God's presence (Heb. 10:19). We are "kings" (I Pet. 2:9), who "reign in life through Jesus Christ" (Rom. 5:17). Though our spiritual identity was once that of "sinners" (Rom. 5:19), we are now "saints" (Rom. 8:27; Eph. 1:18; 4:12), having a derived identity as "holy ones" by the presence of the "Holy One" (Acts 3:14; I Jn. 2:1), Jesus Christ, with Whom we have spirit-union.