We are united by story, having all been brought from death to life by the mercy of God. We are united in purpose, having been called to pursue holiness in this life as we prepare for the next. And we are united forever. We must run this race together. 

Personal Union

Union with Christ is profoundly personal. When God saved you, he united you to his Son. Your old life in bondage to sin ended. Your new life in service to him began. And he has called you—with all the strength he provides—to run with endurance the race that is set before you, striving for holiness (Heb. 12:1, 14). But God has not called you to run alone because when you are united with Christ, you are also united with his people.

We are saved together, and we are sanctified together. As Sinclair Ferguson writes, “The fellowship of the church is the context in which sanctification matures.”1 God has called us to grow in Christlikeness alongside Christ’s people. And when we work properly together, we will grow together (Eph. 4:16).

So what will help us work properly together? Let me suggest three answers. We will help each other in the pursuit of holiness when we remember that in Christ, we are united by story, united in purpose, and united forever.

United by Story

Shared stories have a unique way of binding people together. Shared stories foster unity. And in the church, we have a shared story. That’s important because our personal, individual relationship with Jesus is important. As believers, we can each say, “I have been crucified with Christ,” and, “I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20). Again, union with Christ is profoundly personal.

And yet union with Christ also brings us into a shared story with all God’s people. Romans 6 makes this abundantly clear. In fact, it’s so obvious that sometimes we read right past it. Look at the first four verses again and notice the pronouns:

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. (Rom. 6:1–4)

Do you see the shared story? We, the church, have died to sin. We, the church, have been baptized into Christ Jesus. We, the church, have been buried with him and have risen with him to walk in newness of life. This is our testimony. Remembering this shared story will help us foster unity. And we surely need help in the pursuit of unity.

Unfortunately, as we live in this divided world, we find that our communities of faith are not immune to division either. This is not a new challenge for churches. Writing to the believers in Corinth, Paul says with a heavy heart, “I hear that there are divisions among you” (1 Cor. 11:18). Our relationships within the church get strained—sometimes even severed—by pride, cruelty, impatience, and hostility. But God calls us to a more excellent way. He urges us to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which [we] have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:1–3).

How do we foster humility toward our brothers and sisters? One way is by remembering our shared story. We were all once enslaved to sin. We all experienced the same dramatic rescue. None of us has received any less saving than anyone else, because none of us needed any less saving than anyone else. Therefore, there’s no room for pride.

As followers of Christ, we need to remember our shared story. Again, this is why assembling to sing, pray, read, and sit under the preached word of Christ is so essential. This is why coming around the Lord’s Table as a gathered body is so vital. This is why meeting in smaller groups to open the Scriptures and pray for one another is so helpful. As we fix our collective eyes on the Savior who unites us, we will maintain the unity of his Spirit and the bond of peace. And we will spur one another on in the pursuit of our shared purpose.

United in Purpose

In Christ, we are free from sin’s tyranny. But our enemy has a way of creeping in and gaining a foothold in our lives. If we’re not careful, we can begin to believe the lie that we’re helpless to do anything about it. We can resign ourselves to the way things are and cease striving for a holy life.

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