Galatians 2:20 — “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
Colossians 3:3–4 — For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
We have seen that the union between Christ and believers, brought about by the Holy Spirit at conversion and signified in baptism, is a legal union and a federal union. It is much more than this, though. If the nature of this conjoining was only legal and federal, no change of life could be anticipated in the believer. It would end with the imputation of righteousness to the believer who had none, and the imputation of his or her sins to Christ (Who had none) so they could be paid for. The believer would be positionally different in God's sight, but would have no principle of life and power within that could result in a different life this side of glory. The children of God would look different to Him, as He would view them "in Christ" but they would look no different than anyone else in this world.
We know from Scripture and from experience, though, that when someone comes to Christ they are transformed by Him. They are translated from death to life, from darkness to light, from being hard-hearted and stiff-necked toward God to those with melted and contrite hearts and a desire humbly to follow and obey the Savior. This cannot easily be hidden from anyone, and neither should it be!
How does this happen? We understand that in the union of the believer with Christ, He comes by His Spirit to take up residence within their hearts as a powerful principle of life, creating desires within them that they never had before - desires for holiness and righteousness - for Christ-likeness. That is what Paul is talking about in our texts above. This is a "vital union" in which the Spirit begins to form the likeness of Jesus in each true child of God. They now live as new creatures by faith in Christ - the old life has passed away and the new has come (1 Corinthians 5:17). He gives them a growing distaste for sin and greater power to put it to death. He imparts increasing love for Christ and for everything truly wholesome and good.
This union should result in growing Christ-likeness as long as the believer is here on earth. It can never be perfected here, though. It is only completed when the child of God leaves this world and enters into glory. It is not surprising, then, that as this process continues in the Christian, there comes a greater intensity of longing to depart this world and to be with Jesus where He is - to see His glory and to know the perfection of this vital union with Him.
We should be reminded of this in connection with our baptism and that of others, as we see in emblem the Holy Spirit cleansing the sin of a believer and joining him or her to Jesus in this vital, living way!
