How Union with Christ Unites the Church
April 6, 2026
April 6, 2026
Abstract: Brad Wetherell encourages Christians to consider the corporate aspect of our union with Christ. Being united to Christ by faith is not merely a personal matter, for we are united to all God’s people. And though the church still has to deal with sin and division, we should be motivated to pursue greater unity based on our shared story, purpose, and future in Christ.
The other night I went to fill up a glass of water before bed when disaster struck. My aim was off as I reached toward the water dispenser on our fridge and the lip of the glass knocked awkwardly against the door. This caused me to lose my grip and drop the glass on the floor. My kitchen floor is mercilessly hard, so what happened next was inevitable. The glass shattered into a thousand pieces around my feet. I was stunned. It all happened so fast.
Over the past several years, many Christians have felt stunned by how quickly division can enter the church, shattering bonds that once kept believers close. We’ve seen it on macro levels as movements and institutions fracture and fray. We’ve seen it on micro levels as members leave and relationships rupture. Sometimes, we look back and recognize that the break was inevitable. But always, we grieve as brothers and sisters who once enjoyed fellowship now express hostility.
Division 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). As long as we live in this fallen world, unity will not come easily. But unity is possible as we “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).
The question is: in this divided world, how can we foster this kind of unity within the church? And one answer is: by remembering our union with Christ.
Union with Christ refers to the believer’s position in Christ established at conversion, experienced in all of life, and enjoyed forever. It is a profoundly personal doctrine. But it is not merely a personal doctrine. God has united all his people together with Christ, and remembering our shared story, purpose, and future in Christ will strengthen our unity.
Consider some idyllic small town in America on the Fourth of July. The members of the community, often isolated in the busyness of everyday life, come together for a morning parade. They smile and cheer for their school band and their veterans. Throughout the day, neighbors, friends, and families gather for backyard barbeques. And that night, everyone is together again for the fireworks. What’s causing this unusual display of camaraderie? A shared story. July Fourth is not just America’s Independence Day—it’s their Independence Day.
Union with Christ brings us into a shared story with all God’s people. Romans 6—which is all about union with Christ—makes this abundantly clear. In fact, it’s so obvious that sometimes we read right past it. Look at the first four verses 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 story.
Remembering this story will help us foster the kind of humility necessary for unity. We were all once enslaved to sin. We have all experienced the same dramatic rescue. Despite our many differences, 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.
And we are all still struggling with sin. We are engaged in a warfare we cannot win on our own. We need all the help that God provides, including the strength that comes through his people.
In the church, we all have the same purpose: we are aiming to grow into the “measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13). Since we are united with him, we want to live like him. And Jesus never intended for us to do this on our own.
Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. (Eph. 4:15–16)
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.
What does it look like to work properly together? Well, we don’t need fellow believers to kick us when we’re down or guilt us into insincere repentance. We need brothers and sisters who are willing to hang in there with us, to pray for us, and to remind us of the inexhaustible grace that is ours in Christ. We need fellow church members who will lovingly spur us on toward godliness until the race is complete.
We’re all headed somewhere. Apart from Christ, we were headed toward the grim reality of everlasting death. But in Christ, we are headed toward the glorious destiny of everlasting life (Rom. 6:23). And we will not enjoy eternal life on our own.
One day, we will stand together in the presence of our Lord, united forever. All the petty arguments and painful disagreements that divide us now will have come to an end. Every Christian relationship that broke apart in this life will come back together. A perfect unity of unending love is all that will remain.
We’re not there yet. But in Christ, we will get there. And knowing that we will spend eternity alongside all of Christ’s people should encourage us to pursue greater unity now.
So, as you gather with your church this Lord’s Day, remember your shared story, your shared purpose, and your shared future. Remember and rejoice, for all of this is yours in Christ.
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Editor’s Note: This article has been adapted from Brad Wetherell’s book Saved to Sin No More: How Union with Christ Empowers a Life of Holiness, (Crossway, 2026).