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regenerated is directly connected with Christ and receives his life from Him. Consequently the
Bible always emphasizes the bond with Christ, John 14:20; 15:1-7; II Cor. 5:17; Gal. 2:20; Eph.
3:17,18.
6. IT IS A TRANSFORMING UNION.
By this union believers are changed into the image of Christ
according to his human nature. What Christ effects in His people is in a sense a replica or
reproduction of what took place with Him. Nor only objectively, but also in a subjective sense
they suffer, bear the cross, are crucified, die, and are raised in newness of life, with Christ. They
share in a measure the experiences of their Lord, Matt. 16:24; Rom. 6:5; Gal. 2:20; Col. 1:24;
2:12; 3:1; I Pet. 4:13.
C. ERRONEOUS CONCEPTIONS OF THE MYSTICAL UNION.
There are several erroneous conceptions of the mystical union, against which we should be on
our guard. Errors on this point should not be regarded as inconsequential and therefore
unimportant, for they are fraught with danger for a true understanding of the Christian life.
1. RATIONALISTIC ERROR.
We must avoid the error of the Rationalist who would identify the
mystical union with the union of Christ as the Logos with the whole creation or with the
immanence of God in all human spirits. This is found in the following statement, which A. H.
Strong quotes from Campbell, The indwelling Christ: “In the immanence of Christ in nature we
find the ground of his immanence in human nature. . . . A man may be out of Christ, but Christ
is never out of him. Those who banish him he does not abandon.” In this view the mystical
union is robbed of its soteriological significance.
2. MYSTICAL ERROR.
Another dangerous error is that of the Mystics who understand the
mystical union as an identification of the believer with Christ. According to this view there is in
it a union of essence, in which the personality of the one is simply merged into that of the
other, so that Christ and the believer do not remain two distinct persons. Even some of the
Lutherans went to that extreme. One extremist did not hesitate to say, “I am Christ Jesus, the
living Word of God; I have redeemed thee by my sinless sufferings.”
3. SOCINIAN AND ARMINIAN ERROR.
Quite another extreme is found in the teachings of
Socinians and Arminians, who represent the mystical union as a mere moral union, or a union
of love and sympathy, like that existing between a teacher and his pupils or between friend and
friend. Such a union does not involve any interpenetration of the life of Christ and that of
believers. It would involve no more than loving adherence to Christ, friendly service freely
rendered to him, and ready acceptance of the message of the Kingdom of God. It is a union that
does not call for a Christ within us.