A key to real Christian living, union with Christ

Life with Christ, in Christ, by faith in God's Spirit...a key, if not the key to real Christian life.

Believing our real union with Christ is what the real Christian life is all about. 

True Christians operate, not from their own resources alone, but with the life of God connecting with their lives. A relationship with God is not merely knowing things about him. It is supposed to intimate, like a wife knowing her husband.

Quote from John Calvin about union with Christ:

“We must now examine this question. How do we receive those benefits which the Father bestowed on his only-begotten Son–not for Christ’s own private use, but that He might enrich poor and needy men?

First, we must understand that as long as Christ remains outside of us, and we are separated from Him, all that He has suffered and done for the salvation of the human race remains useless and of no value for us.

Therefore, to share with us what He has received from the Father, He had to become ours and to dwell within us. For this reason, He is called ‘our Head’ (Eph. 4:15), and ‘the first-born among many brethren’ (Rom. 8:29). We also, in turn, are said to be ‘engrafted into Him’ (Rom. 11:17), and to ‘put on Christ’ (Gal. 3:27).

For, as I have said, all that He possesses is nothing to us until we grow into one body with Him. It is true that we obtain this by faith.”

–John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, John T. McNeill, ed, Ford Lewis Battles, trans, Library of Christian Classics (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1960 [1559]), III.i.1.

A very good recent sermon on the topic: "You are in Christ, Christ is in you!" 

http://pacificcrossroads.org/teaching-series/how-to-read-the-ten-words/

Perhaps the best book on the topic, praised by JI Packer and John Piper:

Online free version, http://www.ccel.org/s/scougal/life/

Purchase here: http://www.amazon.com/Life-God-Soul-Man/dp/1891396315/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=

I hope this helps you keep yourself in the love of God

Jude 1:21

New International Version (NIV)

21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

John 15 - Jesus is the vine...

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.