“Everything that
happens to us, good and bad, and everything we strive for, can now be
interpreted through this new prism—the image of God being restored in you.”
Rankin Wilbourne, Union with Christ: The Way to Know and Enjoy God
I read the preceding
quote, taken from Chapter Eight of Wilbourne’s new book from publisher David C.
Cook, with great joy. It came just under the heading “Rejoicing in Your
Suffering,” itself a provocative statement in a church age known more for its
so-called “prosperity gospel” than its willingness to follow Christ to the
cross.
As a biblical
counselor, the viewpoint from which this review is written, Wilbourne’s
observation was important because, as much of the book’s previous chapters had
already shown, the theological implications of the doctrine of union with Christ
and its consequences hold life-changing power for counselees experiencing
life’s most dominating circumstances.
At the
counseling table, hurting people want to know that there’s hope, and Wilbourne’s
book extends hope to them through a fresh look at one of Scripture’s most
precious doctrines: union with Christ.
Mind the Gap
The majority of
counselees I work with are professing Christians. They come in with a variety
of struggles that have taken over their lives. They now seek help in learning how
to apply the Gospel they say they believe in, yet from which they feel bitterly
disconnected. They may not use Wilbourne’s exact words, but they feel the gap
between their faith and their struggle.
Wilbourne
addresses this gap in Chapter One, bringing the pressure of this common sense
of discontentment felt by many believers, whether they seek counseling or not.
This opening salvo is part of what makes the book so tangible. He doesn’t just
explain what has been described as a “cold doctrine,” he helps the reader from
the very beginning feel the heat of our lack of understanding and appreciation
for what it means to be united with the risen Christ.
Wilbourne,
himself a Presbyterian pastor, wrote in a tone that conveys pastoral care and
concern. He’s concerned not only that his audience rediscover this grand truth
of union with Christ, but that they see how integral it is to their
discipleship and spiritual maturity.
Across 288 pages
or so of text, he lays out nuggets of truth related to the doctrine, makes consistent
appeals to Scripture, and brings in wisdom from famous poets, authors, and
theologians. In this way, Wilbourne holds the reader’s attention, and keeps
them looking forward to the next point of instruction and application.
Sound Doctrine Made Practical
Wilbourne’s book
is helpfully broken down into four engaging parts, each with a subheading of
three to four smaller chapters:
1. Union with
Christ: What is it and why do we need it?
2. Union with
Christ: Where did it come from? Where did it go?
3. Union with
Christ: What problems does it solve?
4. Union with
Christ Day by Day
I would
recommend that pastors and counselors make use of Wilbourne’s book by having
counselees read individual parts, followed by a debriefing or session of
discussion, asking questions, and application.
I’m not familiar
with a study guide at this time, so it would certainly be necessary that the
pastor-counselor be familiar with the book and the doctrine of union with
Christ. Counselees who struggle with hope in suffering, enslavement to
besetting sin, or identity would be strong candidates for a read of this book.
One area of
concern, or perhaps where I might have appreciated some clarification from
Wilbourne comes in Chapter Three, “Why We Need It: Two songs playing in our
heads.”
In this chapter, Wilbourne is addressing what he calls the “two
dominant voices” of discipleship in our day (p.61). One voice he identifies as,
“just believe,” and the other, “just obey.” The former he says is marked by “extravagant
grace,” and the latter, “radical discipleship.”
Wilbourne is
concerned here to help the reader see how union with Christ produces change in
the heart. At some level, there is a discussion occurring related to law and
Gospel that two aforementioned voices tend to miss altogether.
I would have
appreciated more clarity on the role of good works as the product or fruit of
our union with Christ according to the related doctrines of justification and
sanctification by grace alone. The threat of Neonomianism in our day, I would
propose, demands that we hold tightly to sola fide and sola gratia.
Three Favorite Quotes
This minor
concern notwithstanding, Wilbourne’s book is one that I will gladly be recommending
to my counselees, and will look forward to referencing for personal encouragement
from time to time.
The doctrine of
union with Christ is, as Wilbourne described, “… not a dusty relic of history
or ivory tower pursuit” (p.36). It is central to the Gospel. His book will help
us recover this great truth in the church today, “… the one place it most needs
to be.”
While you wait
for your copy to arrive in the mail, here are three of my favorite quotes from
Wilbourne:
“To be found in
Christ means you don’t have to prove yourself anymore … When God looks at you,
he sees you hidden in Christ.” (p.48)
“Nothing is more
personally helpful, theologically significant, or pastorally needed than a
recovery of union with Christ.” (p.113)
“The only way it
can be ‘well with your soul’ in the midst of agonizing personal trauma is if
you know and are assured that you are covered ‘in Christ.’” (p.257)
For more
information about Rankin Wilbourne and his book “Union with Christ,” visit
Litfuse Publicity.
Disclaimer: I received
a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my fair and impartial review.
