DNA of Grace: Alive Together
For many years, I thought the Christian life was a series of attempts to breathe life into a corpse. I spent my early days in ministry trying to act like a living man while feeling spiritually exhausted. I was trying to please a God I thought was checking my performance daily. However, the more I studied the Word, the more I realized that the “DNA of Grace” isn’t about working for God; it is about being alive together with Christ.
When we talk about salvation, we often stop at forgiveness. We focus on the fact that our sins are gone. Certainly, that is wonderful news, but it is only half of the story. If you are forgiven but still dead, you are just a “not guilty” corpse. The Gospel is much bigger than a legal pardon. In other words, it’s not only a courtroom announcement, but it’s also a resurrection.
The old writers called this the difference between a legal union and a vital union. Legal union says, “Your record is cleared.” However, Vital Union says, “His life is now your life.” Therefore, the shared life of Christ is more than a pardon; it’s a heartbeat-to-heartbeat connection—the life of Jesus Christ flowing through your very being.
The Miracle of Being Quickened
I remember sitting in a small room in the Andes of Peru, looking out at the mountains and wondering if I really had what it took to be a missionary. I felt like I was constantly running out of gas. Consequently, I realized that I was trying to live the “Christian life” on my own strength. I was looking at my identity through the lens of my behavior rather than at my behavior through the lens of my identity.
In Ephesians, the Apostle Paul describes a radical shift that happens the moment we trust in the finished work of Christ. We weren’t just given a second chance; we were literally brought back from the dead.
Ephesians 2:4-5 “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)”
Notice the word “quickened.” It means to be made alive. This isn’t something we do for ourselves. Therefore, we must understand that this life is a gift of union. God didn’t just give you a “life” separate from Him. He joined you to the life of His Son. You are now sharing the same spiritual DNA.
Not Just Forgiven: Joined
The finished work of Christ means that everything Jesus did, He did as our representative. When He died, we died. When He was buried, we were buried. Meanwhile, the most exciting part is that when He rose, we rose with Him. This union is the foundation of our entire existence.
Here’s the turning point that stops you in your tracks. Calvin said it plainly:
“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 to us.”
In other words, Christianity isn’t just news about what Jesus did “back then.” It’s the Spirit making what Jesus did yours, by joining you to Him. That’s why shared life can’t be reduced to a legal pardon. Legal matters, yes. However, vital union is the point: Christ doesn’t merely change your status, He shares His life with you.
In Romans, Paul explains that our old self was handled at the Cross. Many people spend their whole lives trying to kill their “old man.” However, the Bible says that person is already dead. You don’t have to kill a dead man; you just have to reckon him dead and start walking in the new life you’ve been given.
Romans 6:4 “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
This “newness of life” is not a better version of your old life. It is the literal life of Christ. Think of it like a branch joined to a vine. The branch doesn’t have its own independent life source. It lives because the life of the vine is flowing into it. This is why I often say that The Big Leap of Faith is simply believing that God loves you exactly as you are and has already given you everything you need in Christ.
The Spirit: The Bond of Union
How does this union actually work in our daily lives, Monday through Saturday? It happens through the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is the bond of our union with Christ. He isn’t just a guest in your heart; He is the living presence of Jesus, making the shared life a reality.
Union with Christ is not just a theological declaration. It is a lived reality. When you feel weak, His strength is present because you are one with Him. When you feel confused, His wisdom is available. We don’t have to “reach up” to pull down blessings. Instead, we rest in the fact that we are already “seated in heavenly places” because He is seated there.
“The Christian life was never meant to be powered by fear, pressure, or performance. It was meant to be lived from being loved first.”
When we move away from religious performance and toward resting in this union, everything changes. You stop trying to “act” like a Christian and start “being” who you already are in Him. This is the essence of faith-based development. It is becoming a reality of your identity.
Living from the Finished Work
For over 50 years in ministry, I have seen people struggle under the weight of “shoulds” and “musts.” They think they need to work harder to make God happy. But the truth is, God is already pleased with you because He is pleased with His Son, and you are in His Son.
That’s also where real satisfaction in Jesus comes from. It doesn’t come from “trying harder” or “doing better.” Consequently, it comes from union—knowing you’re not visiting God, you’re included in Christ. You stop chasing a feeling and start resting in a Person who has already pulled you into His own life. That’s not hype. That’s shared life.
In my own journey, through battling Stage 4 cancer and a severe bout with COVID, I had to lean hard into this truth. When I didn’t have the strength to pray or the energy to serve, I had to trust that I was still “alive together” with Him. My union wasn’t based on my activity; it was based on His finished work.
Galatians 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
This verse is the DNA of grace. It’s the “not I, but Christ” principle. It doesn’t mean you become a robot. It means that your personality, your gifts, and your heart are now animated by His life. It’s a beautiful partnership.
Mercy is Running Toward You
If you feel like you’ve failed or that you’re not “living the life” correctly, I want to encourage you today. God is not disappointed in you. He isn’t grading your consistency. He is holding you.
“Mercy is not trailing behind you with conditions. It is running toward you with intention.”
You don’t have to fix yourself to get to a place of rest. Rest comes first. When you rest in the shared life of Christ, transformation flows naturally. You don’t have to struggle to produce the fruit of the Spirit any more than an apple tree struggles to produce apples. If life is there, the fruit will follow.
Walking Together in the New Covenant
The New Covenant is a promise from God to do for us what we could never do for ourselves. He didn’t just give us a new set of rules; He gave us a new heart and His own Spirit. This shared life means we are never alone. Whether you are leading a ministry, raising a family, or just trying to get through a difficult day, the life of the King is your life.
I want to invite you to stop the striving. Take a deep breath and realize that you are accepted, loved, and alive. Your identity is secure because it is hidden with Christ in God.
As you go about your week, remember that you aren’t trying to get closer to God. You are already as close as you can be because you are joined to Him. Let that truth sink into your soul and bring you the peace that only grace can provide.
FAQ: Understanding Your Shared Life with Christ
What does it mean to be “quickened together” with Christ?
To be quickened means to be made alive spiritually. It means that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is now living inside of you, giving you a completely new nature and identity that is no longer defined by your past sins.
Is union with Christ just a legal status, or is it something I can feel?
While union is a solid biblical fact, it is also a lived experience through the Holy Spirit. It isn’t always about “feelings,” which can change, but about a growing awareness and dependence on His presence within you to navigate life’s challenges.
How do I “live out” this shared life when I feel like I’m failing?
Living out the shared life begins with resting. When you fail, you don’t lose your union; you simply remind yourself that your standing with God is based on Christ’s performance, not yours. You turn back to Him and trust His life to flow through you again.
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