I am always looking out for choice books on union with Christ. And in one of the podcasts, I had listened to some while ago, I heard the speakers refer to this book. After doing a little more reading about this book, I knew I had to have it. Enter my dear brother in Christ, Greg Poarch. Greg and I served as elders in the International Church Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur, (ICMK) Malaysia from 2014, until I left to take on a pastoral position in City Discipleship Presbyterian Church, (CDPC) Kuala Lumpur, in September of 2017.

I returned to ICMK in April 2023. In the meantime, I continued to keep in touch with Greg. Once I came upon Beale’s book on union with Christ, I asked Greg, who makes quite frequent trips back to the States, to help me purchase this book so that I can save from Amazon’s crazily high shipping and handling costs!

I took possession of this book from Greg after Sunday worship on 15th December, 2024. I couldn’t wait to read the book. However, my attempts to read this book on a Sunday afternoon after lunch and glean insights came to nothing! I was too sleepy after a full lunch!

This morning, 16th of December 2024, I embarked upon this book again, and this time, after a good night’s sleep, and after beseeching the LORD to energize and empower me with His Spirit, my meditations upon God’s word read through this book, yielded much joy, encouragement and edification.

Let me share some gleanings and gems from Beale’s labor of love. I can see why he remains my favorite theologian. I love everything about Beale’s exegesis of Scripture. I thoroughly enjoyed his sermons on Revelation. His down to earth nature of speaking and writing. He is my model of a theologian-pastor, a humble disciple of the LORD he loves writing about.

I begin my meditations and came across his reference to Constantine Campbell’s work on union with Christ, see image of his book below.

Beale (p 6) references Campbell’s work of “relatedness” with Christ with the following four terms, or categories:

1. Union
2. Participation
3. Identification
4. Incorporation

Simply reading through the four terms and categories above raised my anticipation of reading Beale’s book even further. Beale wants to highlight union with Christ from Christ’s resurrection and ascension to the Father’s right hand. Resurrection and Ascension certainly are two separate and unique realities contained in the one glorious truth of the gospel which Christ’s exaltation is key.

Beale in page 9 of his book makes reference to Acts 2:32-33 of Jesus’s exaltation to the Father’s right hand which involves the “pouring out” of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). The Holy Spirit, as preached by Peter on his inaugural church sermon that day, is the fulfilment of the Father’s promise to the Son for His completed work of salvation.

The awesomeness of our union with Christ through faith by the power of the Holy Spirit is captured by Beale’s phrase, “Jesus’s functional mediatorial work”. Jesus’s functional mediatorial work is IMPOSSIBLE apart from His union with His chosen and elect people. By faith and through the “empowering presence” of the Spirit in the people of God (Fee, G. D. (2011). God’s empowering presence: The Holy Spirit in the letters of Paul. Baker Academic.), Christ continues His functional mediatorial work today.

My reading of union with the Resurrected Christ so far in Beale’s work covers the “indicatives” of the gospel. This is already so heady. I am filled with joy to see the immense wealth of God contained in Christ and given so freely to His people by faith through the power of the Holy Spirit. The “imperatives” of the gospel brings such anticipation of Christ’s continued presence in His people, the church, His body, of His Spirit able to do far more abundantly than we can think or even imagine (Eph 3:20 & 21).

The reading, preaching and meditation upon the indicatives of the gospel of Christ mediates actual grace from God. I can already feel His Spirit empowering me now, in this present moment, with Himself, to live a life worthy of the gospel. No doubt the challenges of life lay ahead, today, and beyond. But empowered by the Spirit of God and of Christ, by faith, as I yield by His grace given to me, I can allow Christ in me, the hope of glory, the power of God, to overcome every trial and tests with His joy, and His love.