I found this clear and forthright position quite refreshing in our "ho-hum, let's be theologically vague" context.
 "A holy man is not merely a man placed upon an eminence whence the vast view spreads out on every side onward to Canaan itself, but he is a man gifted with keen clear vision who can make use of that lofty position for surveying fully the kingdom of which he has been made the heir." -Horatius Bonar, The Eternal Day The following This second segment deals with the idea of salvation and its relation to the church. Dr. Davis deals with one of the seminal topics of theology: that of union with Christ. The section you will be looking at essentially deals with what one is saved from (“lostness”), how one is saved (union with Christ), and the blessings that accompany this salvation. However, I wish to develop the notion of union with Christ The importance of this doctrine: This doctrine is, as I said, of seminal importance because it is the key to salvation. One cannot be saved without it. It is by this union with Christ (and only by this union) that we come to share in the benefits of Christ’s redemptive work. While today this doctrine might not receive much notice, it used to be one of primacy within the church. John Calvin certainly placed great emphasis upon it in his Institutes. In fact, he built his soteriology around it. Calvin's first proposition in book three, which concerns The Way in Which We Receive the Grace of Christ," is: The Holy Spirit as the bond that unites us to Christ." His first paragraph reads:
The doctrine’s importance will be fleshed out more in what follows. However, a summation is as follows: Every human being is united to Adam by virtue of their birth. He is the representative of humanity. It is only by union with Christ that one can enjoy the grace of God and all that Christ accomplished by virtue of his death and resurection. The confusion surrounding this doctrine: Mysticism & New Age beliefs When we talk about union with Christ, we are referring to something that is mystical. Sometimes it is called “the mystical union with Christ.” This is not to be confused with mysticism which is found in some sects of Christianity and Eastern religions (New Age, Buddism, etc). Mysticism involves the practice of trances and entering into “transcendent states.” In these religions one seeks to mentally escape the world in order to experience a heightened state of oneness or contact with the divine. The goal of mysticism is to enter into a higher spiritual state to overcome some sort of physical separation caused by finite humanity. Examples: Yoga, Eastern meditations, occult, mainline youth group leader When talking about the mystical union with Christ we are not speaking of such things. We mean a real, but nevertheless spiritual & mysterious, union with Christ. There is no escape from present realities or disdain for physical & distinct humanity as it presently is. Four Types of Union in Scripture. In John 17:23 Jesus prays to the Father for the church’s welfare. He says, “I in them, thou in me, that they may be perfect in one.” In this passage there is a threefold union: There is the union that exists within the Godhead, between Christ and the Church, and among the members of the church. None of these can be fully comprehended and yet all of them are real and true. This helps us to understand what “mystical union” is. The union that exists between the Godhead is a spiritual union that is utterly incomprehensible. Without revelation this relationship would never be known. Therefore, we can say that it is mystical because it has qualities of being immaterial and is utterly mysterious. The union that exists among believes, while very much different in its substance than the union and communion experienced by the persons of the Godhead, has parallels. It is a real unity that has spiritual elements. Physical unity never is achieved due to the limitations of men. However, it does seek to express this real, spiritual, and mysterious unity that exists between the members of Christ’s body. We might also point to the unity that exists between a man and woman united in marriage. The Bible declares such to be “one flesh.” The intimacy of the marital bond, most vividly expressed in the sexual union and knitting together of life, is one that cannot be fully grasped. It ought to be obvious that they do not become ontologically one (i.e. they do not fuse together as one person). The nature of the union is beautifully incomprehensible. So much so that Paul draws on the imagery to speak of the union of Christ and the church. Metaphors for the doctrine[2] The Scripture uses many images and analogies to depict this union. The following are but a few: 1. Glue: 1 Corinthians 6:17 “But he who is joined (glued) to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.” (definite union) 2. Ingrafting: Rom. 6:5 “we have been united [planted together] in his death” (vital) 3. Vine & Branches: John 15: 1-2, 5. A union that is vital and expresses the dependence of one part upon another as the source of nourishment, strength & power, producing fruitfulness 4. Marriage: Eph. 5:25f (intimate, spiritual oneness) 5. Body: Ephesians 4:15f (all encompassing/ touching each member) 6. Abiding in Christ: The imagery deepens from being externally connected, like a vine on a tree, to that of actual entering into and finding one’s dwelling place in. 7. Partakers of Christ (2 Peter) Union with Christ is Trinitarian All divine and spiritual life is originally in the Father, and comes not to us, but by and through the Son, John 5: 26. to him has the Father given to have an "autodzoe", - a quickening enlivening power in himself; but the Son communicates this life which is in him to none but by and through the Spirit, Rom. 8:2. So. "The Spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus, has made me free from the law of sin and death." – John Flaval Definition: Based on the Scriptural presentation Louis Berkhoff defines union with Christ in this way: that intimate, vital and spiritual union between Christ and his people, in virtue of which He is the source of their life and strength, of their blessedness and salvation. The Westminster Larger Catechism states the following regarding the doctrine: What is that union which the elect hve with Christ? The union which the elect have with Christ is the work of God's grace, whereby they are spiritually and mystically, yet really and inseparably, joined to Christ as their head and husband; which is done in their effectual calling. The Nature of the Union: What it is not [3] 1. The union is not merely mental or imaginary. Atheistic teaching poses that such a thing would be fantastical, and not at all scientific. Some may even go so far as to say that such persons believing in this ought to be committed. However, the union is not make believe or an illusion in the least. Christ himself said, “At that day you shall know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you." 2. It is not a physical or ontological union. Some in the history of the church have posited a divinization of humanity, where the Christian actually takes on deity or is subsumed into God. While there is a real union, each of the members of this union remain physically distinct. 3. It is not merely a union of love or affection. Friends are said to be united because of their deep concern for one another. It is said that Jonathan’s soul was knit to David and that his love was “better than that of a woman’s.” This kind of affection most certainly exists between Christ and the elect. However, this love does not comprise the essence of the union. The Nature of the Union: What it is[4] 1. It is a spiritual union. This means, primarily that it is a union that is produced by the third person of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit. He, who is the Spirit of Christ, establishes a personal bond between the believing soul and Jesus Christ. This bond commences by the Spirit’s filling the soul and coming to reside in him in one’s effectual calling and regeneration. 2. It is a real union. The distance between Christ in heaven and believers on earth presents no obstacle to the reality of a spiritual union. Christ is in heaven and we are upon earth, but the Spirit of Christ being omnipresent is able to be the connecting link between us. 14 Through the Spirit not merely a figurative but a real union is effected, so that there is one living principle in the head and the members. "He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit" (1 Cor. 6:17). Astounding as it is, the same Spirit lives in our exalted Redeemer and in His people on earth; and hence, although separated from Him and from one another, they are but one.15 3. It is a personal union. The union between Christ and believers is such that their persons are united to His person. This union is not an impersonal and theoretical relatedness, it is a relationship in which there is mutual knowledge, love, communication, and communion in all things. And since Christ cannot be separated from His Father and His Spirit, this union at the same time brings us into communion of the undivided Trinity.16 Indeed, union with Christ marries the church with Christ and realizes God's purpose to establish His everlasting covenant of love and friendship with the people He loves, so that they may say in very truth, "I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine" (Song. 6:3). 4. It is mysterious, or mystical. The apostle Paul describes the union between Christ and His church as "a great mystery." It belies scrutiny and definition, for it is, in the true sense of the word, a mystery.18 This union, being a work of the Holy Spirit, "is supernatural, most powerful, and at the same time most delightful, astonishing, mysterious, and ineffable.…"19 This is a union in which the inmost soul of the redeemed is reserved for Christ's inhabitation by the Spirit, who thus becomes the life of their life, the soul of their soul, in a sense to which any other union makes no approximation.22 23 5. It is a gracious union that begets the benefits of Christ’s work. The union is not one that is deserved or comes into upon one’s effort. It is wrought soley by the favor of God through the Holy Spirit. The communion which the believer experiences with Christ includes all those essential elements pertaining to salvation, such as regeneration, justification, sanctification and glorification, etc. [1]This is but one of the numerous sections that rely heavily upon Christopher Connors’ work “The Place of the Mystical Union in Reformed Theology.” Many thanks are owed to Mr. Connors and his excellent work, which may be found at http://www.prca.org/prtj/nov2002.htm#MysticalUnion [2] Some of this material, as well as other items sprinkled throughout this work, are owing to John Flavel and his piece, “The Method of Grace in the Gospel of Redemption.” [3] Reliance upon Flavel again is expressed for the following. [4] Again, a debt to Connors is expressed for the following.  Will Atheists sell their souls? If they don't believe in a soul, why wouldn't they? This was an interesting question that came up on the Freakonomics podcast today. Don't get me wrong. I don't advise such purchases. But it is interesting to note how atheists have some reservation on the question. If they were consistent, like the man mentioned on the podcast, they would have no trouble whatsoever. However, the fellow who offered to purchase the souls of atheists he spoke with hadn't met with many takers. It gives a small testimony to the fact that that they do have a conscience that is rooted in the immaterial and immortal--and that there is a profaneness to treating it with such flippancy. The flip side, to which the show speaks, is the irreverence of such a notion. It should be obvious that you really can't purchase a soul, it being inextricably bound to one's body. As C.S. Lewis has said, you are more soul than body. To think that you can purchase it is absurd. But even the consideration of purchasing another's soul is profane. The soul is invaluable due to its sacredness and deserves greater respect. I'll be officiating a wedding this weekend. I absolutely love how the traditional service begins because it talks about the beauty and wonder of the institution of marriage. I post here because of its grandeur and because our culture, which essentially hates marriage, needs to hear it: Dearly beloved, we are gathered here in the presence of God and these witnesses to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony. God himself instituted marriage at the beginning in the Garden of Eden, before sin entered the world. He said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make a helper suitable for him." Thereupon God created woman of man's own substance and brought her to the man. Our Lord Jesus Christ honored marriage by his presence and first miracle at the wedding in Cana of Galilee. And he confirmed it as a divine ordinance and as a union not to be severed when he declared, "Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, 'For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and the two shall become one flesh'? Wherefore they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." Moreover, the Holy Spirit sets forth the sacred and exalted nature of marriage when he likens it to the mystical union that exists between Christ and his redeemed bride, the church, saying, "This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church." Accordingly, God has designed marriage for the enrichment of the lives of those who enter into this estate, for the orderly propagation of the human race, for the generation of a holy seed, and for the avoidance of sexual immorality, all to the glory of the covenant God. Husbands and wives thus have responsibilities befitting God's purposes for their relationship. The Holy Scripture says, "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for [her]." The husband is to love his wife as his own body, to care for her, and to cherish her. The Holy Scripture says also, "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything." The wife is to submit to her husband, to respect him, and to entrust herself to his loving care. Both husbands and wives are to be faithful to each other, to assist each other in all good things, to heartily forgive each other their sins and shortcomings, and to love each other as themselves. Thus united in love, they will more and more reflect in their marriage the unity of Christ and his church.  The latest addition to the Doctrine on Fire Audio Recordings is now up. In this recording you will be overawed by Jonathan Edwards' meditations on the infinite perfection and power of love in heaven. The work is coming out in parts due to its length. What is now out will certainly be worth the dollar you put into it though. This initial 35 minute installment expounds the Source and Objects of love in heaven. In sum, you will find yourself glorying in the steams of infinite love that pour forth from God himself. You will also consider the Subjects of love in heaven. In doing so you will discover how the intensity of God's love causes the inhabitants of heaven to love perfectly and with an ever increasing fervor.  Shakespearian plays, youtube awesomeness, and downright informative soundbites of hard core Reformed Theology. That's right, our latest newsletter has just converged on the cyberworld! This issue concentrates on this thing we call the Covenant of Grace. We begin with a reminder that the story of the Bible is not a tragedy, and then see how the Covenant spans Scripture. We also take two articles to briefly consider how this covenant thing makes our worship and parenting distinct from what you might get elsewhere. If you are not currently in the loop, make sure you subscribe!  The Bible warns us to beware of hollow and vain philosophies that are patterned after human traditions and the elemental spirits of the world. In this we understand that the learning process is not a neutral endeavor. There are competing ideas which are antithetical to one another vying for the mind. Since this is so—and since it is important that Christ be Lord of all, it is important to build a philosophy of education that is distinctly Christian in its orientation. The above words come from the introduction to the philosophy of education that I created when I first began teaching my home education courses. I went back to review this statement after a conversation with some old friends who are now educators in the government schools. The conversation began over this article, "Public Education: A form of child sacrifice." It's a real zinger of a title, I know. But the article outlines well how antithetical the public schools are to the Christian faith, and how this alternative discipleship is emptying out our churches. As my public school teacher friends conversed over the article, I was surprised at how they expressed exactly what I was trying to warn against. Though they probably did not know it, they demonstrated that their understanding of education was not based in a Christian principle. One said that she loves teaching evolution without understanding that the system is radically antithetical to the Christian worldview. Another expressed that school was not a place for teaching Biblical principles--which essentially is an atheistic statement. At the very least, it is an outright denial of Deuteronomy 6:5-9. All this is to say that there is a form of education that is distinctly Christian and there are many philosophies of education that will destroy faith due to their unChristian basis. Some of this can be witnessed in the two classes that I taught in the last year. In my Public Speaking class, we began by looking at the foundation of communication. We discussed that speech isn't even possible without a Triune Creator. We looked at different Scriptures that provide understanding on the right use of the tongue and discussed how that serves as a guide for public debate. Throughout the class we used the Apostle Peter's words as a guide, "Be ready to give a response to the one who asks you for the hope that lies within you, and do this with gentleness." Ultimately, for the Christian, learning the arts of public speaking is for the right communication of the gospel! Obviously, you wouldn't get this in a public school. My creative writing class was also developed from a distinctly Christian standpoint, with the fear of God guiding it. In our poetry section we did not just learn basic structures of meter and foot. The students created hymns! We discussed the nature of art and beauty and sought to express how such things were to bring glory to God. We also looked at other famous works of poetry and prose and discussed how each writing "teaches" because it comes from a distinct worldview. (See an example here.) Of course, these were only a sample of the various ways Christianity shaped each of my classes. I could also go on to talk about literature classes, science/health, history, mathmatics and such. The point I'm trying to make is this: when one teaches, one aims at the heart. In the end, that heart will either be led to Christ or away from him. It all depends on whether or not the fear of God informs the teacher's content and methods. If your teaching has nothing to do with Biblical principles or communicating principles that are antithetical to the faith, you shouldn't be surprised if kids do not grow up in the fear of God. Recently the board members of Ashland Christian School decided to extend their educational services into the upper grades by creating Veritas Classical Christian Academy. I had a chance to speak with Director of Development, Rich Policz, and get the scoop on the new high school that's coming to town this fall. 1. Why VCCA? For nearly 40 years, Ashland Christian School has considered options for a high school. Here in an era where young men and women are leaving the church in droves, all while national standards in education are slipping, a school like this is critically needed. VCCA will exist to sharpen young minds with rigorous program of study and prick young hearts to contend for the faith in an intelligent and winsome manner. 2. What's a Veritas anyway? Veritas means “truth” in Latin. We picked that name because as a classical school we will teach Latin, but more importantly, truth is such a vital concept in Scripture. Jesus describes His purpose in John 18: “For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world— to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” The once-great colleges like Harvard have “Veritas” as a motto (Yale is “Lux et Veritas” or Light and Truth), and in a sea of moral relativism they have robbed it of its meaning. We like the idea of picking up this discarded word from the dustbin, and affixing it to our school as a symbol that the Truth of Christ is central in all that we teach. 3. Don't we have a perfectly fine high school already? I guess that depends on what you mean by “perfectly fine.” It is not the primary responsibility of the state to educate our children. I believe that parents are called to be diligent teachers to their children, and that the most important thing to teach is the character and nature of God—His righteousness which demands justice and His love which provides the sacrifice which sates his righteous judgment. A Christian education ought to come alongside parents in disseminating these transcendent truths. They are the key to everything we learn or do. I think its fair to say that this transcendent view of God is not preeminent in our current local high school options. This is to take nothing away from the Christians who serve as public school teachers---often they are muzzled lions, sprinkling in truth where they can. My fondest hope cannot be for schools to “allow” prayer back in or for the 10 commandments to be posted. My colleagues and I are not content to be sprinklers of truth—we are made to sing it out as loudly as we can, and in doing so be a stone on which future generations can sharpen their swords. That’s the kind of tool that parents deserve to have in their job of raising the children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. 4. You intend to be a "classical school." What is that and how is it different from what we typically understand as school? In many ways a classical education is your grandparent’s education. It hearkens back to an older style of teaching and focuses on things that have been forgotten by newer “innovations” of modern education. There is a strong emphasis on Latin, logic, great books, and scientific and mathematical progression. In the end, we are teaching students “how to think” rather than just processing information. In a world where technology puts endless scads of information at our fingertips, it is vitally important that we learn how to assemble that information and use it in a meaningful way to understand what is true, just, and beautiful—with the ultimate understanding that Christ is at the center of such things. 5. I hear that all the course books will be on iPads? Is this true? Yes, this is indeed the case. After talking about your “grandparent’s education”, the iPad is one innovation that we can get behind. Each student is required to have their own iPad for most of our classes (Rhetoric/Debate being one notable exception). Students will be able to download all of the reading materials, and in some cases lesson notes that they will need for their courses. The iPad reader apps allow the students to mark their books and fill them with notes in a way that a traditional textbook would not allow. The school saves money in that we don’t have to buy physical books, keep track of them, and find a place to store them. Also, digital editions are often much more affordable and since much of our curriculum is old enough to be in the public domain, many of our texts are free! Beyond that, students will be able to keep their books with them forever. 6. How does a Christian worldview play into the daily classroom activity? No education, no matter how hard it may try, is neutral. We will be teaching from a explicitly Christian (that is to say Biblical) view of all of life. A Christian ought to view math as part of God’s revealed truth and part of his common grace. A Christian ought to have a different perspective on life than non-believers and this should affect how their lives are lived. There should be a discernable difference as someone “watches their life and doctrine closely.” This is one of the core ideas behind VCCA—one which we hope spreads beyond the walls here. 7. Take me through a normal day/week at VCCA. Our prescribed courses are laid out in more of a collegiate format, so Mondays and Wednesdays will be alike and Tuesday/Thursdays will be alike. Our class periods will be much longer than a typical school, weighing in at an hour and fifteen minutes. This allows for instructors to both lecture and have the opportunity to work alongside their students. Our lunch time will be an opportunity for faculty and students to eat together and discuss life. Fridays will be different from all other days (not dissimilar to the workplace!) and will feature an hour of life-on-lives mentoring in the morning, in which a godly man or woman from the community will meet with 2 young men or young women respectively to share life with a focus on Scripture. It’s critically important to teach the coming generations, but it is equally important for investment of time and influence in their lives in a relational manner. Fridays will also feature a school wide chapel. Another key feature to VCCA, is that Friday afternoons will feature a series of guest lecturers across all of our disciplines, who will instruct our students in an area of expertise. We have university professors, pastors, entrepreneurs, and community leaders who have all volunteered to participate in this innovative endeavor—all men and women who boldly profess Christ and live a vibrant faith. 8. Tell me about the teachers at VCCA. Most of our core area teachers have a masters or a doctorate in the area of study. They are university professors, pastors, experienced high school teachers, with interesting life stories. All are eminent in their qualifications. Many of our specialties teachers (computer, music, art, etc) while carrying a level of expertise, are much younger and bring with them the zeal of youth which will lead to great connectivity to our students. If we had a million dollars and were tasked with starting a small community college, I doubt we could do much better than this staff. 9. What is your expectation once students graduate? In short, we expect to produce students who are able to think and are rich in integrity. So that no matter what our graduates set out to do from technical skills, entrepreneurial ventures, or collegiate studies, they will have the means to acquire the necessary knowledge to be successful and spiritual depth to leverage that success into positively impacting their community. 10. Can anyone be a part or is this just for Christians? As it currently constructed, VCCA falls under the major policies of Ashland Christian School. As such, VCCA is only open to parents who are professing Christians who attend a church. Discipleship is our principal aim. Having said that, discipleship is not so far removed from evangelism… 11. How can one get their kids enrolled at VCCA? They can contact the school office at 419-289-6617 or email me personally at rpolicz@ashlandchristian.org  The following was an illustration that I was going to use in my sermon. I thought it might be a little too gruesome for the pulpit, so I nixed it. I thought I would share it here instead as it still is quite appropriate. It regards the idea of propitiation, that Christ's sacrifice fully satisfies God's wrath on our behalf: Imagine being on a camping trip. You and a friend have taken some time to “get back to nature.” You head out into the wilderness and find just the perfect place to set up. Once you have pitched your tents and put everything in its place you start a fire and sit down to relax. Just then, a hungry wolf creeps up upon you. There you are, staring right into a ferocious wolf, who is ready to devour you. But just as the wolf is ready to pounce, your friend steps in front of you. He tells you to run. Just then, the wolf leaps upon him and starts to maul him with his razor sharp teeth. You try to hide, but the only thing you can do is stand paralyzed behind your tent. When the wolf has finished he begins to step away from the bloodied body of your friend. As he does so, he spots you. However, the rage is no longer in his eyes. His appetite for blood has been satiated and he no longer has the urge to kill. He simply walks away. This is essentially what happened when Christ became our propitiation. He stood in front of us and took God's wrath upon himself, fully satisfying every urge of God to kill and destroy the first object of his anger. The only difference is that God does not walk way from us. In Christ, he becomes our friend, whereby he lavishes upon us all the benefits that are due the sons of God. | 
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