A little plug for Horizon University and going to Bible College.

 https://www.calvarychapelmagazine.org/heartland20221115/

 So I have been working through the theological truth of our "union with Christ", as found in the New Testament. It started quite innocently by our Community Group at church deciding to read a book called "Union With Christ, the way to know and enjoy God" by Rankin Wilbourne. This coincided with teaching a course on Ephesians for Horizon University fall semester 2022. That started me on a path to investigate this idea more fully and has brought me to read several other books on the more academic side of this topic. Let me before I go on ask the question first going through your mind possibly: "should I read this book?"

Short answer: Yes. It is worth your time and investment. Remember that it is a non-academic work and written by a gifted preacher. Nonetheless, it is a worthwhile read. 

I will, hopefully, over the next several weeks share some of my thoughts on this topic, and encourage your interaction and questions. 

Here is the list of Current books I have read, or am currently reading.

Union With Christ, The way to know  and enjoy God,  Rankin Wilbourne (David C. Cook Pub) 2016

Living in Union with Christ, Paul's Gospel and Christian Moral Identity,  Grant Macaskill (Baker Academic) 2019

Paul and Union with Christ, An Exegetical and Theological Study.  Constantine R. Campbell (Zondervan) 2012

One with Christ, an Evangelical Theology of Salvation. Marcus Peter Johnson (Crossway) 2013

Blue: finished reading

Green: currently reading

Red: haven't cracked it open yet!

Here is the first ponderable quote:

"....Similarly, it ought to be unthinkable that preachers could ever see their task as simply explaining the passage before them and showing the moral burdens it places on their congregations, without also feeling compelled to point to the one person in whom those responsibilities could be met. And yet, much of our teaching does precisely this. It seeks to make our people "experts in the Scriptures" so that they will be morally prepared to make the right decisions, but that is all they become: not disciples but scribes."                            Grant Macaskill , " Living in Union with Christ" pg. 2