Union with Christ: The Blessings of Being in Him

by Sinclair B. Ferguson

Who are you, really?Many people in the church today face an identity crisis. But the Apostle Paul had no question about what it meant to be a he was “in Christ.” Recovering this New Testament phrase is the key to understanding our identity and enjoying all the blessings of salvation.In this book, Dr. Sinclair Ferguson introduces the defining reality of the Christian life—our union with Christ. As we embrace the transformative truth of being “in Him,” we can live out of the fullness of joy, purpose, and assurance that the gospel brings.

Genres: Theology, Christian Living, Faith

157 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 2, 2025

About the author

Sinclair B. Ferguson is Associate Preacher at St Peter's Free Church in Dundee and also Distinguished Visiting Professor of Systematic Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was Senior Minister of First Presbyterian Church of Columbia, South Carolina and prior to that, he was minister of St. George's-Tron Church in Glasgow.

Reviews

[Jaron Woods · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing book on understanding our vital union with Christ. This truly helped my affection and love for Christ and led to a deeper understanding of our Union with Christ. I highly recommend for everyone to read, but especially younger believers as this an amazing book on understanding Christ and the life of a Christian focused on him.

[Bill Pence · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book, Sinclair Ferguson introduces the reader to the vital theme of the believer’s union with Christ, with the hope that it may act as a catalyst to a lifetime of reflection on it. He explores the theme by reflecting on specific key passages in the New Testament. The book expands on his earlier twelve message Ligonier teaching series of the same name.
The author tells us that in the sixty or so pages in our Bible that contain Paul’s thirteen letters we will find the expression “in Christ” or a variant of it over eighty times. Equivalent expressions “in the Lord” (or sometimes “in the Lord Jesus”) virtually double that number. He writes that if you belong to Christ, this is who you really and truly are, every day of your life—a man or a woman who is “in Christ.”
Ferguson writes that living in union and communion with Him is surely the highest privilege that we could have in this world.
I read this small book relatively slowly, as I pondered the riches therein. I highly recommend both the book and teaching series to you.
Below are some of my favorite quotes from the book:
• In Christ, we have everything we need for our salvation. When we are in Jesus Christ, all the blessings of the gospel are ours.
• The love of God in Christ is the foundation for union and communion with Him.
• Baptism is about the significance of our union with Him.
• Since today we are bombarded with issues of personal identity, it is wonderfully helpful to know that baptism serves as an identity bracelet that tells us who we are in Christ.
• In union with Christ, we have been set free from sin’s guilt and from its dominion. But we are not yet set free from sin’s presence.
• To be united to Him is a privilege beyond measure.
• Out of the root of our union, there needs to develop mortification (a putting away of the old sinful characteristics and lifestyle), and fruitfulness, an adorning of our lives with Christlike graces.
• When we are united to Christ, everything begins to change; the old is laid aside, the new is embraced; and Christlikeness begins to develop in our lives.
• What, then, is the ultimate fruit of our union with Christ? We know the answer because we have heard it more than once in these pages. It is becoming like Jesus. It is Christlikeness.
• Union with Christ in His death and resurrection serves as the ground plan of the Christian life and shapes the pattern of our lives. It creates a rhythm of sorrow and joy, of loss and gain, of death and resurrection.
• Union with Christ in His death; union with Christ in His resurrection. These are the lenses through which we are to see our Christian life and experience.

[Colin Beers · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I am very consistent at giving 5 stars to most of the books I read, this book blew me away. Some of the reason I wanted to read this book was because I feel like I have never found a good book to give brand new Christian’s who have never read any theological books before. I personally read the Holiness of God as my first book, and while it is still one of my favorite books and I believe one of the best books for new Christian’s, I wanted a book more focused on our perception of us as sinners now united to Christ and how we live our lives from this truth of unity. Another great book is Don’t Waste Your Life by John piper. For a first book this is a little too much for a young believer who while needs to know and understand how to live their life to the glory of God on mission for God, I have seen it lead very new Christian’s to focus on the mission and not their walk with Christ and being controlled by emotion instead of being convinced by the truth. So thus this book I feel meets every standard needed to encourage, teach and sanctify new believers who need the word of God yet cannot understand passages such as Philippians 3:1-11, Romans 6:1-14, 2 Corinthians 5:17-21. These are dug upon very well and even grew me in my understanding of these passages.

[Kris Wassam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good lay-level book on union with Christ. I have no major complaints about this book but no groundbreaking insights either.

[Matt Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very sweet and brief devotional book. It reminds us that we live in two spheres, the sacred and the secular. That everyone is confronted with the gospel. Either you submit to the gospel or you reject it, and make yourself an enemy of Christ. But in recent times, this is a doctrine that has been relegated. Yet it matters either we are unified to our sin or our savior . We are in a foreign land, but as Ferguson reminds us, we are no longer alienated. This causes us to evaluate what we believe about God, and what we believe about ourselves that we have traded sin for grace, and that we can experience spiritual fullness. That we can modify the flesh and be granted eternal life. But it does require us to surrender, and they are more fruit. In all it is a challenge for Christ like this, and all of the ups and downs that come with it.

[Cicely V. Ford Ford]

This book awakened in me a desire to have a deeper understanding of who Christ was, is and what being united to Him actually means. This book is short in pages and dense in theology and devotion. Ferguson doesn’t just present a case for Christ with Christian platitudes, but deep dives into contextual Scripture. I gleaned so much understanding from this book. It heightened my sense of awareness about how I’ve viewed my own union with Christ.

Ferguson focused quite a bit on the Apostle Paul. He noted, on page 61, about the logic of Paul’s prepositions. As I kept reading I understood why they’re so fundamental to Christ’s sanctification taking shape in us. Galatians 2:20 is actually my most cherished Scripture.

I have been crucified WITH Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives IN me. And the life I now live IN the flesh I live BY faith IN the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself FOR me.

With.
In.
By.
For.

He emphasizes that these prepositional statements form the design of the doctrine of the union. For Christians this is the foundation of a Christ saturated, Christ rhythmic relationship. To be IN Christ cannot simply be a blanketed statement for believers. When there is an encounter with Christ, He takes those who come to Him right where they are, but “does not leave us the way He found us”. Once we are tethered to Christ, it’s transformative.

I think Ferguson does an excellent job of breaking down the complicated matter of what it means to be fully surrendered to Christ into its constituent parts to be more digestible - even for the curious or new believers. This transformative Christ-pattern that happens within us is our union to His death as well as our union to His resurrection. He uses Philippians 4:13, a Scripture often taken out of context, to further drive home this truth.

“I can do all things through him [Christ] who strengthens me” was said by Paul while he was under house arrest. He came to the realization that His circumstances did not dictate his faith or contentment and IN God he could rest. Paul understood that Christ was crucified in weakness. He was in total union with Christ so He shared Christ’s weakness and suffering. This is often why being a Christian isn’t easy, but in union is CONSISTENTLY life giving.

This Scripture is often taken out of context. Ferguson contextualizes it by stating that without affliction Paul would not have known divine comfort and without divine comfort he would not have been able to comfort others in THEIR affliction. As we share Christ’s suffering (death) we also share in His comfort (resurrection).

This book is dog eared, tabbed and annotated. I will definitely be rereading it. If you are in a season where you are desiring to understand Christ and what it means to be in union with Him, I highly recommend this book!!

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great study on the Christian's union with Christ. Sinclair Ferguson covers a variety of aspects of this union to help us understand it better. It is a short book, so not fully comprehensive, but it is a good study I would recommend for anybody claiming to be in Christ. I appreciate that each chapter is based on a passage of Scripture, which helps the reader immediately understand and apply what is being said through what God has said in His Word. This is not a dry academic treatise, it is a faithful exposition, of sorts, of what God has told us. Ferguson does not lay it out in simplistic terms, either, so while readable by anybody, the reader will want to think through and consider what the author is saying. The benefit is not through reading the words, but through understanding them in light of Scripture to help us better comprehend the union we have with our Savior through our death and resurrection with Him.

[Mark A Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Union with Christ is one the most central and vital (yet often overlooked) themes of the Bible. It is the focal lens through which we rightly understand and live out the reality of the new life found in Jesus.

Ferguson provides an introduction to this theme by examining some of the passages that address our union with Jesus. Ferguson is a sage, experienced guide who navigates these passages with wisdom and care.

Those wanting a deeper dive into the nuances of this theme will want to supplement this book, but they should read this one too. In fact, anyone desiring to peer closer at this foundational doctrine will want to be sure to include this primer in their reading.

[Adam Kareus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Walking through several passages of the New Testament, Ferguson shows how union with Christ is central to our understanding of salavtion and life with Christ. Ferguson makes the case that the main understanding within the New Testament about how to describe a believer would be as a person "in Christ." This prepositional phrase carries with it the idea of union with Christ, we are in Christ, we have Christ as our head, and so much more. This short book is worth the read.

[Kati Barbour · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never write reviews, and never rate the books I read on goodreads, but this book ought to be read. Union with Christ is an essential doctrine to help us to understand our justification in Christ, and lead us into the process of sanctification with Christ. Such a beautiful book, and helpful book.

[Matt Allhands · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brief, clear, and profoundly helpful description of Union with Christ.

[jacob van sickle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to audio in preparation for a sermon - short, helpful and heartwarming.

[Tomo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great explanation on what our lives should be as believers because we were saved INTO Christ. Wonderful expositions on Rom 6, Col, and 2 Cor. Enjoyed it and meant a lot.

[Lone · Rating 5 out of 5]

So encouraging and faith building and yet such a short book. It touched my walk with Christ in so many ways and I learned so much. Praise be to God🙌

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best teaching on union with Christ that I have ever heard. Beautiful and well written.

[Todd Burgett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great primer on being united to Christ and the implication of Christlikeness in the believer.

[Derrick Kenyon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Refreshing

[Anthony Vance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a rich and encouraging read. Definitely one to add to your ‘want to read’ list.