Living in Union with Christ - a Review

Living in Union with Christ: Paul's Gospel and Christian Moral Identity by Grant Macaskill
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In this excellent little book, the author makes three points very well:

1. Union with Christ.
a. Without arguing for any new doctrine, Macaskill pushes this idea into all our living, using Galatians 2:20 as his touchstone: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” This means that the good that we do we do as those inhabited by Christ and His Spirit. Even secular self-improvement books often point out that how you identify and see yourself has a huge impact on your behavior. When we keep our “Christ-in-me” identity at the forefront of our thoughts, it radically changes the landscape of the fight against ongoing sin, and our view of our good deeds.

b. Also, Macaskill articulates this union in fresh and provocative ways, like this: “an alien reality [is] being inserted into us with transformational effects” (pg 85). This evokes the sci-fi world, where this is always ominous. Yet this union is not “possession,” where our agency is over-ridden. Christ by His Spirit and Word dwelling in us richly trains, persuades, matures, and aids our will to follow His.

c. Two quotes from the very end of the book sum it up well. We must avoid “seeing the Spirit as an independent energy working to make us into better versions of ourselves… [Rather] we see Him as the one working to realize the identity of the Son within us” (142). The final defining reality of our lives and our church is the potent goodness of Jesus Christ” (145).

2. Legalism. Macaskill gives a helpful definition. Legalism is trying to hold and accrue social or spiritual capital with God or others by anything you have done. Legalism isn’t always brazenly thinking you can earn salvation by your deeds, or Pharisaically majoring on minors. The problem is thinking any good we do is “ours” at all. True union with Christ means anything we do that pleases God, Christ has done in us. We can’t use any of it as leverage with God. Union with Christ refutes every shade of legalism completely.

3. New Perspective. This is a good one for the theology wonks. Macaskill interacts a fair bit with NT Wright and Sanders, the main New Perspective (NP) proponents, and I liked his conclusions:

a. NP is right to see that broader themes define the gospel than only forgiveness of sin via imputation of Christ’s righteousness. (The kingdom and victory of God and union with Christ are two of their favorites.)

b. NP is wrong to redefine or reject imputation in favor of those other themes.

c. Union with Christ helps us see the broader themes without losing the classic, orthodox definition of imputation. The latter does not happen without union with Christ, so it need not (SHOULD not) be seen as a cold or impersonal forensic transaction where the contact is momentary – like getting cash out of an ATM to cover your debts.


Although under 150 pages, the writing is quite academic, and light on “street-level,” practical application. There is also one paragraph at the very end where he assumes the LGBT issue is one that should not divide the church, with which I disagreed. But his bigger point is sound, that agreement on everything should not be the basis of Christian unity.

Macaskill exegetes several passages like 1 Cor. 5-6, 10-11, Isa 53, Rom 6-7 very well in light of our union with Christ. Any Christian used to more academic writing would profit from reading this book.

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