Jesus is the Man of Sorrows, Son of Suffering, and crucified, glorious God who still says, “Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they are doing.” He rescued us out of our deep delusion and darkness with His faithful love and mercy. God poured Himself out fully to bring us forever to Himself at the cross (Jn 12:32).
He counted the cost, became completely human, put on flesh and blood, and wore our sin, shame, and guilt all the way to the grave where it died with Christ, forever losing its grip and power. Grace by faith allows us to come into agreement with his finished work. It is by grace that we have been saved, and this happened while we were still dead in our sins and trespasses (Eph 2:5).
To unite with Christ is to accept His cross as our own. To accept His forgiveness and mercy, is to no longer boast in our own accomplishments and even our faith, as if that is what makes us right with God. It is to purely and only to accept His wounding as our healing, and to receive his grace to go and sin no more.
“I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me”- Gal 2:20