Found in Him: The Joy of the Incarnation and Our Union with Christ

by Elyse Fitzpatrick

Publisher:

Crossway

, 2013

Everyone, Christians included, knows what it’s like to feel isolated and alone. We’ve all wondered if anyone really understands us or truly cares about our lives. The good news is that we aren’t alone, and the gospel tells us why: Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth to be forever united with his people—to be one of us. In fact, he has so united himself with us that the Bible says we are literally “in” him. Far from being alone and lost, the Incarnation changes everything for the Christian. Writing with everyday readers in mind, Elyse Fitzpatrick fleshes out the practical implications of our union with Christ and gives us confidence that we are not alone in this approachable and applicable devotional book. 

Praise for Found in Him

“Busy Christians in an iPhone age can look at Christ as though he were the battery charger and we are the smartphone. We ‘plug into’ Jesus during a quiet time, then go out and live on that energy until our spiritual batteries run dry—then it’s back to the next quiet time, conference, or retreat. But this is not a metaphor the Bible invites us to use when it speaks of our union in Christ. He is the vine; we are the branches. In her newest and perhaps most important work, my friend Elyse Fitzpatrick describes this beautiful union we have with our Savior and the joys of drawing from the Vine. I highly recommend this exceptional book!”
—Joni Eareckson Tada, Founder, Joni and Friends International Disability Center

“Found in Him reveals the God-designed remedy for our impoverished hearts—the work of Christ for, in, and through us. While many heavy-laden, conscience-stricken believers struggle to bear up under the weight of their spiritual ‘to-do’ lists, Elyse awakens our hearts and minds to what Jesus has already done and calls us to find rest in him.”
—Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, author; Founder, Revive Our Hearts and True Woman

“Fasten your seatbelt and get ready for a theological thrill ride. I’m not talking about spiritual entertainment—you best look elsewhere for that. But if you are looking to understand one of the most profound and moving mysteries of the Christian life—as Elyse puts it, ‘the soul-consoling, heart-transforming, zeal-engendering’ of Christ’s incarnation and union with us—well, you’ve found the book you absolutely need to read.”
—Mark Galli, Former Editor in Chief, Christianity Today

“If Elyse Fitzpatrick is right, the Bible (finally) is not about us at all! It is about the God who has acted to save those who don’t and can’t ‘become better,’ and that Christianity is not (finally) about ‘morals’ at all. The Bible’s story is a story about God’s love for immorals like you and me. It is about Christ, who he is and what he did for us––once and for all and at a particular time and place in normal history.”
—Rod Rosenbladt, Professor of Theology, Concordia University

“When the great theologian John Murray famously wrote, ‘Union with Christ is really the central truth of the whole doctrine of salvation,’ I wonder how I could have missed the point for so many years. Yet, as I simply consider the focus of Christ and the apostles on being ‘in him,’ I have grown to recognize the wisdom of Murray’s words and now, with Elyse Fitzpatrick’s book, I also cherish the dearness of them. She writes of the deep truths of our union with God, freshly unfolding biblical passages that describe his incarnation, and she writes with sensitivity of the significance of the continuing intimacy we have with the Creator who walked among us. Here is the infinite made intimate to strengthen our hearts.”
—Bryan Chapell, Pastor Emeritus, Grace Presbyterian Church, Peoria, Illinois

“Over the years, I have been challenged by Elyse’s profound and practical approach to biblical issues that concern women. Last year when I heard her share a snippet of her writing on the incarnation, I was hungry for more—and I wasn’t disappointed! Pondering the incarnation, in my moments of loneliness and brokenness, has been the strong medicine I need to soothe and heal my heart, and I trust it will be yours as well.”
—Cathe Laurie, Director of Women’s Ministry, Harvest Christian Fellowship

“Found in Him is a timely paean to the timeless good news of Christ’s incarnation and our union with him. As with everything Elyse writes, it brims with humility and imagination, and the focus on grace is sharp and undeviating. She never flinches from honesty about who we are, which only makes the ‘comfort and joy’ of what Jesus has done on our behalf that much greater. Would that more of us had her courage (and good humor)!”
—David Zahl, editor, The Mockingbird Blog

“This book is a celebration of the person and work of Jesus. Elyse wisely and winsomely shows us the deep wonders of what it means to be found in Jesus. Her theological maturity enables her to write with profound simplicity. This is a book to be savored. Read it slowly, and stop often to worship the one who found you and made you his own. Then read it again.”
—Susan Hunt, Former Director of Women's Ministries, PCA; coauthor, Women's Ministry in the Local Church

“This new book by Elyse warms my heart. She beautifully elaborates on Christ and who he is and what he has accomplished for us. In the later half of Found in Him, she shows us how to apply and live out this Good News. Expect your life to change.”
—Charles Morris, speaker; President, HAVEN Today

“It’s hard for me to capture how thankful I am for this book. As Elyse is so skilled at doing, she has taken the doctrine of our union with Christ, which sits and collects dust on the shelves of most Christians’ theology and has little impact on their living, and displayed for us the beauty of its transformative power. When you don’t understand the essential provisions that have been made for you in your union with Christ, you sadly spend your life shopping for what is already yours in him. I will recommend and give away this book again and again and will celebrate with new enthusiasm that I have been found in him!”
—Paul David Tripp, President, Paul Tripp Ministries; author, New Morning Mercies and My Heart Cries Out

“Resist the temptation to think that a book on the incarnation of Christ and our union with him couldn’t help but be dull, dry, and doctrinally abstract. Elyse Fitzpatrick couldn’t be dull if she tried! This is a rich, incisive, thoroughly scriptural, and heart-warming journey into the gospel of who Jesus is and what he has done to unite us to himself. Elyse’s portrait of Jesus and our life in him will do more than challenge and inform; it will awaken awe at the depths of God’s grace and stir adoration for the one who loved you and gave himself for you. Read and rejoice! I did.”
—Sam Storms, Senior Pastor, Bridgeway Church, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

“One of my favorite experiences was eating at a chocolate buffet at the Cailler chocolate factory, in Broc, Switzerland. Reading Elyse’s new book, Found in Him, reminded me of that day. Our sister has spread the table with the richest of gospel fare and has invited us to behold, feast, and savor every good thing we have in Christ. This is the finest meditation I have ever read on the radical implications of the incarnation of Christ and our ‘this-changes-everything’ union with him. Highly accessible, theologically sound, and eminently encouraging, Elyse has once again clearly demonstrated that there’s nothing more than the gospel, there’s just more of the gospel.”
—Scotty Ward Smith, Pastor Emeritus, Christ Community Church, Franklin, Tennessee; Teacher in Residence, West End Community Church, Nashville, Tennessee

“In her treatment of the incarnation of Christ and our union with him, Elyse Fitzpatrick has given us an insightful and compelling presentation of these insufficiently celebrated truths. And she sets them forth not just as truths but as realities that profoundly touch our daily lives—truths which are, in fact, meant to touch our lives deeply and powerfully. To paraphrase Elyse, ‘O how impoverished our souls will be if we neglect these sweet doctrines.’ I have often told students to read books that make you want to read your Bible more. Here is such a book. I turned often to my Bible, with great joy, while reading Found in Him.”
—Mike Bullmore, Senior Pastor, CrossWay Community Church, Bristol, Wisconsin

“As Elyse says in this book, there is truly a feast to be found in understanding and meditating on the truth of our union with Christ. This doctrine has transformed how I understand myself and empowered me in healthy relationships with others. Elyse’s Found in Him is a beautiful exploration of these truths, and I am excited that this resource is now available.”
—Wendy Horger Alsup, teacher; blogger; author, Is the Bible Good for Women? and Practical Theology for Women

“Elyse Fitzpatrick’s writings are always saturated with gospel grace, understanding, and wisdom, and Found in Him is no different. With clarity and warmth Elyse meditates on how God answers our isolation and enters into our suffering through the incarnation of Jesus. In Christ we are not alone, and we are part of something much bigger than ourselves. I am thankful for Elyse’s ministry and for this book.”
—Justin S. Holcomb, Episcopal Priest; Adjunct Professor of Theology, Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando; coauthor, Rid of My Disgrace and God Made All of Me; editor, Christian Theologies of Scripture

“Found In Him offers a deep but nevertheless eminently practical look at the doctrine of union with Christ. Whether in his union with humanity by virtue of the incarnation or through indwelling the believer by the Holy Spirit, all Christians should know Christ, the one to whom they are united. This book is an able guide to understanding these glorious truths.”
—J. V. Fesko, Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology, Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson, Mississippi

“Many of us, if we are honest, have an image of God as the one who is far above us and far away from us. Few of us know our Trinitarian God as so close to us that he is in us and we are in him. My friend Elyse Fitzpatrick takes the doctrine of the incarnation and teaches us that we are not alone—God is with us! Elyse then takes the doctrine of our union with Christ and shows us the soul-altering significance of our connection and communion with God in Christ. Found in Him is not just theology come alive, it is theology for life—for your life and mine.”
—Bob Kellemen, Academic Dean and Professor of Biblical Counseling, Faith Bible Seminary; author, Grief: Walking with Jesus

Product Details

• Title : Found in Him: The Joy of the Incarnation and Our Union with Christ
• Author: Fitzpatrick, Elyse M.
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2013
• ISBN: 9781433533266

About Elyse Fitzpatrick

Elyse Fitzpatrick, has been counseling women since 1989. She is a retreat and conference speaker and the head of Women Helping Women Ministries. Fitzpatrick has a certificate in biblical counseling from CCEEF in San Diego and an MA in biblical counseling from Trinity Theological Seminary.

She is the author of more than 15 books, including Love to Eat, Hate to Eat. Fitzpatrick has developed an extensive curriculum in biblical counseling and has trained students in both North and South America.