Dr. Ben Pugh Highlights Union with Christ at Premier Lifeline Conference

In the heart of Westminster, Premier Lifeline’s annual Healing Conference gathered attendees under the theme ‘Abundant Life’, inspired by the biblical verse John 10:10. This event, held in collaboration with Methodist Central Hall, aimed to delve into the intricacies of faith, healing, and spiritual renewal.

Dr Ben Pugh, a theology lecturer from Cliff College and the keynote speaker, shared insights from his spiritual journey, emphasizing his evolving understanding of living “in Christ.”

Growing up in the Cotswolds during the 1980s, Pugh recounted a comfortable yet spiritually unfulfilling childhood. His trajectory shifted at art college, influenced by a fellow student, a Pentecostal Christian, during an LSD experience. “As soon as we started talking about Jesus, he was there,” Pugh recounted. “I had never met Christ before, but he was there, revealing himself personally to me.”

This revelation deepened during solitary prayers in his student housing, where he described experiencing Christ’s presence as “a light that seemed to brighten the gloom around us.” After joining King’s Church in Aldershot, Pugh initially felt spiritually complete but later pondered Apostle Paul’s teachings on being “in Christ,” particularly the passages in Romans 6 about dying and rising with Christ.

It wasn’t until March 2024 that Pugh began to fully grasp the concept of union with Christ, which he views as central to experiencing abundant life. “It is in that union with Christ that more is found,” he said. “Life more abundantly flows through us out of the union.”

Central to Pugh’s message was the idea of surrender, suggesting that genuine spiritual life is realized through yielding to God rather than pursuing personal fulfillment. “You have to come to the end of yourself,” he advised. “It’s by surrendering your life that you find it.”

Referring to John 1:14, Pugh illustrated the incarnation as God fully engaging with human frailty to elevate humanity into divine union. “He has entered into your frailty, your sorrows and your humanity,” he stated. “He has gone to the depths of human experience with a view to raising us to the heights of his throne.”

During a session titled “He Died, I Died,” Pugh examined Galatians 2:19-20, discussing the tension between spiritual aspirations and human limitations. He described Christian life as “self-surrender,” not self-annihilation or self-actualization. “People are not lost in Christ,” he mentioned. “They are found in Christ.”

Pugh also highlighted the necessity of spiritual disciplines, asserting that theology must lead to practical faith actions and regular practices like prayer. “The union with God is sustained by praying without ceasing,” he remarked. “When we ask God for things, we place ourselves in the shared space where we need Him.”

Jonathan Clark, Premier Lifeline’s director, also addressed the conference, stressing the helpline’s dedication to emotional and spiritual support from a Christian viewpoint. Since its inception in 1995, the organization has managed 1.85 million calls, heavily depending on volunteer support.

The conference wrapped up with discussions on grace, faith, and the notion that an abundant life is achieved not solely through personal endeavors but through a profound relationship with Christ.