RAISED INTO HEAVENLY REALMS

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:1-7, NKJV)

Devotion 10 of 16

MADE TO SIT WITH CHRIST IN HEAVENLY PLACES

    " . . . and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus."  Other versions read, "and seated us with Him in the heavenly places" (NRSV), "and seated us with Him in the heavenly places" (NASB), "and did seat {us} together in the heavenly {places}" (YLT), and "and gave us a place with Him in heaven" (NJB).

      Several preliminary observations are in order. (1) This is an accomplishment of God Himself: HE "made us" set together." (2) Primarily, we have been seated together with Christ, not merely with fellow believers. (3) The place of occupancy is the heavenly realms. (4) This is something that is presently experienced. (5) It is only experienced by those who are "in Christ Jesus."

      Here we come to grips with the extensive nature of God's "great salvation." Not only did God, according to His "rich mercy," raise us from death in "trespasses and sins," He put us into a new realm--one conducive to fellowship with Himself and spiritual growth. Here also, the transaction is in direct association with His Son: "in Christ Jesus."  

      The burden of personal testimonies I have heard declare what the individual has been delivered from. For this, we give thanks, for deliverance from sin, guilty, death, and the wrath to come, is no small thing. Yet, what we have come to is infinitely greater than what we have been delivered from. If you have been subjected to the nominal church, you have probably heard very little about what the saved have come to (Heb 12:22-24). What has been gained in Christ could well be spoken of much more.

    Notice the strength of the statement. He (God) "MADE us sit together in the heavenly places."  Accentuating the fact that this is a work of God alone, other versions read, "and SEATED us with Him (Christ)" (NASB,NIV), and "MADE US sit with Him" (RSV). We did not climb into the heavenly realms, we were MADE to sit there. This is not the result of our doing, but is the work of God who has SEATED us in heavenly places just as surely as He seated Jesus at His own right hand.

      I understand the "Him" to refer to the Father specifically, and the Lord Jesus generally. In salvation, we are joined to both the Father and the Son. From the subjective viewpoint, they both come to us and make their "abode" with us (John 14:23).  

    From the objective view, we are in the Father and in the Son. We have been raised to sit together with the exalted Son, our lives being "hid with Christ in God" (Col 3:3). This is the view declared in our text. Both the Father and the Son are in the "heavenly places."  The blessings we seek are "in heavenly places" (Eph 1:3). It is no wonder we are admonished, "seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth" (Col 3:1-2). Determine to have done with an earth-centered religion. It is a contradiction of both the nature and intent of God's salvation.

      Because our salvation revolves around the Lord Jesus, "heavenly places" are explained in view of Him--"with HIM." Paul prayed that believers would be granted the "spirit of wisdom and revelation" in order to comprehend the greatness of the transcendent power that "is for us that believe" (Eph 1:19). That power, he declared, is both demonstrated and appropriated in Jesus alone.

    In describing the nature of this "power," the Spirit directs our attention to the resurrection of Christ. This is the very power "which He (God) worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come" (Eph 1:20-21).

      Our new life is not a mere attempt to live like Jesus lived when He walked among men in the flesh. We have been raised from death in trespasses and sins to participate in Christ's resurrection life. Paul called it "the power of His resurrection," and confessed He had abandoned all competing pursuits to obtain that power (Phil 3:10).

      Christ has taken hold on us for a purpose, and it involves more than getting out of sin. Speaking of this blessed circumstance, Paul spoke for all believers when he said, "but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I WAS LAID HOLD OF BY JESUS CHRIST" (Phil 3:12, NASB). You certainly want to adopt a view of salvation that allows for such an expression.

      Just as Israel had to come out of Egypt in order to enter into Canaan, so the believer comes out of sin in order to enter into the heavenly realms. The objective for Israel was not simply to get out of Egypt, but to get into Canaan. In the same way, salvation is not merely to get us out of sin and free us from guilt, but to get us into the realm where all spiritual blessings are located (Eph 1:3). Blessed, indeed, is the person who perceives this, and takes advantage of it!

PRAYER POINT: Father, I praise Your name through Jesus Christ for raising me when I was never before allowed, and where I could not enter in my own strength or upon my own merit.

-- Tomorrow: WHAT ARE "THE HEAVENLY PLACES"? --