Eternity Daily Bible Study No. 231

Life In Christ –  9

SEATED WITH CHRIST IN HEAVEN

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Ephesians 2:6-7 (ASV)
(6)  and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus:
(7)  that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus:

The grace of God has given us an elevated spiritual status so that we are seated with Jesus Christ in Heaven.

God has taken us “from the guttermost to the uttermost” so that His graciousness and kindness toward us might cause amazement during all the ages to come.

God has given us far, far more than we could earn, or deserve, or attain even by keeping the Law and following strenuous spiritual disciplines. 

The Old Testaments saints, who trod that path, are less than “the least in the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 11:11-14) Christians, who have received grace upon grace. This change is so astonishing that it changed the whole way of doing religion. Now Christians have direct access to God and their bodies His personal temples - so that there is no longer any need for temples, priests and religious paraphernalia designed to achieve access to God. 

We have access directly to God through the Holy Spirit are part of God’s household:
Ephesians 2:18-19
(18)  for through him we both have our access in one Spirit unto the Father.
(19)  So then ye are no more strangers and sojourners, but ye are fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God,

We have access to God through faith:
Romans 5:2
(2)  Through Him we also have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice on the hope of the glory of God.

We have direct access to the “throne of grace”:
Hebrews 4:16
(16)  Therefore let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Since we have direct, personal access to God as our Father, then we do not need “spiritual technology” such as magic, spells, priests, sacrifices, libations, offerings, trance states, special diets, self-humiliation, or festivals, special days or saints days or any other such thing. 

Nor do we need to climb a spiritual ladder of self-perfection. God already counts us worthy, God already loves us and justifies us, and God has already given us a place in the heavenlies with his Son.

We are in Christ, like a drop of water in a bucket. Where the bucket goes, we go. And we are parts of Christ’s body, and where He goes, His body goes. We died with Christ and rose with Christ and we have ascended with Christ and we are now seated with Christ. The drop in the bucket does not earn its high place. It is simply there because the bucket itself has been exalted.  So simply because we are in Christ we share His exaltation and glory and will even reign with Him. This is grace and kindness, not works and worthiness.

(Ephesians 2:7)  that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus:

Whatever this means it means that God greatly desires to be kind and gracious to you. 

Forget about the stern, grumpy God of movies and cartoons. The God of Jesus Christ, the God we call “our Father” is gracious and kind and loving and merciful.

God desires fellowship with us, so He has, spiritually speaking, put us in Heaven, with Himself. We don’t have to “go to heaven” we are already, seated with Christ in the heavenly realms, we have already come to Mt. Zion, though we are scarcely aware of it.

1 John 1:3
(3)  that which we have seen and heard we declare unto you, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 12:22
(22)  But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,

God desires to be kind and gracious to you, He wants to have fellowship with you, and He is blessing you because you are in His beloved Son. In fact He has chosen to adopt you as a son of His own.
Romans 8:15
(15)  For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption by which we cry, Abba, Father!

So we are beloved, adopted, sons and daughters of God. We have direct access to God. We do not need spiritual paraphernalia and rituals. We have been given the Holy Spirit and new life in Christ. We also have come to Mt. Zion and are seated in heavenly realms with Christ Jesus. We are in Christ Jesus and thus what God does for Christ, He also does for us.

God has been amazingly kind to us. And not just for a season. His kindness will still be displayed “in the ages to come” (Ephesians 2:7) as our eternal life unfolds in His presence, in His love.

So be bold in prayer, God hears you. You are much nearer Him than you think, for you are seated in heaven with Christ. So come boldly to the throne of grace in time of need! (Hebrews 4;12-16). 

Blessings,

John Edmiston <johned@aibi.ph>

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