In his Epistle to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul states God has “raised us up with Him, and made us sit with Him in the Heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6 [RSV]). So what is meant by this statement?
When we are immersed into Christ we re-enact the gospel of Christ visually, which is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Our old, carnal man dies and is buried in the watery grave of baptism and we are “born anew” (John 3:3 [RSV]) to rise up and walk in newness of life (Romans 6:3-4). “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17 [RSV]). As new creations in Christ we are then clothed in His holy garments (Galatians 3:27). Those of us who have been immersed into Christ have undergone what John says in the Revelation of Jesus Christ is "the first resurrection" (Revelation 20:5) and this explains why "the second death has no power" (Revelation 20:6) over us. As members of His Kingdom we serve God as priests (Revelation 1:6) while He reigns as its "King of kings and Lord of lords" (1 Corinthians 15:24; 1 Timothy 6:16). Not only is Jesus our Lord and Monarch, He also serves in His Kingdom as the High Priest after the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 2:17; Hebrews 3:1; Hebrews 4:14-15; Hebrews 5:10). He alone acts as the singularly only “Mediator between God and men” (1 Timothy 2:5 [RSV]).
The Apostle Paul tells us where Jesus is now: He "is at the right hand of God" in Heaven (Romans 8:34). As Paul told the Ephesians earlier in this epistle, God "raised Him from the dead and made Him sit at His right hand in the Heavenly places" (Ephesians 1:20 [RSV]). Because Jesus is serving as our Great High Priest in the Holy of Holies at the right hand of God in Heaven, those of us who have come to Him in obedient, saving faith have the right to "with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16 [RSV]) as we cry "Abba! Father" (Romans 8:15 [RSV]) as His adopted sons (Galatians 4:5). Therefore, since we became part of His body, which is the church, when we obeyed the gospel (Ephesians 1:23), we are with Him now in a spiritual sense since God has "raised us up with Him, and made us sit with Him in the Heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:6). This occurred when the Lord added us to His body (Acts 2:47) and we were saved. It is a spiritual blessing now, but as Paul says, what we have by faith will become reality "that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:7 [RSV]). The coming ages of which Paul speaks is when Jesus returns "in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet...and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed" (1 Corinthians 15:52). It is then that we will be able to gaze upon His glorious face unafraid and live with Him forever. "Beloved, we are God's children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is" (1 John 3:2).
When we are immersed into Christ we re-enact the gospel of Christ visually, which is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Our old, carnal man dies and is buried in the watery grave of baptism and we are “born anew” (John 3:3 [RSV]) to rise up and walk in newness of life (Romans 6:3-4). “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17 [RSV]). As new creations in Christ we are then clothed in His holy garments (Galatians 3:27). Those of us who have been immersed into Christ have undergone what John says in the Revelation of Jesus Christ is "the first resurrection" (Revelation 20:5) and this explains why "the second death has no power" (Revelation 20:6) over us. As members of His Kingdom we serve God as priests (Revelation 1:6) while He reigns as its "King of kings and Lord of lords" (1 Corinthians 15:24; 1 Timothy 6:16). Not only is Jesus our Lord and Monarch, He also serves in His Kingdom as the High Priest after the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 2:17; Hebrews 3:1; Hebrews 4:14-15; Hebrews 5:10). He alone acts as the singularly only “Mediator between God and men” (1 Timothy 2:5 [RSV]).
The Apostle Paul tells us where Jesus is now: He "is at the right hand of God" in Heaven (Romans 8:34). As Paul told the Ephesians earlier in this epistle, God "raised Him from the dead and made Him sit at His right hand in the Heavenly places" (Ephesians 1:20 [RSV]). Because Jesus is serving as our Great High Priest in the Holy of Holies at the right hand of God in Heaven, those of us who have come to Him in obedient, saving faith have the right to "with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16 [RSV]) as we cry "Abba! Father" (Romans 8:15 [RSV]) as His adopted sons (Galatians 4:5). Therefore, since we became part of His body, which is the church, when we obeyed the gospel (Ephesians 1:23), we are with Him now in a spiritual sense since God has "raised us up with Him, and made us sit with Him in the Heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:6). This occurred when the Lord added us to His body (Acts 2:47) and we were saved. It is a spiritual blessing now, but as Paul says, what we have by faith will become reality "that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:7 [RSV]). The coming ages of which Paul speaks is when Jesus returns "in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet...and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed" (1 Corinthians 15:52). It is then that we will be able to gaze upon His glorious face unafraid and live with Him forever. "Beloved, we are God's children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is" (1 John 3:2).
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