Just a thought… 7 June

“Seated in heaven?!”

‘We’re in heaven!’ Now, you might imagine that’s about your dream holiday location, with perfect weather, and those you love around you… That’s often the way people use such a phrase. Yet, Paul said the same to Christians! In Ephesians 2:6, he writes: “God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.” But what does Paul mean? Not just a good time here on earth, of course, but something much better.

First, our future is so certain that Paul writes as if it’s already happened, past tense. And in a sense, that’s true, because Jesus indeed rose up to heaven (as we saw on Sunday morning from Acts 1). Jesus is there now, seated at the right hand of God the Father, ruling the universe. Just as Paul can write that “those [God] justified, He also glorified” (Romans 8:30), so he can speak of us as raised with Christ, and seated with Him in the heavenly realms. It’s that certain! Jesus is in heaven now, and we will be there too.

Second, this impacts our life today! By faith, you and Jesus are one. This union with Christ is the foundation for all we are and do as Christians. So, we’re already ruling the world with Christ, today, as we represent Him to those around us in our work and words. For we’re citizens of His kingdom in heaven (Philippians 3:20), though still in a ‘foreign country’, as ambassadors. Just as the UK’s ambassador in another country is the official representation of the UK there, part of the UK’s government; so we are ‘ruling’ with Christ here on earth, in our families, jobs, streets. May our life be a worthy pointer to the glory of our King and our true home!

Klaas-Jan Gunnink