By Rick Combs
I would like to borrow a portion of an excellent article by Bill Petri entitled, Who I Am. It goes right along with our current discussion of The Heavenly Calling and The Heavenly Hope. This is the mystery that was “from the beginning of the world… hid in God”, and “by revelation made known” unto Paul (Ephesians 3:3, 9).
1Co 15:4 … and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
“This third part of our gospel talks of life from death. Because Jesus Christ is raised from the dead, and I am “in Christ,” we too are raised from the dead (Col. 2:12). Hence, we are now alive with Christ (Col. 2:13). We know that Christ ascended into heaven after His resurrection. Inasmuch as Christ has already ascended, the same is true of all members in the Body of Christ, we too ascended with Christ (Eph. 2:6). This glorious truth is a fact about our position in Christ! Hence, we are citizens not of Canada, or any other country, but we are citizens of heaven (Eph. 2:19). Furthermore, this then makes us ambassadors of our heavenly position (2 Cor. 5:20). The reality in God’s perspective is that we are already seated in heavenly places (Eph. 2:6). We have been made new creatures in order to function in these heavenly places (2 Cor. 5:21, 1 Cor. 15:49-52).
Hence, we have been made victorious over sin, failure, misery, and even Satan himself. Does not Col. 1:13 state we are delivered from his darkness and that God has given to us glorious liberty. We have been made more than conquerors in Christ (Rom. 8:37). We have been made rulers of a heavenly government all predicated on the resurrection of Christ.
Eph 1:20 “Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
Eph 1:21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
Eph 1:22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
Eph 1:23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.”
Notice that the phrase used here is “to the church.” All the government positions that Paul just mentioned are given to the Church! All these positions are ours to rule over, with Christ as our head. God the Father has entrusted us to be His instrument of reconciliation in regard to His magnificent heavenly government. In order to have His government ruled without sin He has given us a new nature (Col. 3:10). A nature that will never sin, a nature which can never do wrong because it is “in Christ.” We in every sense are indeed “His workmanship” (Eph. 2:10). We the members of the Body of Christ will fill this government. This is our future; it is our destiny. Paul states in Eph. 1:3 that we have been blessed with all spiritual blessings, in heavenly places.
We truly are heavenly creatures longing for the day when we are given our new bodies and we assume this glorious calling.
Our simple gospel motivates us to live a life of which God would approve. Grace motivates everything we do when we understand what it is accomplishing.”
2Co 5:14 “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:
2Co 5:15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.” [end of quote].
Grace and peace be unto you…
Amen