"But God who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace are ye saved;) AND HATH RAISED US UP TOGETHER, AND MADE US SIT TOGETHER IN HEAVENLY PLACES IN CHRIST JESUS" (vv. 4-6).
Notice the phrase "IN CHRIST JESUS." This speaks of the believer’s spiritual union with Christ.
Our union with Christ is seen in . . .
1. The church’s description as THE BODY OF CHRIST. In 1:11-23 Paul writes that the Father "gave [Christ] to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body. . . ."
2. Jesus’ statement, "I AM THE VINE, YE ARE THE BRANCHES" (John 15:5).
What happened PHYSICALLY to our Lord Jesus Christ has happened SPIRITUALLY to believers:
1. Jesus physically ROSE from the dead; we have spiritually risen from the dead.
2. Jesus physically ASCENDED into heaven; we have spiritually ascended into heaven.
3. Jesus physically SAT DOWN in heaven; we have spiritually sat down in heaven.
One day every Christian will physically rise, ascend, and sit down in heaven, but right now this is only true of us spiritually.
Notice that this passage refers to these things in the past tense:
"HATH quickened us together with Christ";
"by grace ye ARE saved";
"and HATH raised us up together";
"MADE us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus".
What does the phrase "THE HEAVENLY PLACES" mean?
Some translations say "the heavenly realms," "the heavenly sphere," "the heavenly world," "the heavens," "the heavenlies," and "heaven."
Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12:2 that he was once "caught up to the third heaven." The first heaven is the atmosphere. The second heaven is space. The third heaven is the dwelling place of God. The third heaven is the same as "the heavenly places."
Ephesians 2:6 describes every Christian as seated in heaven with Christ. What does that mean for us right now?
I. THE CHRISTIAN NO LONGER BELONGS TO THE WORLD—HE BELONGS TO THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
A. The Christian once belonged to the world.
"And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sin; wherein in time past YE WALKED ACCORDING TO THE COURSE OF THIS WORLD" (Ephesians 2:1-2a).
Paul is not talking about the PHYSICAL WORLD. He is not talking about the RACIAL WORLD. The world here refers to THE MENTALITY OF LIFE APART FROM GOD.
The Bible presents the world as being the enemy of God and the Christian:
• The Bible commands, "DO NOT LOVE THE WORLD." "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (1 John 2:15).
• The Bible commands, "DO NOT CONFORM TO THE WORLD." "Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. . . ." (Romans 12:2).
• The Bible commands, "DO NOT BEFRIEND THE WORLD." "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God" (James 4:4).
Suppose that in a certain community lives a man and his wife who love each other very much. Across the street lives a man who develops a hatred for the woman’s husband. One night he invades their home and kills him. Although he is arrested, a loophole in the law allows him to escape punishment, and he is released to return to the community. Now imagine that in a few short weeks you see the widow and her husband’s murderer walking down the street together. Her hand is slipped into his arm and she looks smilingly into his face. She says to him, "I’m so happy." What would you say about a woman like that? Surely you would brand her as disloyal to her husband’s memory and unworthy to bear his name.
We must never forget that this godless world hated Jesus enough to kill Him. The person who walks hand in hand with a system headed by our Lord’s enemies is disloyal to Jesus Christ.
B. The Christian now belongs to the kingdom of God.
1. The Christian is in the world, but he is not of the world.
Christ "gave himself for our sins, THAT HE MIGHT DELIVER US FROM THIS PRESENT EVIL WORLD" (Galatians 1:4).
God "hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and HATH TRANSLATED US INTO THE KINGDOM OF HIS DEAR SON" (Colossians 1:13).
In 1 Peter 2:11 Peter writes, "Dearly beloved, I beseech you as STRANGERS AND PILGRIMS." We do not belong to this world.
In Philippians 3:19 Paul talks about those "whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things." But, he writes, "OUR CONVERSATION IS IN HEAVEN" (v. 20). That means our citizenship is in heaven.
2. The Christian is in the world, but he has overcome the world.
The Christian has overcome the world. "WHATSOEVER IS BORN OF GOD OVERCOMETH THE WORLD: AND THIS IS THE VICTORY THAT OVERCOMETH THE WORLD, EVEN OUR FAITH. WHO IS HE THAT OVERCOMETH THE WORLD, BUT HE THAT BELIEVETH THAT JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD?" (1 John 5:4-5).
3. The Christian is in the world, but his heart is not set on the world.
"Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, WHAT MANNER OF PERSONS OUGHT YE TO BE in all holy conversation and godliness" (2 Peter 3:11).
"If ye then be risen with Christ, 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" (Colossians 3:1-2).
An article in a San Francisco newspaper reported that a young man who once found a $5 bill on the street resolved that from that time on he would never lift his eyes while walking. The paper went on to say that over the years he accumulated, among other things, 29,516 buttons, 54, 172 pins, 12 cents, a bent back, and a miserly disposition. But he also lost something—the glory of sunlight, the radiance of the stars, the smiles of friends, and the freshness of blue skies.
I’m afraid that some Christians are like that man. While they may not walk around staring at the sidewalk, they are so engrossed with the things of this life that they give little attention to heavenly values.
II. THE CHRISTIAN NO LONER IS UNDER THE CONTROL OF SATAN—HE IS UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE SPIRIT.
A. The Christian was once under the control of Satan.
"Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, ACCORDING TO THE PRINCE OF THE POWER OF THE AIR, THE SPIRIT THAT NOW WORKETH IN THE CHILDREN OF DISOBEDIENCE" (Ephesians 2:2-3a).
We are no longer under the control of that evil spirit, but under the control of the Holy Spirit.
The Christian is no longer blinded by Satan. "If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom THE GOD OF THIS WORLD HATH BLINDED THE MINDS OF THEM WHICH BELIEVE NOT" (2 Corinthians 4:3-4).
Christ commissioned Paul to go to the Gentiles "to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and FROM THE POWER OF SATAN UNTO GOD" (Acts 26:18).
"We know that we are of God, and THE WHOLE WORLD LIETH IN WICKEDNESS [the wicked one]" (1 John 5:19). The whole world is being held like a baby in the arms of Satan.
B. The Christian is now under the control of the Spirit.
"AS MANY AS ARE LED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD, THEY ARE THE SONS OF GOD" (Romans 8:14).
"GREATER IS HE THAT IS IN YOU, THAN HE THAT IS IN THE WORLD" (1 John 4:4).
Martyn Lloyd-Jones writes,
Oh that God would enlighten the eyes of our understanding by His Spirit, that we may know "the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe", that we may realise all that is true of us! "Ye are of God, little children", says John, "and have overcome them, because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world." If we only realised this truth about ourselves we would understand what James means when he says, "Resist the devil and he will flee from you". The devil! the one who did not hesitate to stand up against God in eternity and who dragged down a number of angels with him; the one who was so powerful that when he approached Adam and Eve in their perfection and innocence he dragged them down! And yet it is said to you and to me: "Resist the devil and he will flee from you"—not because he is afraid of you, but because he is afraid of the One in whom you live and who is with you, the One who has vanquished him and routed him and finally defeated him. The Apostle Peter puts it like this: "You adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour". What do we do? Do we run and hide ourselves? Not at all!—you see this rushing beast coming at you, this devil, this Satan, this hellish power, and what to you do? "Whom resist, steadfast in the faith." And if you do so, he will not be able to touch you (God’s Way of Reconciliation, 104-105).
III. THE CHRISTIAN IS NO LONGER UNDER THE WRATH OF GOD—HE ENJOYS THE WEALTH OF GOD.
A. The Christian was once under the wrath of God.
Christians once "WERE BY NATURE THE CHILDREN OF WRATH, even as others" (Ephesians 2:3b).
"Being now justified, WE SHALL BE SAVED FROM WRATH THROUGH HIM" (Romans 5:9).
Christ "DELIVERED US FROM THE WRATH TO COME" (1 Thessalonians 1:10).
"GOD HATH NOT APPOINTED US TO WRATH, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thessalonians 5:9).
We see the wrath of God in the Bible’s most famous verse: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him SHOULD NOT PERISH, but have everlasting life." The alternative to everlasting life is perishing. "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; BUT THE WRATH OF GOD ABIDETH ON HIM" (John 3:16, 36).
"THE WRATH OF THE LORD IS REVEALED FROM HEAVEN AGAINST ALL UNGODLINESS AND UNRIGHTEOUSNESS OF MEN" (Romans 1:18).
"But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving thanks. But this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: FOR BECAUSE OF THESE THINGS COMETH THE WRATH OF GOD UPON THE CHILDREN OF DISOBEDIENCE" (Ephesians 5:6).
B. The Christian now enjoys the wealth of God.
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, WHO HATH BLESSED US WITH ALL SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS IN HEAVENLY PLACES IN CHRIST" (Ephesians 1:3).
We are not only saved FROM HELL; we are saved TO HEAVEN.
APPLICATION
Why has God done all of this for you? Because of His "GREAT LOVE" (v. 4).
What should be your response to God’s great love? Paul gives us the answer: "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that YE WALK WORTHY OF THE VOCATION WHEREWITH YE ARE CALLED" (Ephesians 4:1).
