The Apostle Paul says to us today: "God has raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:6-7 Jesus is seated in the heavenlies, in the realm of the Spirit - in the realm of authority. He lives in the fullness of His own existence. He is the author and finisher of our faith. We are seated together with Him in the Spirit. The Lord wants to make the meaning of the heavenlies, and its power a reality working in our lives, and not just a doctrine we hold to as being true.
The power that the Father desires to impart to us is that of complete authority over the works of darkness. An inner state where Adam has nothing in us, or power over us. We are partakers of His divine nature even though it does not yet fully appear what we shall be. We can look forward, with hope, to putting on Jesus Christ and to have His nature formed in us so deeply, that there will be no place for Adam. It is the will of God that Jesus Christ is made manifest in a living people that all might see Him.
Because of who He is, God reveals Himself. He is a God of revelation and He wants the very substance of His life to be experienced by us and eventually as us.
You can only know what is within you. We see that there will be an unveiling and a shining forth of the fullness of God's nature, the full expression of His Being. This is something God desires, by virtue of who He is. It is something that was never really accomplished in the original creation of Man. God must have a people like Himself if He is to find a true resting place, a true tabernacle. One of the more powerful thoughts I heard through the teaching of the book of Nehemiah, was the need to have a vision in life for something greater than yourself.
Nehemiah was living in Babylon quite comfortably and was the King's cup bearer. This put him in close contact not only with the authorities in Shuhan but also with the King himself. He had a great life and one would ordinarily look at such fortune as a great accomplishment. Nehemiah, however had something deep in his heart. The care and concern for something greater than himself.
He understood the glory of God's nature and the meaning of the city of Jerusalem and while his own life was going very well he could not be happy knowing that God's city was still destroyed and struggling and God's people were hurting so badly. He had a heart to be a solution to the problem. This is a deep truth for all God's people who are called to the High Calling of God in Christ.
While staying at my sister's house in Mattituck, Long Island, a family of four came over to see a boat that my brother in law has for sale. The unique thing about this family was they were all deaf and could not speak very well.
The two adults could read lips and did communicate but I was so troubled in my soul to know the two young boys also were deaf and had never heard a sound in their life. It only brought home once again the broken state of mankind and how the nature of sin and disobedience from the beginning has visited itself upon the innocent. How unfair, how evil.
These are the broken down walls of Jerusalem in all its various forms. That is why I cry out to you today to press toward the mark of the High Calling of God in Christ. Make Holy use of your time and labor in Christ.
Ephesians 5:14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. 15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
Behind this dynamic admonition of St. Paul, is the outcome of God's saints coming to maturity. The walls of broken humanity will find remedy, relief and restoration. There is an answer, there is a promise and there is hope for all, including those I met today.
It is written, Romans 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
*For more information on this topic simply E-mail Michael Brod at: michaelbrod@hotmail.com
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SEATED IN HEAVENLY PLACES: BY MICHAEL BROD