"Raised with Christ: Embracing Our Spiritual Position" Eph 2:6

Good morning. It is our privilege and joy here at Dillingham Moravian Church to

be able to lead you in the study of God's Word.

My name is Pastor Simon, and here at Dillingham Moravian Church,

our mission is to make disciples of Christ as we shine the light of God's Word

throughout Bristol Bay, southwest Alaska, and beyond.

One day during fishing season, my sons Jonathan, Paul, and I walked down to

the Snag Point seawall to take a look at our net that was fishing in the water.

As we came to our sight, I noticed with excitement that there were fish in the

net, and some were hitting right at that moment.

Jonathan, my older boy, pulled himself up on the seawall to have a look for

himself, but little Paul, our then four-year-old, could not see over the wall.

Paul yelled, I can't see, I can't see!!

I then went over to where Paul was standing and picked him up and lifted him

up to the position where he could see the net and the fish.

I'm sharing this story with you because we, as children and sons of God,

have been raised up to a position of privilege and honor by Christ,

by God, for which we do not deserve and could never have reached on our own. Let's pray.

Father God, we come before you today and we praise you, we bless you.

We give you honor and glory for all that you are.

Thank you for your son, Jesus Christ, for his death on the cross and his resurrection.

Thank you for raising us up, for adopting us in Christ, for giving us a seat

and position in you, in your Son.

Thank you so much. May you work in us today, Lord.

I pray, Lord, that every person who hears your word today may hear it with your

spirit, with your power, and with full conviction.

So that we may be convinced of your truth.

In your precious Son's name, Jesus Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit, I pray. Amen.

Here at Dillingham Ravian Church, we have been teaching through a preaching

series in Paul's letter to the Ephesians.

In Ephesians 2, verse 1-3, God taught the Ephesian believers,

Ephesians 2:1–3

and subsequently us as well, through Paul, that they were once dead in their

trespasses and sins and were enslaved in the world system that Satan's controls.

But due to Christ's intervention, the Ephesians' disciples of Christ were no

longer dead in their trespasses and sins.

God intervened into human history and human existence by demonstrating His unlimited

mercy and overwhelming love.

God demonstrated His beyond abundant merciful love in Jesus Christ's sacrificial

death on the cross and in His resurrection.

That we who were once spiritually dead before God are now alive together with Christ.

And today we're going to continue on in our study in Ephesians 2, verse 6.

Ephesians 2:6

But we're going to begin reading in verse 4 and then go on to verse 7 for context.

But God, being rich in mercy because of his great love with which he loved us,

even when we were dead in our transgressions made

us alive together with Christ by grace

you have been saved and here's what we're studying today verse 6 and raised

us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus

so that in the ages to come he might show the surpassing riches of his grace

and kindness towards us in Jesus Christ.

Again, we're going to look at verse 6 today, and there are two overarching truths

that I believe God to be teaching us.

The first timeless truth I would like to show you is that as part of Christ's

church, we were raised up with Christ.

Paul explained in Ephesians 2, verse 6, and raised us up with Him.

Ephesians 2:6

In this verse, Paul taught the Ephesian Christ believers that God raised them

and all disciples of Christ from being spiritually dead to being alive in the

life and realm of the Spirit.

The word that Paul used for raised meant to raise up from death,

physical, spiritual, raised with, of participating in the resurrection of Jesus.

The believer in mystic union with him experienced this raising up.

There are three observations about this concept of being raised up with Christ that I point out to you.

The first observation of being raised

up is that before Christ's death and resurrection and without Christ,

we were dead in our trespasses and sins and we were unable and still are unable

without Christ to raise ourselves up to be in God's presence.

It was only God in the same resurrection power that raised Christ from the dead,

by which Christ ascended into heaven, that we were raised to a position before

God that we were unable to reach on our own.

The second observation I want to bring to your attention is.

About being raised with Christ is that it was completed in the past and it happened

when Christ died and most especially when he rose from the dead and ascended into heaven.

Now it's essential we understand this truth because when Christ physically died

on the cross, he canceled our blood debt that we owe God so that we could be forgiven.

Paul in Colossians chapter 2 verse 12 through 14 explained, having been buried

Colossians 2:12–14

with him in baptism in which you were also raised with him through faith in

the working of God who raised him from the dead.

When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh,

and here's what I'm getting at,

he made you alive together with him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,

having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us.

And he has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

I want you to see that Paul was teaching the Colossians that all of humanity's

sin was crucified on the cross with Jesus because our blood debt that we owed

God was nailed to the cross.

And as we responded to the grace of Christ through faith in Christ as our only Lord, we are baptized.

Paul taught that just as baptism is symbolic of being drowned or dying and then

rising into a clean, into a new life.

So also our old life, enslaved to sin, has been crucified, killed,

and we've been raised with Christ into a mere spiritual life in Him.

And this leads us to the third observation about being raised with Christ,

is that our new Spirit-filled life in Christ points to when Christ will return and raise us up.

To have a new, transformed, physical life in heaven with Christ forever.

Paul proclaimed in 1 Thessalonians 4, verse 15-17, For this we say to you by

1 Thessalonians 4:15–17

the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the

Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep.

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of

the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the

clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

And so we shall always be with the Lord.

Paul also confirmed in 1 Corinthians 15, verse 51-53, Behold, I tell you a mystery.

1 Corinthians 15:51–53

We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed.

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet,

for the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised imperishable and we will

all be changed for this perishable must put on the imperishable and this mortal

must be put on immortality.

Back in Ephesians 2, verse 6, Paul was explaining to the Ephesian Christians

Ephesians 2:6

that just as Christ died and rose from the dead,

so also Christians were raised from being spiritually dead to being spiritually

alive in Christ and being raised to a position before God that they couldn't

raise themselves to on their own.

So what can we as Christians learn from this first part of verse six?

Due to God's great love for us in Christ, we, you and I have been raised to

a wonderful position of being children and sons or heirs of almighty God.

One of the reasons why we as Christians desire to go back into the old life

of sin that we once were enslaved to is because we do not really believe and

trust that the Father has raised us up from being spiritually dead to life in

the spirit of God and sonship with Christ.

We do not believe that we're now royal crown princes and princesses of Christ's kingdom.

We, you and I, must truly believe and trust in who we are with and in Christ.

We must also believe in the value and worth of the position that we have been so graciously given.

As human beings, we do not do anything unless we value or treasure what we want to do.

So in order for us to be able to live in the truth that we are royals in the

kingdom of God, we must value Christ and His kingdom over and above ourselves and our own desires.

And we must value our position with Christ before God.

So far, we've learned that Paul taught the Ephesian Christians and us that just

as Christ died and rose from the dead,

so also Christ's disciples had been raised from being spiritually dead to being

spiritually alive in Christ and being risen up to a position before God that

they couldn't lift themselves up to on their own.

The second point I want you to see is that not only are we raised to a position

of sonship and resurrected from the spiritual deadness to a spiritual new life,

we are also raised to that wonderful position in a specific location.

As Christians, we are now seated with God in heaven in victory in Christ Jesus.

At nighttime, my family and I.

Do a daily Bible story reading together in prayer time.

When this happens, I get comfortable on the couch in the living room and then

welcome the boys to come and sit on either side of me as I read and teach them about God's Word.

Sometimes the boys want to sit on top of me when I read and lead them in prayer.

My point is, with this illustration, is that similar to my boys seated with

me, their father, we, you and I, have been raised to be seated in Christ,

next to God, our Heavenly Father, and reigning Lord in the heavenly realms.

Paul in Ephesians 2, verse 6 wrote, And raised us up with Him,

Ephesians 2:6

and here's where we are now, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

As we look at the end of verse 6, I want to point out to you that Paul was describing

to the Ephesians that there are two locations where believers are.

The first location is that believers have been seated in the privileged position

of being with God, the Most High and Almighty Lord of the universe.

The question we need to ask here, where is God seated? Definitely the Lord is

seated in heaven. But what is he seated on?

God, the ruler of all life everywhere, is seated on his throne from which he

rules the universe. I bring this up because if we are seated next to him or

with him, what are we seated on? We're seated on thrones as well.

What do thrones signify? Thrones signify power, authority, victory over one's

enemies, rule over a kingdom.

Now, this doesn't mean that we are in any way like God.

Rather, God has graciously and lovingly invited us to sit with him on the royal

dais where his throne is positioned.

In Revelation 4, verse 2 through 8, the apostle John was given a vision of God

Revelation 4:2–8

in the throne room of God.

Immediately, I was in the spirit, John wrote.

And behold, a throne was standing in heaven and one sitting on the throne.

And he who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance.

And there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance.

Around the throne were twenty-four thrones.

And upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments

and golden crowns on their heads.

Out of the throne come flashes of lightning, sounds and peals of thunder.

And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne,

which are the seven spirits of God.

And before the throne, there was something like a sea of glass,

like crystal, and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures

full of eyes in front and behind.

The first creature was like a lion, the second creature like a calf,

and the third creature had a face like that of a man.

And the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. And the four living creatures,

each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within.

And day and night they do not cease to say, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God

Almighty, who was, and who is, and who is to come.

This is the scene in which you and I and all of Christ's church are seated in

right now in our position within Christ.

There is also another way that some Bible scholars view Ephesians 2, verse 6.

Ephesians 2:6

Those teachers believed that Paul was communicating that God's people are positionally

sitting on the knee of God as the adopted children of their Heavenly Father.

Remember that Ephesians chapter 2 is in the context of Ephesians chapter 1,

Ephesians 2 · chapter mention Ephesians 1 · chapter mention

where in Ephesians chapter 1, verse 5 through 6, Paul wrote,

Ephesians 1:5–6

he predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to himself,

according to the kind intention of his will, to the praise of the glory of his

grace, which he freely bestowed on us in the beloved.

John in 1 John chapter 3, verse 1, also taught, See how great a love the Father

1 John 3:1

has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God, and such we are.

We also understand from Scripture that God has a mother's love for His children.

Isaiah 6, verse 13 prophesied, As one whom his mother comforts,

Isaiah 6:13

so I will comfort you, and you will be comforted in Jerusalem.

Moreover, God foretold more about his nature in Isaiah 40, verse 10-11.

Isaiah 40:10–11

Behold, the Lord God will come with might and with his arm ruling for him.

Behold, his reward is with him and his recompense before him.

Okay, up to this point, God is picturing himself as the all-powerful judging

king. But look at what God said in verse 11.

Like a shepherd, he will tend his flock. In his arm, he will gather the lambs

and carry them in his bosom.

He will gently lead the nursing youths.

Jesus, in his parable of the prodigal son, spoke of God with the image of lovingly

and mercifully compassionate father who ran to his previously rebellious but now repentant son,

hugged him, forgave him, and showered upon his sons the rights and privileges

that was due a son of the master of the state.

And the father threw a big party for his former wayward son.

My take on Ephesians chapter 2 verse 6 is that both views on where we are positioned

Ephesians 2:6

spiritually may be right.

God embodies absolute holiness and all the terrifying power,

victory, and rule over the universe.

In Christ, God has honored his chosen

people to be his crown princes and princesses of his cosmic kingdom.

And yet God is also our heavenly father who embodies the compassion of a father

and the fierce love of a mother for her children.

And thus it's quite possible within the relationship that we have with our heavenly

father, because of and in Christ, we are also welcome to sit with him in the heavenly places.

It is impossible for us as human beings to be able to align in our feeble minds all of who God is.

Throughout the scriptures, we often see seemingly contradictory pictures of

who God is, yet these aspects of God are all one in his nature.

The second location that Paul in Ephesians 2, verse 6 points us to is that we

Ephesians 2:6

as children and heirs of Christ are also in Christ.

And what this means is that as part of Christ's body, he's not only our head,

but Christ is also the location within which we are located.

As a human being, my heart or my lungs or even my legs, my arms are all part

of my body, but they're also in my body.

And I believe this is what Paul was getting at when he was writing to the Ephesian

congregation to say that as children of God, they were in Christ.

As believers in Jesus Christ, we're not only part of Christ's spiritual body,

the church, but we're also in Christ's body.

Wherever we are, no matter the time period, we are in the body of Christ.

As those who are in Christ, we, you and I, are spiritually located in the realm

of the Holy Spirit in Christ, wherever Christ is.

That is where we are. There are three ways that I see that we can apply the

concept of us as Christ's church seated with God in Christ.

The first application I would like you to see is that because of what Christ

has done on the cross and in his resurrection, God has and is honoring us as

crown princes and crown princesses and giving us authority and victory in Christ.

What this means for us as part of Christ's church and heirs of God in Christ

is that we, you and I, have a fantastic identity in Christ.

Not only do we have the amazing hope of Christ's full victory over sin and applied

to our spirits and our bodies and reigning with Christ when Christ returns,

we also have victory in Christ now over our sin by the Holy Spirit's power.

Not only will we physically reign with and under Christ in the future,

but we are now heirs right now in anticipation of our future inheritance.

The victory that Christ had over sin is now applied to us.

We, you and I, have that victory as we stay or abide in relationship with Christ.

As human beings, we complain so much and act so weak, and yet we're not just

ordinary humans anymore.

We have been made into new creations.

We are indwelt by Christ in the Holy Spirit. it.

According to Paul, in 2 Timothy 1, verse 7, for God gave us a spirit not of

2 Timothy 1:7

fear, but of power, love, and self-control.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we must constantly remind ourselves of the truth

that we can handle any circumstance.

With the truth, humble wisdom, and the grace of Christ because we are God's

children who have God's very Son operating us.

We are royals of the greatest kingdom of all the universe. We can conquer any

temptation as we trust and surrender to Christ, our Lord.

According to John Piper, we break the back of sin's deceitful promises by believing

the superior promises of God who says, I'll never leave you.

I'll never forsake you. I will always help you.

Don't be afraid of strangers, prisons, a lifetime of sexual chastity or scarcity of money.

Don't be afraid to go outside the camp.

Don't be afraid. Trust me. Look to the blood of Jesus and realize how committed

I am to you. I will keep my promises.

The second way we can apply the concept of being seated with God in Christ is

that God loves us as a father loves his children and is delighted to see us.

Except that our father also happens to be Yahweh, God, the holy creator and

ruler of all the universe.

Many of us Christians have difficulty with the concept of God being a loving

father who is delighted with us and who rejoices over us as Zephaniah teaches us.

The difficulty arises because of the failings of our earthly fathers and our

perspectives are tainted by our relationships with our dad.

But God is perfect. He is completely holy and he's completely good in all ways,

whereas our dads are human, just like us, prone to sin.

We, you and I, as children of God, we must trust and believe in the most wonderful

and unique love that the Lord God, our Father, has for us.

And as we trust in God's love for us, our trust will allow the very power of

God to work in us and through us so that we can obey Christ and be witnesses

for our Lord everywhere we go.

The third application I want to show you is that we are now in Christ.

And we are not just in a relationship with the Lord and Master of the universe.

We're also in Christ together with the entire church body, the body of Christ,

past, present, and future.

We are in a family, the family of God in Christ.

It's important for you and I to understand that being in Christ is about belonging to Christ.

And as we are in Christ, we also belong to each other. We're part of each other. We are not alone.

As Christians, we have struggles, temptations, challenges that we face in our

families, in our work, in our personal lives.

Yet we, you and I, are not alone. God has placed us in community,

in communion, in oneness, in his church.

We have brothers and sisters in Christ who have our back.

Over the many years I have been in ministry, people around the world have been

praying for me and my family, praying for this church.

Churches and ministries are being united in the mission of the gospel,

praying for us, sending teams here to our churches here in Alaska to help us

in the ministry, to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.

But also right here in our local congregations here in Dillingham,

we have each other praying for and taking care of each other and edifying each other in the Lord.

I can tell you for certain that my family and I would not have been able to

stay here over 14 years without the love, support, and prayers of our church

family here in Dillingham. Thank you so much.

I want to encourage you all who are listening that you do not need to live life

and struggle alone. Why?

Because you're not alone. And if you let your local body of Christ know your needs, they will help.

But the best way for them to know your needs is to be involved with them.

Get involved with your local body of Christ. And they'll get involved with you.

We're all in Christ together.

What is it that God has been teaching us in this passage? First off,

we have learned that just as Christ died and rose from the dead,

so also we, as Christ's disciples, have been raised spiritually to being spiritually alive.

From being raised from being spiritually dead to being spiritually alive in

Christ. and had been lifted to a position before God that we could not get to on our own.

The second point that God through Paul has taught us is that we have been also

privileged with the magnificent honor of positionally being seated with God

and located in Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit as part of his church.

I wish to encourage you or give you courage today by reminding you of who God

is as the absolute ruler and king of all life everywhere.

And that he's also our loving father who has in Jesus Christ brought us into

his family, positionally made us sons of God and has raised us up and seated

us with him in the realms of heaven.

I also want to encourage you.

By reminding you of who you really are in Christ. Satan and his deceitful promises

of the world, the deceit of our own flesh, are not reality.

They are illusions. But the promises of God are completely true.

And they are anchored in the reality of God himself, in the blood sacrifice

of Christ and his resurrection.

Trust Christ. Cling to his promises together. And we will live here on earth,

what is reality in heaven. Let's pray.

Father God, we are grateful for your word and your truth.

Thank you. Thank you for who you are in Christ.

We praise you, we bless you, and may you work in us and through us.

May you be glorified in all that we do. In your precious son's name,

Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

I'll leave you with this blessing from Romans chapter eight, verse 38 to 39.

For I'm sure that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor rulers,

nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,

nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate

us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Have a wonderful Sunday. May the Lord bless you.