From Heaven

Read: Ephesians 2:1-10

He raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:6

IN WORD

We are in a privileged position. That would be true regardless of where we came from, but Scripture makes it clear that we came from a state of death into new life. We were in darkness, captivity, and wrath, inherently rebellious against God and influenced by evil forces. But as characters in the ultimate rags-to-riches story, we have been raised to new life, transferred to the Kingdom of light, and seated with the King in heaven. All because of His unfathomable love and grace.

Though this is true and most Scripture-savvy believers know it, few of us live this way. We live as though we are still trapped in a world of darkness and looking forward to heaven. We live very earthly lives while holding on to the hope that we might experience a bit of heaven. But that isn’t an accurate perspective. If we really believe passages like these—the great declarations of apostolic writings that we are already in Christ where He lives—then we are living heavenly lives while walking the earth. Our citizenship is in the Kingdom, and we are seated in its place of power. We aren’t earthly beings trying to get to heaven. We are heavenly beings charged with bringing heaven to earth.

IN DEED

How can we do that? First, we need to know the atmosphere we truly live in. We need to see it, feel it, count on it, know that it’s true. We are to live and breathe in the atmosphere of heaven and exude it here. We may live among the darkness, but we don’t draw our energy from that place. We draw our energy, our hopes, our motivation, our very lives from another realm. And if we take the opportunity, we can bring our life in that realm to bear on the realm we once came from. Our attitudes, actions, prayers, power, and purposes can—and must—influence earth with the blessings of heaven.

ADDITIONAL READING: Philippians 1:27

Sanctify yourself and you will sanctify society.

FRANCIS OF ASSISI