Seated In Heavenly Places!

Thank you for being here today. We have some excellent Biblical revelation to share with you. I am trusting you will be challenged and encouraged and changed by the teaching. Eric

What a dynamic teaching we have for you today! It is so amazing to take a Biblical phrase like, ‘seated in heavenly places’ and dig into the Word and gain the revelation and understanding that God, through His Word and the Holy Spirit desires that His people have!

To begin, it is important that we understand ‘who’ and ‘what’ we are “in Christ.” To be ‘in’ Christ means we have accepted His sacrifice as payment for our sins. If you are a believer in Christ Jesus, then, you are ‘in’ Him. We see that in 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

When we accept Jesus’s sacrifice and put our trust and faith in His name, we become children of God. (John 1:12). Galatians 4:4-7 reveals, “But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. 6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." 7 So you are no longer a slave, but God's child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.” In Roman culture, adoption was a legal practice which granted an adopted child to have the full rights and privileges of a biological son.

Romans 8:17 takes us a step further by revealing that if we are ‘children of God,’ then, we are ‘heirs’ (sharer or possessors) of God and ‘joint-heirs’ with Jesus.

We need to understand that, the inheritance we share with Christ now, is a spiritual inheritance which was promised by God.

After Christ completed the work or mission God had purposed for Him in coming to earth, He returned to heaven. There, He was seated at the Father’s right hand. Let’s look at Ephesians 1:18-23, “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”

Paul prayed that we would know the riches of our inheritance and the great power by which God raised Christ and seated him at His right hand. In verse 22, we read that ‘God appointed Jesus to be the head over everything for the church (the believers). Then, we see in verse 23 that the church (the Body of Christ) is in Christ. The ‘body’ of Christ is connected to the head. Can you imagine a body without a head? That body could do nothing. Can you imagine a body with two heads? There would only be confusion, so the head of a church is not the pastor or the elder board. Jesus is the Head of His body - The Church.

That is an exciting truth, but wait until you see the revelation we receive in Ephesians 2: 4-6, “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.”

The phrase, “And God raised us up with Christ” in verse 6 emphasizes the believers spiritual resurrection paralleling Christ’s physical resurrection. In the context of Ephesians, Paul is addressing the transformation from spiritual death to life. (John 3:3). Prior to the redemption we receive from the shed blood of Christ, we are dead (spiritually) in our sins. Through Christ, and the law of the Spirit, we have life and are free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2).

Positionally, in the spirit realm, we are seated together with Christ at the right hand of God! We are united with Jesus Christ in His resurrection life.

As we ‘sit in heavenly realms,’ the power of God that raised Jesus from the dead is available and working on our behalf as we walk in this world. (Ephesians 1:18,19; Acts 17:23 and 1 John 4:9). “This seating is not a future promise but a present reality, indicating the believer’s current spiritual authority.” (Got Questions.org). Theologically it suggests that believers share in Christ’s victory and reign. (Revelation 3:21, Bible Hub, Study Bible).

‘Heavenly realms’ refer to the spiritual dimension where Christ reigns. They are contrasted with the earthly realm. (Bible Hub, Study Bible).

“Since we have been raised to new life with Christ, we can now set our sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Physically, we still live in the natural world. But God, by His great power and because of His immense love, mercy and grace raised us from our spiritually dead status to new life in Christ.” (Got Questions.org).

2 Corinthians 5:17 reveals that we become new creations in Christ. That means we have a new identity and status in Christ.

Because of our union with Christ, we reap the benefits of His position of divine authority. (Psalm 110:1 and Acts 2:34, 35).

“Believers are spiritually elevated and share His authority. (Ephesians 2:6, rhema.org). Luke 9:1 reveals that Jesus called his disciples together and “gave them power and authority.” The ‘power’ He gave them was dynamis, the miraculous or miracle working power of God. The ‘authority’ which He gave to His disciples was ‘exousia’ or His delegated authority or influence.

In Luke 10:1, we read that God (Master or Jesus) appointed and sent 70 others with His power and delegated authority also. In verse 9, He instructed the disciples to ‘heal the sick’. We must realize this - the disciples did not ‘heal the sick’ - it was the Holy Spirit’s power and the delegated authority from Jesus in them that did the work. He has given us the same power and delegated authority so that we, as those seated in the heavenly places with Him, as those who are a part of the Body of Christ and as those who are ‘the Church’ can be a co-worker with God to do His work. He has called and equipped us to complete the work of Christ here on the planet.

This occurs when we minister according to the will of God. However, it is imperative that we understand completely that we are simply a vessel which the Holy Spirit operates through in His power and the delegated authority of Christ. Apart from Him we can do nothing! (John 15:5). Praise God, all glory, power, praise and honor belongs to Him!

We also need to take note of the importance of ‘where’ we are seated with Jesus in the heavenly places. Ephesians 1:20 reveals God seated Jesus at the right hand in the heavenly realm. According to Strong’s Lexicon in Bible Hub, “The Greek word dexios primarily refers to the right hand or right side. In Biblical context, it often symbolizes a place of honor, authority or power. The right hand is frequently associated with strength and skill as well as a position of favor and blessing.”

Hebrews 10:12 and 13 (CSB) reads, ”But this man, after offering one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God. 13 He is now waiting until his enemies are made his footstool.” Jesus is waiting until his enemies are made his footstool! Kingdom Dynamics in the NSFLB gives insight into this verse, “The lesson in Joshua’s admonishing his captains, in Joshua 10:24 and 25 to place their feet on the neck of the evil kings he had conquered demonstrates our privilege through Christ’s complete victory over the devil.”

We have to read Ephesians 1:20-23 again (CSB), “He exercised this power in Christ by raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens ​-- ​ 21 far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he subjected everything under his feet and appointed him as head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.” As members of His body we are seated with Him far above every ruler and authority, power, dominion and every title given. Verse 22 reveals, “He subjected everything under his feet and appointed him as head over everything for the church. Jesus is waiting for the Church, the Body of Christ to finish His work - to make his enemies His footstool! We will accomplish that only as we operate in the Spirit’s power and the delegated authority He has given to us!

Believers, we have been given power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases. (Luke 9:1 and 2).

We have been given authority over “all the power of the enemy.” (Luke 10:19).

We will overcome all the spirits that do not acknowledge Jesus, because, Jesus, the One in us , is greater than the one who is in the world. (1 John 4:3 and 4).

We read in Ephesians 3:7-10 that Paul became a servant of the gospel by he gift of God’s grace given him through the working of his power. Verse 8 reads, “this grace was given to me to preach to the Gentiles (the unsaved) the boundless riches of Christ. Verse 10 and 11 reveals, “His (the Lord’s) intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realm. 11 according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.” That is astounding!

As we operate in the delegated authority we receive from Christ and move in His power, which we receive as those in right relationship with God and as those who are seated with Him now in heavenly places - we will accomplish the work of the Body of Christ and His manifold wisdom will be made known.

Remember, “As we sit in heavenly places while still living on Earth, we have access through Jesus Christ to all of heaven’s privileges and spiritual blessings.

“The church is not just a gathering of believers but a divine instrument through which God’s wisdom is displayed to the spiritual realm.”

“Every believer is part of the church’s mission to reveal God’s wisdom, encouraging participation in the life and mission of the church.” (The previous three quotes are taken from Got Questions.org)

We, through the power of the Holy Spirit and the delegated authority we’ve received from Christ as a believer, and a member of the body of Christ, can do our part to fulfill the Great Commission of going into all the world, making disciples and completing Christ’s work here. Luke 4:18, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free”

Unless noted all Scripture is taken from the New International Version.

NSFLB New Spirit Filled Life Bible

CSB Christian Standard Bible