I pray that you will begin to understand the incredible greatness of his power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else in this world or in the world to come.
Eph. 1:16-21 NLT
There is certainly more in this passage than could be addressed in a lifetime, let alone a blog post. But I want to draw attention to a theme that is central to Paul’s letter to the Ephesians – that of the heavenly places. If we are to walk in the Kingdom we desperately need to believe the Word concerning our position in Christ – that of being raised with Him and seated with Him. We need to see beyond the borders of our natural horizon and believe beyond the borders of our horizon of faith. We need elevated sight that only comes from living in the reality of our heavenly position.
For he raised us from the dead along with Christ, and we are seated with him in the heavenly realms–all because we are one with Christ Jesus. And so God can always point to us as examples of the incredible wealth of his favor and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us through Christ Jesus.
Eph. 2:6-7 NLT
We see that just as Christ is raised from the dead and seated in the heavenly realms, so also are we with Him! This is glorious! For just as He is far above any ruler, authority or power – so are we. We are His ambassadors to the earth, that we might show forth His excellent greatness, His dominion over sin and His authority over the power of Satan. Remember His promise, that we would be endued with power after the Holy Spirit comes upon us, and that power – the power that raised Jesus from the dead – now dwells in us. All that separates us from manifesting the truth of our position in Christ is faith. Do we believe what the Word says? Do we truly believe we are now raised from the dead and seated with Him?
Now, I am not speaking of an exercise of faith in keeping with certain preachers and teachers who think godliness is a means of financial gain. I speak of a faith that exercises the power and purpose of God with respect to the advance of His kingdom in the earth. The faith that is exercised for His benefit, not man’s. A faith that is consumed with the Spirit, not the flesh. For without this type of faith being applied our sight will be earthbound rather than heavenly. Our walk will be more futile than overcoming. Consider the following.
To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in [fn] God who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. Eph. 3:8-10
There is a testimony that needs to be manifested through the body of Christ to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places, and we need the elevated sight that comes from walking in the reality of having been seated with Christ to affect this testimony. We are a heavenly people, not an earthly people – whether we realize it or not. Unfortunately, most of the effort in serving the Lord is taken up from an earthly position. Rather than believing who we already are, many are still trying to become. Rather than walking in the new man who cannot sin, many are still trying to rehabilitate the old man. Rather than boldly coming before the throne of grace, convinced of the finished work of Christ, most believers still wrestle with guilt and unworthiness for they lack resurrection sight.
Lastly, consider Paul’s words near the end of his letter.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Eph. 6:12 NLT
As long as the enemy has us earthbound he keeps us spiritually impotent – unable to effectively download the Father’s purpose into the earth. Oh how we need elevated sight and faith – not for our fleshly desires but for His eternal purpose! Oh how we need to pray from a place of heavenly authority rather than earthly need, from unenlightened request to the known will of God. Not that we forsake upward prayer, but we add to it downward decree. If God is going to affect change in the earth He does so through the agency of mankind – even to the point of becoming a man, tasting our humanity and showing forth what it means to walk with God as a man. And if that same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in us then He will give life to our mortal bodies. That life flows from the Father, through the Son by the Spirit and seeks to manifest the glory of God in the earth. As Paul exhorted us in 2 Cor. 4:11,
For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
Notice, that twice Paul speaks of this glory being revealed in our mortal bodies, not immortal. How blessed is humankind that God would choose to reveal Himself through us!
As the Psalmist said,
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet…
Psalm 8:4-6
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth. Give us elevated sight and radical faith that we might walk in the fulness of Your resurrection power in this life. That we might show forth Your glory which You have so graciously bestowed upon us. Then world will see an authentic expression of Christ, through Your people. A people with Elevated Sight!
