TWO SIDES OF THE COIN Pt.5

SEATED IN HEAVENLY REALMS BUT STILL ON EARTH

Now, what Paul described or said about seating in heavenly realms speaks of our position in Christ but we're not in heaven functionally. As believers, our bodies are still functioning on the earth. Let me quickly make a distinction between position and function. By anatomy, you can recognize a female because of certain physical characteristics. These phenotypic features doesn't leave us in doubt about the authenticity of the female gender. Every female has a fixed anatomical position. However, she's expected to perform certain functions common to females. If a woman doesn't menstruate, breastfeed and do other things that females do at certain age, we'll say such a person isn't functioning in the position or capacity of a female. That's the way it is in Pauline expressions of who we are in Christ. We have been sanctified positionally but we are enjoined to be sanctified. That is, to function in sanctification. The bible says we are holy( positionally) but we were enjoined to be holy( by function).

In Christ, we have a position that grace has put us. Another wonder of grace is what Paul expressed here. The day you gave your life to Christ, God translated you from the kingdom of darkness into his kingdom: "For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son", Col 1:13 NLT. Hallelujah!!! God didn't stop there. He gave us a seat with Christ in the heavenly realms. That speaks of a position of power, authority and superiority over Satan and his cohorts. You need not fear Satan because your position is higher and more powerful than his. You are seated with Christ, this is your new status in Christ.

Some have taken an extreme view on what it means to be seated in heavenly realms. They say the believer is in heaven already so no need to long for heaven. Hear what Paul says: "We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing", 2Cor5:2. If you read that, you'll see that Paul didn't talk as if our entire being is in heaven rather he said we are longing for it. When you long for a thing, it means you don't have it yet. As a matter of fact, he said: "Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies", Romans 8:23 NIV. In another place, he said: "This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, FOR OUR SALVATION IS NEARER NOW THAN WHEN WE FIRST BELIEVED" ( Rom13:11). Brethren, don't be deceived by imbalanced teachings that doesn't stir your heart to long for your heavenly home because you're seated in heavenly realms. Let me close with this word of Paul: "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we EAGERLY AWAIT A SAVIOR from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,", Phil 3:20.