Ephesians 2:6-7

"And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together [giving us joint seating with Him] in the heavenly sphere [by virtue of our being] in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One)" Ephesians 2:6.

Christians are a "heavenly" people. Paul was telling the Ephesians, and now you and I, that we are a heavenly people. We're no longer from this world! God has spiritually "raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus". We live here on earth, but "our citizenship is in heaven" (Php 3:20). We seek those things which are above, and store up our treasures where neither moth nor rust can harm.

Looking at two very different tombs, in the Middle East, we can see an interesting picture. The first is the burial place of King Tut in Egypt. Inside, we found that precious metal and blue porcelain covered the walls. The mummy of the king was enclosed in a beautifully inscribed, gold-covered sarcophagus. Although King Tut apparently believed in an afterlife, he thought of it in terms of this world's possessions, which he wanted to take with him.

The other tomb is in Palestine... it is a simple cave, carved from stone... believed by many to be Jesus' burial site. Inside, there's no gold, no earthly treasure, and no body. Jesus had no reason to store up this world's treasures. His goal was to fulfill all righteousness by doing His Father's will. His was a spiritual kingdom of truth and love.

The treasures we collect for ourselves here on earth will all stay behind when this life ends. But the treasures we store up in heaven we'll have for eternity. When we seek to be Christlike in thought, word, and deed, we live as "heavenly" beings.

In our spiritual position in Christ, we also share in His power and authority over and above the power and authority here on earth... power over the hatred and sin we see here. We may become inflicted and even imprisoned, yet our spirit has been set free. We may be killed, yet we still live. Our joy and our hope are in those things that are promised by a loving God.

7. He did this that He might clearly demonstrate through the ages to come the immeasurable (limitless, surpassing) riches of His free grace (His unmerited favor) in [His] kindness and goodness of heart toward us in Christ Jesus.

Again and again God says to us throughout His Word, that He did these things solely because He has loved us! His kindness and goodness of heart toward us in Christ Jesus.

Let's pick up with Ephesians verse 2:8-9 next time.

I love you.