Let's begin with a story of Hamid ben Abdullah, a Christian convert in Morocco, North Africa.1 He was asked to give testimony of his conversion to Christianity, and this is the way he explained it.
There was once a poor shepherd, barely scratching together enough sustenance to remain alive. One day, he encountered the Sultan of the land, who was out in a caravan visiting various areas of his empire. The lowly shepherd was able to point the group to a source of fresh, reviving water, there in the desert. After being refreshed, the Sultan commanded that the shepherd be joined to his caravan and taken to the capitol. Although he feared he had been singled out for punishment, upon arrival at the palace, the shepherd was not only given clean clothes, food and a room in which to live, he was also made one of the Sultan's most trusted advisors. The other advisors were jealous that a "nobody" of such low standing would be afforded such an exalted position. And, they made it their objective to destroy him. They noticed that after the man had been in the Sultan's presence he would retire to his room and close the door. Telling the Sultan that the man was plotting treason behind closed doors, the Sultan sent his officers to investigate. Peering into the old man's room, they saw him kneeling on an old, tattered mat, near which a shepherd's crook was hanging on the wall, along with dirty, tattered clothing. The Sultan arrived and asked the old man to explain. He said, "My Lord, after I have been in your presence, I return here and kneel on this mat, and look at these remnants of my former life. And, I remind myself that this is what I WAS and that I would have died like that. Then, I look at my new clothes, this wonderful room and I think about how this is now what I AM, by the mercy of the Sultan.
What a wonderful allegory for the Christian!
Our verses this morning are Ephesians 2:4-7.
4But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, 5even though we were dead in transgressions, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you are saved! – 6and he raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7to demonstrate in the coming ages the surpassing wealth of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
The last time we were here in Ephesians, we probed the depths of verses 1-3, which describe those dirty rags, that poverty of spiritual death. We looked at the impossibility of a "corpse" raising itself from the dead. Everything changes, though, at the beginning of verse 4 with the words, "But God..."
So, let's examine today what God does to make us spiritually alive and what gifts (new clothes, lodging, position) He gives us. Since we were and are unable to resurrect ourselves, how does God make us alive spiritually?
1. I used to believe that my salvation began when I accepted Jesus' offer of salvation. But, I've come to realize that it began before Time even began. In "eternity past" (which is a feeble attempt to understand "forever", backwards) God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit conceived the rebirth of fallen mankind. Because of unfathomable mercy and love, this was done! In their conversations, their communion, Father gave to Jesus, His Son, a Bride, that same group Jesus prayed over in John 17:6, when He prayed about "those you have given to me", those millions upon millions of believers, beginning with the early disciples and continuing forward until Time is no more. I was part of that group. If you know Jesus Christ as your Savior, you were as well. For practical purposes, because we exist in Time, our salvation began when we accepted Christ and continues on as we walk in the finality of that decision. Did we still have to choose Christ, to accept Him as Savior? Yes, but Father knew what our decisions would be.
Because of this we are "united with Christ", "made alive together with Christ". Judgment for the child of God ends here.
"This is the great thing, utterly crucial and life transforming; every glorious blessing that happens to us occurs because of our being joined to Christ. God’s answer to the human predicament is not to send the church into the world with a great educational program, nor with a political agenda, nor with a stringent moral code, nor does God come with a mass of appeals and exhortations to turn over a new leaf. The church comes to the world primarily with this great possibility, that your lostness and alienation from God (and from other people) can be ended because of what God has achieved in Christ."1
2. There is transformation that accompanies this union with Christ. Because of our "position" now in Christ, we cannot remain in our carnal condition. These two are often at odds with one another as we live our lives out, day by day. The incredible Sprit power, which raised Christ from the dead, is at work in us, to the extent we surrender daily. When we wallow in carnality, it is because we have forgotten our position. Since we were spiritually with Christ during His death (our sins were laid on Him), and also in His resurrection (because He was raised bodily, we will be too), we are also with Him in transformation (into a heavenly body) and in glorification (seated in the heavenly realms). You see, these concepts are so difficult for us because our minds are so utterly constricted by Time. We must learn to walk in our future. In other words, we must live as though we were "already there" with Christ, because truly, we are. (Ok, I'm getting all existential on you this morning!) This is the glory of the Christian - - - that we are the object of the great love of the incomparable God!
John 17:24 - - "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am."
This is our present, and this is our future. Both are glorious!
Can you understand that all the riches that were given to the Son of God were also given to you? Well, good, I'm happy for you if you can completely understand that because it staggers my imagination. Honestly, I don't believe that any of us can truly or fully comprehend this reality.
3. One last thought about this marvelous truth. This place is our "here and now", but it is also "reserved for us". The apostle Peter, in 1 Peter 1:4 describes this inheritance, this position in Christ, as "undefiled, incorruptible, unfading, reserved in Heaven for you."
Isn't it marvelous to have a reservation? Like when you know you are going to see a wonderful, classic musical play, and you have purchased the BEST seats? You walk in, dressed to "the nines", ticket in hand. You give your ticket to the usher and he shows you to your choice seats, reserved for you since you bought your ticket! With our salvation, God bought our ticket, and He has reserved us seats in Heaven with Jesus, who because of His incredible, eternal love for us, wants us to be right there beside Him.
Well, what glory! What rejoicing is ours today! Eternal salvation - - past, present, future - - is the treasure of every true believer.
To God be the glory, great things He has done
So loved He the world that He gave us His son
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin,
And opened the life gate that all may go in.
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory, great things He has done!2
Sources:
1 http://www.alfredplacechurch.org.uk/index.php/sermons/ephesians/24-7-but-god/
2 https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/39
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