In Two Places at One Time
In exasperation, one person may say to another, “Well, I can’t very well be in two places at one time, can I?”
Oh, ye of little faith . . . 😉
You can. And if you are in Christ, you already are.
Both Here and There
…even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
– Ephesians 2:5-6, ESV
Three times in two verses we see this word “together.”
συνεζωοποίησεν – Together made alive. συνήγειρεν – Together raised. συνεκάθισεν – Together seated.
Each of these terms is prefixed with σύν (phonetic – soon) which means with or together. Hence, raised with seathed with, alive with. You are with Christ, now, in union with him even as you read this.
Both Then and Now
Another observation we can make about this expression from Paul is that all of the verbs are past tense. This is not something that is coming. This is something that’s already done!
We are already eternally seated in the heavens with Christ. We are already born again with him. We are already raised from the dead with him. And all of this was granted us “even when we were dead in our sins.”
Indeed, by grace are we saved!
The Outcome
None of this equates with license, with the idea that nothing matters anymore, that I can live any way I want to live. The grace of God does not lead us to carelessness or sinful indulgence as so many are wont to believe and teach. Grace instills in us the deepest desire to live a holy, God-honoring life.
For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.
– Galatians 5:17, ESV
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
– Romans 6:1-4, ESV
Do we sin in excess now that grace is here? Of course not. We walk in newness of life. Those born of the Spirit walk with hearts filled with gratitude for the sacrificial love of Christ poured out on our behalf. We are made new, and we walk new, knowing that we will be forever with the Lord.
