YESTERDAY’S VERSE IS supplemented with this next verse: “even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with him, and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:5–6). This verse uses prepositions of identification—made us alive together with Christ . . . raised us up with Him . . . made us sit with Him. This is breathtakingly wonderful, but it is with—three times with. The with was not enough—it had to be in—in Christ—in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. This verse begins with dead men and ends with those same dead men alive, and alive in the heavenly places—alive “in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” This is redemption.
The life in Christ is a life in heavenly places. Paul wrote that from prison! In heavenly places and yet in prison! Of the early Christians it was said, “They were completely fearless, absurdly happy, and in constant trouble.”
Yet how we have changed that. Aphrates, a converted Persian noble, expounding the Nestorian faith, emphasized, “fasting, prayer, love, humility, virginity, continence, wisdom, hospitality, simplicity, patience, gentleness, sadness, purity.” Note “sadness” was a Christian virtue! I said to Rufus Moseley: “If I were to preach your funeral service, do you know what I would do? I’d call attention to the miracle of your spirit. You were happy when you were well and you are happy when you are ill, wracked with pain—that is a greater miracle than your healing.” He replied, “Well, I think I’d rather have you preach my funeral service than some of the rest of these. They would be wringing their hands and saying, ‘Why did Rufus die?’ And you would be singing the Hallelujah Chorus.” The person who is in Christ is in heavenly places come sickness, come health, come life, come death.
O Jesus, just to be in Thee is to be in heaven. Thou art heaven—the heaven of reconciliation, the heaven of joy in spite of, the heaven of a song while living in an outer hell. O Jesus, Thou art heaven, and I am in Thee and hence in heaven. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: I may be in a hovel or a house, but in Thee I am in heavenly places.
