By Richard Jordan

What is true of Christ before the foundation of the world is now said to be true of the members of His Body. So closely are we united to Him that Scripture declares us to be "complete in Him" and "blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ." As the Father views the believer today, He sees us in the spiritual accomplishments of His Son and thus we are repeatedly demonstrated to be "one with Him:" Crucified with Christ (Rom. 6:3-6), buried with Christ (Rom. 6:4, Col. 2:12), resurrected with Christ (Rom. 6:5, Eph 2:6), quickened (made alive) with Christ (Eph. 2:5), seated with Christ (Eph. 2:6), suffering with Christ (Rom. 8:17, Phil. 3:10), even glorified with Christ (Rom.8:17, Col.3:4)!

So truly one with Him are we today, that we may each one join in singing the old chorus,

So near to God am I,

Nearer I could not be;

For in the Person of His Son, I am as near as He!

A blessed thought... that Christ in union with us... was in the mind of God the Father "before the foundation of the world."

There is at least one more aspect of this connection which we must consider:

"And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

"(so) THAT IN THE AGES TO COME HE MIGHT SHOW THE EXCEEDING RICHES OF HIS GRACE IN HIS KINDNESS TOWARD US THROUGH CHRIST JESUS.

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which GOD HATH BEFORE ORDAINED THAT WE SHOULD WALK IN THEM" (Eph. 2:6, 7, 10).

God's purpose from eternity past is in fact His "eternal purpose," for it even stretches into and across the horizon of eternity future. In "the ages to come" He will place on public display – indeed, on universal exhibition "the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus." Then we will truly be "Prehistoric Creatures on Display"!

What an incentive and encouragement all this should be for us to keep eternity in view - and thus be faithful to Christ, so that even now "the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh" (2 Cor. 4:10, 11).

This is the secret of proper worship today - we receive Him and His life into us and walk "in Him" as He is "in us" and with us.

And we have the solemn assurance of the Word of God to us:

"For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us A FAR MORE EXCEEDING AND ETERNAL WEIGHT OF GLORY:

"While we look not at the things which are seen…for THE THINGS WHICH ARE SEEN ARE TEMPORAL, BUT THE THINGS WHICH ARE NOT SEEN ARE ETERNAL" (2 Cor.4:17-18).