Note these three main items in the passage below; “quickened,” “raised us up,” and “made us sit.” We want to consider us being ‘seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.’ We may have heard this mentioned but the meaning is not clear to most folks. We must look at the whole work of the facts of our identification with Christ’s Cross-work for us in order to see the significance of our being ‘seated in heavenly places in Christ.’

⁴ But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, ⁵ Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us [Made Us Alive] together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) ⁶ And hath Raised Us Up together, and made us SIT together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: Ephesians 2:4-6 (KJV)

During today’s Gentile age of “the grace of God” the believer has; 1) been CRUCIFIED with Christ, 2) BURIED with Christ, and 3) made Spiritually ALIVE With Christ. (cf. 1Cor 15:3-4). Note above in Eph 2:4-6 that we are also Quickened, being Raised Up, and Seated “In Christ.” This makes the first 6 points of our Identification With Christ. There is one yet to come; by our Resurrection or Rapture to glory we will be Revealed With Him in the Heavenlies. This then constitutes our Sevenfold Identification With Christ.

Some might ask; how that one can be “seated in the heavenly places in Christ” and at the same time be here on the earth. The gospel truth is that we died with Christ, were buried and resurrected with Christ (1Cor. 15:3-4).

¹³ For by one Spirit are we all baptized [a dry reset] into one body [of Christ] … 1 Cor 12:13a (KJV)

³ Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized [reset into] into Jesus Christ were baptized [set] into his DEATH? ⁴ Therefore we are BURIED with him by baptism [set into] into death: that like as Christ was Raised Up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in Newness of Life. Romans 6:3-4 (KJV)

The Strength of Our IDENTIFICATION with The Blessings of Christ’s Cross-Work FOR US is in our BELIEVING, RECKONING or TAKING AN ACCOUNT of THE FACTS OF OUR … Co-DEATH and NEW LIFE with CHRIST and our HEAVENLY POSITION ‘IN CHRIST.’

1. Christ Died as the One All-Sufficient Sacrifice for Our ‘Sin-Debt Payment.’

2. God then Reckons Us or COUNTS US As Having DIED WITH CHRIST. God Sees Us There at The Cross ‘IN CHRIST.’ Thus, Our Sins Are Forgiven and also we can now Reckon or Consider Ourselves now ‘DEAD To the Sin Nature’ and Alive unto God “in Christ,” thus enabled to Walk In Newness of Life.

⁷ he that is dead is Freed From Sin. Rom. 6:7 ¹⁷ Therefore if any man be IN CHRIST, he is a NEW CREATURE: OLD things are passed away; behold, all things are become NEW. 2 Cor. 5:17 (KJV)

So, our ‘reckoning’ is based upon an accounting of the Biblical Fact that the believer is SITTING in the heavenlies. “But God … hath quickened us [Made Us Alive] together with Christ, … hath Raised Us Up together, and made us SIT together in Heavenly Places IN Christ Jesus.” Being “seated” positionally indicates Christ’s Cross-work is completed, as relates to the believer. Being ‘seated,’ He rests and we also should. Thus, we can now and forever simply enjoy the reconciliation, redemption, justification, and security accomplished “in Christ.”

Having DIED with Christ we are Free From Sin’s dominion (Rom. 6:7). Yet, the believer still lives in the Presence of his body’s Sinful Flesh with its Sin-Nature (Rom. 8:3), this will be so as long as we live in this body on earth. So, we will live in the Presence of the Sin-Nature until we are resurrected at the Rapture. Being dead to Sin and ‘seated in Christ,’ we have power to reign over the Sinful impulses in the flesh.

Ultimately, at the Rapture we will be changed bodily into our Eternal Spirit-Body, and we’ll be transported to our home of citizenship, “in the heavenly places”; thus, we today look for the glorious appearing of our Savior.

²⁰ our conversation [Old English for ‘citizenship’] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: ²¹ Who shall change our vile [sin-laden] body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body…  Phil. 3:20-21 (KJV) ¹⁶ … the Lord himself shall descend from heaven … and the dead in Christ shall rise first: ¹⁷ Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Wherefore comfort one another with these words. 1 Thes. 4:13-18 (KJV)

Having citizenship in the heavenlies, and being seated with Christ, we are now pilgrims while we are here on this earth. It’s our duty and privilege to behave on earth as would be becoming of our heavenly citizenship.

For we “in Christ” are seated: ²¹ Far Above ALL [Satan’s angelic] Principality, and Power, and Might, and Dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world [age]… Ephesians 1:21 (KJV). In the light of this, we dare not say or think that we lack the necessary power for living righteously today.