
Your future is a present reality, which sounds weird, but it’s true. According to the biblical storyline, your super great and glorious future is already achieved and fully worked out in Christ. You, dear human, are enthroned at God’s right hand in Jesus, your representative. Of course, you can choose to not show up for your future, but Christ is, nevertheless, holding your spot with the eager hope that you will show up.
YOU “ONCE WERE” SOMEBODY ELSE
There are two universal human identities, and each of us is free to choose which one will define us. In Ephesians 2:1-3, Paul describes the common human identity into which all of us have been born and in which all of us have participated:
… dead in trespasses and sins
you once walked according to the course of this world,
according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,
among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. —Ephesians 2:1-3
We were biologicallybut spiritually .
Who in the world is “the prince of the power of the air” and what does it mean that he has “power” over “the air”?
THE BIG GIANT “BUT” THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING
Yeah, our past is pretty bad. Yet it need not dictate our future. After describing our dark and abysmal situation, Paul proclaims a massive qualification that has literally re-scripted human identity:
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved) … —Ephesians 2:4-5
The “power” exercised by Satan over “the air” and “in us” is opposed by the greater power of God’s love.
SEATED IN HEAVENLY PLACES
… and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. —Ephesians 2:6-7
The incarnation, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ to God’s right hand is the gospel. In Him, we are “saved” by “grace” alone, through “faith” alone, apart from any “good works” we might do to earn our high status with God (see verses 8-10).
ENMITY ABOLISHED
Our world is characterized by enmity, inherent to our natures and instigated by the “prince of the power of the air.” Adam and Eve introduced the principle of selfishness into human relations. Jesus came to abolish our enmity and reunite us in peace with God and one another.
Work out the paradigm-shifting implications of Ephesians 2:14-22 and summarize your findings:
THE APPLICATION
All enmity is overcome in Christ and thus can be overcome in us.
… having abolished in His flesh the enmity … so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace … —Ephesians 2:15-16
If each person is the object of God’s infinite love and is “seated” in the position of victory and favor at God’s right hand, then I should treat each person with the highest levels of_.
PRAYER
Father, is it really true? Is there a place reserved for me at Your right hand? Is Your love for me that great? Yes, it is true, because of Jesus and all He has accomplished on my behalf, as my representative. Thank you! I fully intend, by Your grace, to show up for my spot with Christ on the throne of the universe.
HOMEWORK
Pray the prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21 each day of this week.
List three mental and/or emotional parts of your “inner person”that need “to be strengthened with might through His Spirit”: (1)