Jeffrey C. Long

An old tale speaks of a man who died and faced the angel Gabriel at heaven’s gates. The angel said, “Here’s how this works. You need a hundred points to make it into heaven. You tell me all the good things you have done, and I will give a certain number of points for each of them. The more good there is in the work that you cite, the more points you will get for it. When you get to a hundred points, you get in.”

“Okay,” the man said, “I was married to the same woman for 50 years and never cheated on her, even in my heart.”

Gabriel replied, “That’s wonderful. That’s worth three points.”

“Three points?” said the man incredulously. “Well, I attended church all my life and supported its ministry with my money and service.”

“Terrific!” said Gabriel, “that’s certainly worth a point.”

“One point?” said the man with his eyes beginning to show a bit of panic. “Well, how about this: I opened a shelter for the homeless in my city, and fed needy people by the hundreds during holidays.”

“Fantastic, that’s good for two more points,” said the angel.

“TWO POINTS!” cried the man in desperation. “At this rate the only way I will get to heaven is by the grace of God.”

“Come on in,” said Gabriel.

Citation: Bryan Chapell, Holiness By Grace (Crossway Books, 2001), pp. 22-23; used by permission of Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois 60187, www.crosswaybooks.org

Today we learn from the Word of God that the grace of God not only gets us into heaven in the future, but that God’s grace has put us at the side of Jesus in heaven right now. Like Israel in the promised land, our geography has changed. Charlie Peacock, a Christian musician has written a song “I want to live like heaven is a real place.” What does our life look like when we live like heaven is not just a real place, but that it is part of the geography where we live right now.

Let’s read from Ephesians 2:1-10 together

1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2in which 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, 3among 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.

4But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

When we become Christians, we know immediately that something has changed. We are no longer the person that we once were. Some people testify that habits they struggled with their whole life vanished. Others had relationships healed that were broken for years. For everyone it is different. Not every area of our life is fixed, but something changes.

In Ephesians 2 we see three areas that are changed.

First, is that where we once were dead, now we are alive together with Christ.

Second is that while we once walked according to the ways of the world, we have now been raised up together with Jesus Christ.

And finally, where we once lived according to Satan, the prince of the power of the air, now we have been made to sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus

First, is that where we once were dead, now we are alive together with Christ.

Verse 1 of Chapter 2 says “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,”

And verse 4 and 5 say “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),”

We are Coming up to Easter when we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

But for the Christian, every Sunday is a celebration of the resurrection. Sunday became the Christian Sabbath because it was a weekly reminder of the day that Jesus rose from the dead.

His resurrection was significant because he conquered death.

So because Jesus entered death and came out victoriously alive, through him, we come out of death and are made alive together with him.

Read John 3:1-16

1 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”

3Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

4Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”

5Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Do not marvel that I said to you, “You must be born again.’ 8The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

9Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?”

10Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? 11Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. 12If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.[a] 14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in Him should not perish but[b] have eternal life. 16For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Life in Christ is not a simple change of mind to accept a new religion

It’s a transformation as dramatic as changing from being the walking dead to suddenly being born again.

The second point is that while we once walked according to the ways of the world, we have now been raised up together with Jesus Christ.

Verse 2 says “you once walked according to the course of this world,” but is answered by verse 6 that He raised us up together with Jesus.

When we think of Jesus being raised up we may think of the resurrection, but this is speaking of a different event when Jesus was raised up: His ascension into heaven.

Luke 24:50-53

And he led them out until they were over against Bethany: and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. 51 And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he parted from them, and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy: 53 and were continually in the temple, blessing God.

Again, verse 6 says that He raised us up together with Jesus.

I like the language of saying that like the Israelites in the promised land we live in a new geography

James Montgomery Boice says “We are no longer creatures only of this world, bound by what we can see and touch and smell and hear and taste. We are now creatures of the greater, heavenly realm who now, because of our union with Christ, think and work and speak in spiritual categories.”

Martyn Lloyd Jones says that the Christian “is lifted up into an entirely new ‘thought realm.’ and he judges everything now in the light of it. He has a new standard of values; he assesses things in an entirely different way. What he wants to know about anything now is, not what sort of a ‘kick’ he will get out of it, not what sort of pleasure will it bring him; but rather, what is its value to his soul?

More than that, the Christian recognizes that he belongs more to heaven than he does to earth.

And finally, where we once lived according to Satan, the prince of the power of the air, now we have been made to sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus



Not only are we _raised up_ in heaven, but we are seated there with Christ Jesus

Seat is a place of authority. Where once Satan had authority, now we have authority in Christ

Read Luke 10:1-4 and 16-20

Now after these things the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself was about to come. 2 And he said unto them, The harvest indeed is plenteous, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send forth laborers into his harvest. 3 Go your ways; behold, I send you forth as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no purse, no wallet, no shoes; and salute no man on the way. 16 He that heareth you heareth me; and he that rejecteth you rejecteth me; and he that rejecteth me rejecteth him that sent me. 17 And the seventy returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject unto us in thy name. 18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan fallen as lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall in any wise hurt you. 20 Nevertheless in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.

Like the disciples, we no longer have to be the playthings of Satan and His demons. Seated next to Jesus in heaven, we have authority as the 70 who were sent out over demons.

Now, when we are in such close proximity to the exalted Jesus it is easy to get boastful.

Christians can sometimes get so caught up in their faith community that they even unconsciously measure themselves against non Christians and think of themselves as better then them, or even better then other Christians.

Example: Mark 10:35-41

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came near to him, saying, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we will ask.”

36 He said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?”

37 They said to him, “Grant to us that we may sit, one at your right hand, and one at your left hand, in your glory.”

38 But Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”

39 They said to him, “We are able.”

Jesus said to them, “You shall indeed drink the cup that I drink, and you shall be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; 40 but to sit at my right hand and at my left hand is not mine to give, but for whom it has been prepared.”

41 When the ten heard it, they began to be indignant towards James and John

Humility: So that there may not be boasting, verse 8-10 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

It is by God’s grace we have been saved. Not of anything we did, so we can’t boast.

And we are his workmanship created for good works. We are vessels made from molded clay by Jesus. Our value comes from being together with Jesus, not from anything in us through which we could boast.

John Wesley said “This text lays the axe to the very root of spiritual pride, and all glorying in ourselves. ”

Conclusion: A modern parable: A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art: everything from Picasso to Raphael. When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father grieved deeply for his only son.

About a month later, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands. He said, “Sir, you don’t know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart. He died instantly. He often talked about you and your love for art.”

The young man held out the package and said, “I know this isn’t much. I’m not a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this.” The father opened the package and gazed at a portrait of his son. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured his son in the painting. The father hung the portrait over his mantle. When visitors came to his home, he always drew attention to the portrait of his son before he showed them any other great works.

When the father died, his paintings were to be auctioned. Many influential people gathered, excited about the opportunity to purchase them. On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel and asked for someone to start the bidding. The crowd scoffed and demanded the Van Goghs and the Rembrandts. But the auctioneer persisted. “Who will start the bidding? $200? $100?” The crowd again insisted on seeing the famous paintings. Still the auctioneer solicited, “The son! The son! Who’ll take the son?”

Finally a voice said, “I’ll give $10 for the painting.” The longtime gardener of the father was poor and couldn’t afford anything more. While the auctioneer continued to pursue a higher bid, the crowd became angry. The auctioneer pounded the gavel and sold the painting for $10 to the gardener.

An eager buyer from the second row bellowed, “Finally, on with the auction.” But the auctioneer explained, “I’m sorry, the auction is over. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings. The man who took the son gets everything.”

Citation: Source unknown; submitted by Leslie Bauer, Barrington, Illinois

When we get the Son of God, we get everything. We are alive together with Jesus when we were dead. We are raised up together with Jesus, when we were formerly of this world, and we are seated together with Jesus when we were formerly with the prince of the power of the air. But the most important thing we have is not the exaltation. Our most valued possession is the Son.