The Daily Word of Righteousness

Spiritual Survival in the Coming Days, #26

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, Made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, In order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:4-7—NIV)

The above verses indicate we already are as high as we every can go in the spirit realm, for the Throne of Christ is the highest of all thrones.

We really and truly have risen and ascended with Jesus Christ in our inward nature. This is not just a figure of speech. Heaven is all around us and we already are there, in this sense. But we have to be very careful that no one take our crown, for it is possible to have the crown of life and then lose it!

But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, To the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, (Hebrews 12:22,23—NIV)

If our spiritual eyes were opened we would see, as did the servant of Elisha, that we already are in the city of God in our inward nature.

How helpful it is now, and how supremely helpful it shall be in the coming age of moral horrors, to continually lift our imagination into the heavens and think about the part of our personality that is present there.

One of the important activities of prayer is to go window-shopping in Heaven. This is fun. Imagine who will meet you when you die. Imagine what you would like to do in Heaven. Set your hopes and thoughts on things above.

When a loved one falls asleep, picture him or her in Heaven with Jesus. It will help to alleviate the intensity of the grief. They have not been destroyed; they are with Jesus.

Our American culture is so terribly materialistic that we do not spend enough time in the heavens. We are in bondage to all our things without realizing it. We need more time for reflection on what is truly important.

Have you thought much about dying?

If our spiritual nature already is at the right hand of God, what will it be like to die? Will our soul join our spirit at the right hand of God? I don't think our soul will go to a mansion while our spiritual nature is at the right hand of God, do you?

And what about the Day of Resurrection? Will our soul and spirit be brought together and then return with the Lord to join our resurrected body?

And what about the "house from Heaven" that Paul speaks of?

For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. (II Corinthians 5:4—NIV)

Where has our "heavenly dwelling" been all this time?

I do not pretend to know the answer to these questions. But I love to think about them because they lift me above the anxieties and cares of life that so easily can tear us down from our high place in God.

To be continued.