"But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus"(Ephesians 2:4-6).
Steve McVey tells a story about this passage of scripture:
Harry Ironside, a great preacher of the early 20th century once had preached on this passage just before he greeted a young child after the service. “Did you enjoy the message?” Ironside asked the little boy.
“Yes, sir,” the child answered.
“What did you understand from my sermon?” Ironside asked.
“Well,” answered the boy, “I didn’t understand it all, but I learned one thing. We’re sittin’ pretty, ain’t we?”
There’s a good reason for us to have peace – in Jesus Christ,“we’re sittin’ pretty.” (from Steve McVey's blog)
What a wonderful thing to ponder: that we are already in heavenly places in Christ...
We are seated with Christ in the heavenly places. That means that in our spirit, we are ALREADY in heaven! Talk about eternal security!
And not only in heaven, but seated with Christ! I don't understand all that that means, but I know it means we are in a position of victory and authority over the enemy. We are in a place of strength and overcoming. We are seated, which tells me the battle is over already and in Christ we're already winners. Already overcomers!
This truth also shows me that we are not under our problems struggling to look up, but rather over our problems looking down on them with Christ's perspective!
Another thing it makes me realize: we are already complete in Him and suitable to dwell in heaven. We are already as righteous and holy and acceptable before Him as we need to be! We don't have to feel the need to improve but rather can learn to live out of who we already are. The Holy Spirit will work out in our earthly lives the truth of our being seated in the heavenly places with Christ.
I love to think about where I am - safe, secure, already there, alive forever, in glory, with Christ, above all the problems and concerns of earthly life. That makes me more ready to face my days here, knowing that as I am in Christ in heaven, He is in me on earth and will live out my life through me, for me, as me today! Not only am I in heaven with Him today, I have heaven with me on earth today! All the resources of heaven are here for me in this day with all that I am going through! Wow!
In Christ, we are truly "sittin' pretty!"