Shhh. Be stilled. Today, we are invited into the portal of faith. With the tiniest granule of belief, our thoughts lift into a realm of hope. Close your eyes and ask unconditional love to reveal Himself to you. What do you see?
When the Apostle Paul glimpsed the heavenlies, he noticed our sitting position with Jesus (Ephesians 2:6). Next to Him? Beside Him on His throne? In His lap? What did Paul see? He always seems to use the words “in Him.”
Look! There, “in Christ,” we find much that our hearts cry out for. We are fused into His Person, and in Him, there is:
• Hope (Romans 15:2)
• Sanctification (1 Corinthians 1:2)
• Freedom (Galatians 2:4)
• Truth (Ephesians 4:12; John 14:6)
• Encouragement (Philippians 2:1)
• Faith (2 Timothy 1:13)
• Power (Ephesians 1:13,19)
Just what we need in these troubled times. If we use only our rational minds, all we can see is scarcity and lack. There’s not much to hope for. Not much to encourage. Not much to empower.
Perhaps we’ve looked for spiritual things in the wrong place. Or in the wrong way. They aren’t found within us at all but only up there when we are in Christ.
What if we truly took our mind’s eye off ourselves (here and now) and fixed it on Jesus? What if we were to sincerely “keep seeking the thing above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1)?
His Voice testifies that up there, in Him, there is:
• No judgment (John 3:18)
• No condemnation (Romans 8:1)
• No unrighteousness (John 7:18)
• No guilt (John 18:38;19:4,6)
• No disappointment (Romans 9:33;10:11)
But, when we look down here, within ourselves, we’re constantly judging, condemning, guilting, and disappointing ourselves. Years of worldly whisperings make it challenging to see ourselves as the righteousness of God.
Look at where the righteousness of God is found: “In Him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV). Our righteousness is only found when we look up — there — in Him.
Spiritual blessings are found up there — in Him (Ephesians 1:3).
God’s will is found up there — in Him (Ephesians 1:9).
Intimacy with God is found up there — in Him (Ephesians 2:13).
We’ve been looking in the wrong place for all these promises. They aren’t found inside of us. They are found up there — in Christ.
As we lift our minds up there in Christ, we ask Him to lead us farther upward. Although our bodies remain on this terra firma, the Holy Spirit fuses with our mind to direct us. Galatians 2:20 takes on new meaning, “The life which I now live in the flesh (this earthly shell), I live by faith in the Son of God.” Faith lifts us up to abide “in Him.”
We “look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen” (2 Corinthians 4:18) — we “keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seating at the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1). Once we are there, we can effectively lay aside our responsibilities left to this shell of our bodies. The Holy Spirit affects the activities around me because “I” will not be here. We are up there — in Christ!
Pray with me:
“Hallelujah, O God. By Your doing, I’ve been put in Christ Jesus! (1 Corinthians 1:30). You’ve placed me there; now my responsibility is to remember my location in You. “Abide in Me,” You commanded (John 15:4). Yes, my Father, I want to abide. I faithe my position up there in Christ. I recognize that only in Him can I be held together without falling apart (Colossians 1:17) — only in Him can my heart and mind know peace (Philippians 4:7) — only in Him can I be truly at home (Ephesians 3:17 NLT).
“So now, as I set my mind here in this place with You, I leave Your Holy Spirit to manage the shell of my body. See through my eyes, speak through my tongue, touch through my hands. I’m not going to be here, so You are in charge. I’m taking a vacation — up there — resting in Christ!”