You’re sitting!

“Even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Ephesians 2:5-9 English Standard Version (ESV)
 
The Christian life does not consist of trying to achieve and to earn acceptance, blessing, forgiveness, redemption or anything else. The Christian life is the grace-life not a life of performance. Many believers see Christianity as a list of new things to do – a second chance to try harder at being a good person – but Christianity is more of a “it is finished” list rather than a to-do list. It’s not about what you can do for God but what He has done for you! If your Christian life is all about doing, trying hard and performing for God then you’re certainly going to end up frustrated, stressed-out and tired, or you’ll end up full of pride because you think too highly of yourself.
 
“It is finished!” We are not trying to achieve, earn or deserve but rather we are resting in the knowledge that He did it for me and then we’re freely receiving what He has purchased for us and is freely offering to us.
 
All that Jesus has accomplished for us through His death and resurrection is ours because we are children of God and we access it by our faith in Christ. It cannot be earned – it’s all a gift to be received. As Ephesians 2:8-9 (the Mirror) says, “Your salvation is not a reward for good behaviour! It was a grace thing from start to finish; you had no hand in it… If this could be accomplished through any action of yours then there would be ground for boasting.” The Greek for word salvation includes healing, freedom, prosperity and wholeness – all these things are ours by grace through faith – they cannot be earned through performance.
 
God accepts and highly favours you! He has made you 100% right with Him, and perfectly holy and blameless! Stop trying to make yourself good enough for God because He has made you good enough! Just rest and receive!
 
“and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus”
Ephesians 2:6 English Standard Version (ESV)
 
The scripture says that you have been raised with Christ and made to sit with Him in heavenly places. You are seated with and in Christ – God sees you in Christ which means that everything Christ deserves, you deserve (see 1 John 4:17).

You were made to sit. Most people that I know like to sit with their feet up and relax after a long week of hard work. Why? Because their work for the week is finished. The reason that God rested on the seventh day of Creation wasn’t that He was tired – He rested (ceased from work) because His work was complete. Likewise, Jesus is seated at the right hand of God because His work is finished. The church rests in the finished work of what Jesus has accomplished for us, but we still have work to do in telling the world about Jesus and advancing the gospel throughout the world. Our work is not done, but we are not working to gain acceptance, blessing or anything from God, rather we working to reach people for God because He changed our lives. We work as an overflow of what He has done in our lives and in response to His love, blessing and acceptance.
 
Religion will tell you to work hard to obtain God’s love, blessing and favour, but the Bible tells us that because of Jesus, we already have it. It’s a gift that’s already extended toward us by grace, and all we need to do to obtain it is believe. You aren’t working to obtain favour, acceptance, blessing or love from God. You are seated in Christ and that is a place of rest. The work is finished. Can you picture yourself sitting on the throne with Jesus? Can you see yourself sitting back with your feet up because God is your Father and you’re at home with Him?