A Reflection on Ephesians 2

In last Sunday’s reading from Ephesians 2, we heard the phrase, “God…raised us up with [Christ] and seated us with him in the heavenly places.” You might be different than me, but one thing I usually don’t feel is that I am seated in the heavenly places! For that matter, most people who don’t know Christ don’t feel “dead in trespasses and sins,” either. This may be a bit closer to our experience, especially to those under the conviction of the Holy Spirit, but it still seems like a pious exaggeration. And seated in the heavenly places? That seems far-fetched, too good to be true, utterly separated from our daily experience.

In theological terminology, Paul is employing “realized eschatology.” In less obscure language, he is looking at things from God’s perspective. From God’s perspective—the only true perspective—we were actually dead in trespasses and sins before Christ. It would take a lifetime of experience and physical death to fully experience the truth, but it is actually already true of those who don’t know Christ. And from God’s perspective—again, the only true perspective—those who are in Christ Jesus have actually already been raised and seated with him in the heavenly places. Again, it will take a lifetime of experience and the resurrection for us to fully experience this, but it is already true. Things that already are true have yet to be realized, in other words.

This tension, this “already but not yet,” marks the Christian life. We are already saved, but still waiting to be saved. We are already raised up with Christ, yet we are waiting to be raised bodily in the resurrection. We have been given victory over sin, but have not yet experienced that victory in our lives. It seems that everywhere we turn, we are faced with truths that are not fully realized in our lives. The call that comes out of this tension is to live according to what is true, rather than according to our limited experience.

This means that our view of ourselves shouldn’t stop with a healthy awareness of our sin. We need to go through confession and contrition—we need to go through it daily—but we don’t stop there. To remain in grief and contrition over our own sin and to never rejoice that we have been raised into the heavenly places is to effectively deny the work of Christ. We have been raised up. We have been seated in the heavenly places with Christ. We are God’s workmanship. It is right to feel the weight of our sin, but wrong to get stuck under that weight.

As you practice contrition, confession, and repentance this Lent, do not lose sight of the fact that your sin has already been dealt with. You actually are forgiven, washed completely clean. And as daily life weighs you down this season, remember that you have been raised up in Christ Jesus. You are seated with him in the heavenly places, and your life is hidden with Christ in God!

Steven+