“The New Creation” Day 5: It means you are accepted.
Last time, we talked about the fact that we have been raised from the dead through Jesus Christ, and have been seated with Him in the heavenly realm, having been united with Him.
Now, we know that being seated with Christ in the heavenly realm, is a wonderful thing. But there is even more to being “seated,” than you might first imagine.
Let’s think about it: Where is Christ currently seated? The writer of Hebrews tells us this:
“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.”
Hebrews 1:1-4 NKJV
Christ has finished the work He came to do. Therefore, as He told the disciples before leaving here, He has been given all power in heaven and on earth.
“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”
Matthew 28:18 NKJV
Not only has Christ been given all authority, He shares that authority with His brethren. He shares that authority with us!
“For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying: “I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.””
Hebrews 2:10-12 NKJV
Yes, as a new creation, we have become united with Him so that we share His position of authority. Not only that, but having been seated with Him, we can rest from our labor. That is to say, nothing we did afforded us this position. This position is a gift. And even though we feel the struggle of operating now in a fallen world, our place of authority is secure in Christ Jesus.
“There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.”
Hebrews 4:9-11 NKJV
Oh, child of God! What a wonderful position is afforded us in God through Jesus Christ! He offers us rest from our striving and a seat on His throne with Him.
Next time, we’ll look further into in what ways, where we are seated as the new creation, should affect how we operate in this present world