Blog post July 9, 2026

For He raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:6

Being united with Christ Jesus is the basis for all of our spiritual blessings. Before God ever asks us to do anything, He sits us down. Lets think about that for a moment. We are already seated, with Christ, in a position we did not earn and cannot lose. The whole of our Christian life flows out of that posture.

This should reorder everything for us. So much of what we do comes from trying "to do" in order "to become". But the gospel runs the other way. We are already accepted, already a loved son or daughter, and our doing flows out of that settled place, not towards it. We are seated before we are sent. We are not working to get a seat at the table. We are already at it. From a seat that is secure, even our worries should start to look different.

Our spiritual union with Christ is foundational to our identity and empowers us to live out our faith.

If you have ever traveled to Itasca State Park in Minnesota you will see the birthplace of the Mississippi river. From this humble beginning, the river flows 2552 miles South across the country before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico.

I remember my humble beginning as a junior in high school when I placed my faith in my Lord Jesus Christ. I've always envisioned my life, my spiritual journey, as culminating in heaven. This verse teaches me that my river has been flowing backwards. All I do, all I am, comes from being united with Christ and flows out of that position. This is consistent with the abiding spoken of in John chapter 15, and Paul's thoughts of being crucified with Christ and no longer living for himself, but rather from who he now was in Christ Jesus.

Heavenly Father what blessed thoughts this verse generates today. Seated before sent. I love that all we do stems from our union in Christ. Everyone of our spiritual blessings comes as a result of that union. What a blessed thought that we already have been seated in the heavenly realm with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who when He had finished His work on earth took His rightful seat at Your right hand. Yes blessed thoughts indeed. AMEN AMEN