WALK

We now come to the second part of our series, SIT, WALK, STAND.

The Christian experience does not begin with walking, but with sitting.
We do not walk to sit. We sit to walk.
Every time we reverse the divine order, the result is disaster.

The Lord Jesus “HAS DONE” everything for us, and our need now is to rest confidently in Him.

ALL TRUE SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE BEGINS FROM REST.

BUT IT DOES NOT END THERE.

Though the Christian life begins with sitting, walking always follows sitting.
When we have been well and truly seated, and have found our strength in sitting down, then we do in fact begin to walk.

“Sitting” describes our position with Christ in the heavenlies.
“Walk” describes our life towards man. It is the expression of our life in the world.

Walking” is the practical outworking of that heavenly position here on earth.
As a heavenly people, we are required to bear the stamp of that heavenlienss upon us in our earthly conduct.

“To Walk” comes from the Greek word “peripateo” (from peri = about, around + pateo = walk, tread) and means literally to go here and there or to tread all around.

Most New Testament uses are figurative referring to the daily conduct of one's life or how they order their behavior or pass their life. In the figurative sense then “peripateo” refers to one's habitual way or direction of life, and so to their life-style. In simple terms to walk in the Christian life pictures (1) activity and (2) an advance step by step.

“Peripateo” then came to mean, to make one’s way, to make progress, to make due use of one’s opportunities and finally (as used by Paul in Ephesians), to live, to regulate one’s life, to conduct one’s self. Most of the New Testament uses refer to the daily conduct of one's life or how one orders their behavior or passes their life. The present tense points to a habitual action; don't fall back into the habitual practices of those who do not know Christ as Lord.

To walk indicates motion. There are many words that indicate motion, such as leap, run, float, drift, creep, but you cannot substitute one of them for the word "walk."

To walk implies purpose, starting for a goal; progress, steadily advancing step by step; perseverance, keeping on until the goal is reached. Walking stands for steady, sustained motion, and involves the action of the mind in the decision to start; of the heart in the desire to continue, and of the will in the determination to arrive.

Then what does “to walk" mean in relation to the Christian's life? The whole course of his daily living; his habitual conduct before men; his life lived out in the open.

So how do we walk?

In the following passages of Scripture, Paul outlines our Christian walk:

ROMANS 6:4 we are exhorted to “walk in newness of life.”

ROMANS 8:4 says, “in order that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

EPHESIANS 4:1-2 Paul exhorts us to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called.”

EPHESIANS 5:1 reads “and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”

EPHESIANS 5:8: “for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light”

EPHESIANS 5:15-16: “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.”

PHILIPPIANS 1:27: “Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.

PHILIPPIANS 3:17: “Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.”

COLOSSIANS 1:10: “so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.

1 THESSALONIANS 2:12: “so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory”

1 THESSALONIANS 4:1: “Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that, as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God, just as you actually do walk, that you may excel still more.”

So let’s look into some of these passages of Scripture and find out exactly how we are to walk.

ROMANS 6:4 “Walk in newness of life”

“Newness” (“kainotes” from “kainós” = new in sense that it brings into the world a new quality of thing which did not exist before) refers to a renewal, not simply an experience similar to the past, but a qualitatively different one, one that is new in quality and character. Of note is that the word Paul chose is not “neos” which refers merely to newness in point of time. The life every believer now has the potential to walk is a life of a brand new kind, new because the believer is now in union with and identified irrevocably with Christ.

Wuest makes a subtle distinction in regard to "newness"...

"The newness of life therefore refers, not to a new kind of life the believer is to live, but to a new source of ethical and spiritual energy imparted to him by God by which he is enabled to live the life to which Paul exhorts in Romans 12–16." (Wuest, K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Studies in the Vocabulary of the Greek New Testament: Grand Rapids: Eerdmans)

Paul's point is that just as sin characterized and dominated every one of our lives in Adam, so now because of our position in union with Christ every believer possesses the potential to live a righteous lifestyle. Before their union with Christ, even man's best was but filthy rags in light of God's holiness and His perfect standard.

In light of this truth Wayne Barber applies this truth asking the question...

"Can a Christian go back and live like he used to live?" Well, how can you if you are dead and you have been raised to walk in newness of His life? A life that is brand new, qualitatively different? "How different?" In the sense that sin no longer controls you. In the sense that you have Someone who lives in you now that gives you power to do what you couldn’t do before; Someone to convict you of sin; Someone to give you knowledge that you didn’t have before. I can’t go back! I’m walking in newness of His life." (Barber, W: The New Life in Jesus)

Scripture is filled with descriptions of the believer’s new spiritual life. We are said to receive a new heart:

EZEKIEL 18:31: “a new spirit”

PSALM 40:3: “a new song”

REVELATION 2:17: “a new name”

II CORINTHIANS 5:17: “a new creation”

GALATIANS 6:15: “a new creature”

ROMANS 8:4: “in order that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

Robert Haldane explains that...

“The expression, to “walk,” is frequently employed in Scripture regarding any particular line of conduct, as when it is said, Acts 21:21, “that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs”; or it denotes the course of life in which we are proceeding as in Ephesians 2:2, “Ye walked according to the course of this world.” In this way, comparing our life to a journey, in the usual style of Scripture, the Paul comprehends all our actions under the figure of walking. To walk, then, according to the flesh, is to act agreeably to the principles of corrupt nature. To walk according to the Spirit, means to regulate the conduct according to the influence and dictates of the Holy Spirit, who has given us a new nature, serving God in newness of spirit.”

The Amplified paraphrases it as those "who live and move not in the ways of the flesh but in the ways of the Spirit [our lives governed not by the standards and according to the dictates of the flesh, but controlled by the Holy Spirit]."

Walking according to the flesh means behaving as the flesh dictates, so that the sinful nature entirely governs ones life. It means to have one’s life determined and directed by the values of this evil world system in total rebellion against God. This is the only way an unsaved person is able to walk - according to the flesh.

On the other hand the regenerate person can and should walk according to the Spirit which means to live in submission to and dominated by the Holy Spirit's leadership and enablement. The saved person’s life in totality cannot be said to be dominated by the flesh. As saved men and women, unfortunately we occasionally "fall into" sin but we will not persist in sin as the habit of our lives or as our lifestyle (1John 3). If the latter situation is the case, the person hasn't lost their salvation. The truth is that they were never genuinely born again and given a new heart with an inherent disposition toward holiness, however imperfect that might be manifest in one's life. But when the regenerate man chooses (bad choice) to walk in submission to the flesh, he is not walking rightly and he grieves the Spirit which makes him miserable (Ephesians 4:30). A sinning saint is a sad sight!

EPHESIANS 4:1-2:

“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love,” (NASB)

It is interesting to note that out of the 10 passages of Scripture listed in our study, 6 of them refer to “walking in a manner worthy of God. (Ephesians 4:1-2; Philippians 1:27; Philippians 3:17; Colossians 1:10; I Thessalonians 2:12; I Thessalonians 4:1)

Paul tells us to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called.” What is he saying”

“To walk worthy” is a call to walk on a plane commensurate with our heavenly position in Christ and our possession of every spiritual blessing in Christ. Our walk must have an "equal weight" with the truth in God’s Word. Our calling and our conduct should be in balance. We do not become Christians by living the Christian life; rather, we are exhorted to live the Christian life because we are Christians, that our lives may measure up to our position in Christ. Paul's call for a worthy walk resonates throughout his epistles. (See listing above)

The point is that it is not enough to just know the truth, but we must live it out.
In other words, we must “walk out what we talk about.” Are our actions consistent with our words? Are we walking the walk, before we talk the talk?
S Lewis Johnson writes...

“There’s an old story about St. Francis of Assisi, who one morning said to the disciples that he was responsible for training, let’s go down into the village from the monastery and preach. And, according to this ancient story, St. Francis went out with a group of young men, they walked down from the monastery into the village, they walked through the streets of the village, they made contact with a number of people, primarily about the things of ordinary life. They walked up and down the few streets of the village, finally walked out of the village. They walked to the next little community and then finally made their way back to the monastery when one of the young men said, “But, sir, you said we were going down to the village and preach.” And he is reported to have said, “That’s exactly what we did. We went down to preach. My sons, it is of no use that we walk anywhere to preach unless we preach as walk.” He was trying to make the point that in our daily life, we preach.” (Unity of One Body)

“In a manner worthy” (“axios” from “axios” = having the weight of another) means weighing as much as, of like value, worth as much. It means having the weight of another thing and so being of like value or worth as much. Worthy (axios) is literally "bringing up the other beam of the scales" and hence indicates equivalence. In other words “axios” has the root meaning of balancing the scales—what is on one side of the scale should be equal in weight to what is on the other side. By extension, the word came to be applied to anything that was expected to correspond to something else. A person worthy of his pay was one whose day’s work corresponded to his day’s wages. True grace in the heart must show itself by true goodness in the life. Walk is on one side and calling on the other side of the "scales".

Paul is saying in essence, "I implore you to let your walk be balanced by your calling." He is exhorting them to demonstrate a balance between their profession and their practice.
Your conduct should "balance the scales" the other side of the scale being Christ's life and His unfathomable riches! It's a high calling but is to be our goal and is our potential since the Spirit of Christ is in us to strengthen our inner man for such a supernatural walk. There is no way a man or woman can "balance the scales" in their own strength or self efforts.

Ruth Paxson writes that...

“The characteristics of a worthy walk are given in Eph 4:1-6:9... But here let us consider briefly the Godward and the manward aspects of such a walk. God has already determined both its starting point and its goal, and the road over which the walk is to be made. His starting point is Ephesians 1:4, His goal is Ephesians 5:27, and His path of travel is 5:18. God has determined that we shall "walk even as he walked" (1John 2:6). God's goal for every Christian is complete conformity to the image of His Son, and He would have every step in our walk bring us that much nearer to the goal.

Such a walk requires on the manward side fullest co-operation with God. It demands a set purpose, a steady progress, and a strong perseverance. The Christian must resolutely purpose to "put off the old man and to "put on the new man" he must not be content without a step-by-step growth "up into him in all things"; and be must keep steadily on his course without faltering or fainting in spite of all opposition by not "giving place to the devil," or "grieving the Spirit," but rather by being filled with the Spirit and empowered by Him.

But how exceedingly difficult is such a walk! The old habits of life are so binding; the worldly currents about us are so strong; the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil are so subtle; the fear of being considered peculiar is so gripping; the opportunity of fellowship with spiritually-minded Christians is so limited. To maintain a steady, sustained consistency in daily conduct is not an easy task. It is far easier to float downstream with the tide of nominal Christianity; to drift in the listlessness and lukewarmness of a worldly church; to creep along as a spiritual babe, fed on the milk of elementary doctrines of salvation; easier even to mount up with eagle's wing and soar to spiritual heights of sudden inspiration on some spiritual Mount of Transfiguration only to relapse into a backslidden condition when facing the stern realities of Christian living in an unsympathetic atmosphere; very much easier, even, to run, rising to some particular task such as teaching a Bible class, or leading a meeting, or preaching a sermon, than to practice consistently in the home, office, or social circle the truth preached. A daily, consistent Christlike walk; no stagnancy, slump or sloth -- how hard!

So the aged apostle devotes the very heart of this epistle to telling us what a worthy walk is. Eight times he uses the word "walk." What shall we do with this divine standard set for the Christian's walk? We may reject it as impossible and impracticable, or we may receive it as possible and livable and rejoice in it, as daily our faithful Father enables us "to walk even as he walked" by the power of the divine Spirit.” (The Wealth, Walk and Warfare of the Christian. Page 86-88).

“Calling” (“klesis” from “kaléo” = to call) means a call and was used for an invitation to a banquet. In the context of Ephesians the calling is the sovereign, saving calling of God to the Gentile resulting their receipt of every spiritual blessing and their new position as fellow heirs, fellow members of the body and as fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus.

“Calling” places the emphasis is upon what God has done, which is the point Paul has been elaborating in the opening chapters of Ephesians. Because God has set His hand upon us and called us, changing us from what we were into what we have now become, we are to live as Christians in this world.

Hoehner adds that...

“The calling” refers not only to believers’ salvation (1Cor 1:9) but also to their union in one body. Therefore a Christian’s conduct concerns both his personal life and his responsibility to other believers in the church. (Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., et al: The Bible Knowledge Commentary. 1985. Victor)

In verse 2 Paul goes on to tell us how to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which we have been called:

“with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love.”

“Humility” (“tapeinophrosune” from “tapeinos” = low lying, then low or humble + phren = to think) means humiliation of mind, lowly thinking, a humble attitude, modesty (modesty = unassuming in the estimation of one’s abilities) or without arrogance. It is the opposite of pride. Contemplating what we were before grace lifted us from the miry clay should cause us to have a humble attitude.

In a word humility is "low mindedness", an attitude that one is not too good to serve. Humility is that grace that, when you know you have it, you have lost it. Humility means putting Christ first, others second, and self last.

The word indicates that one esteems (not makes) themselves as "small" and lacking sufficiency to walk worthy while at the same time also recognizing the power and sufficiency of God to enable a worthy walk because Paul knows that humility promotes unity but that pride promotes disunity.

Humility is not thinking less of ourselves but is really not thinking of ourselves at all. This supernatural attitude in believers has its source in our association with the Lord Jesus and the enablement of His Spirit. Humility makes believers conscious of their own nothingness and enables them to esteem others better than themselves, a good antidote for a spirit of disunity in the body. The opposite attitudes of conceit and arrogance on the other hand promote disunity.

“Gentleness” (meekness) (“prautes” from the adjective “praus”) describes the quality of not being overly impressed by a sense of one’s self-importance. “Prautes” is a quality of gentle friendliness - gentleness, meekness (as strength that accommodates to another's weakness), consideration, restrained patience, patient trust in the midst of difficult circumstances.

“Prautes” suggests having one’s emotions under control (indicating the need for the strengthening of the Spirit) and is the opposite of self-assertion, rudeness, and harshness. Although “prautes” connotes meekness, it is not weakness but is knowing how to get angry at the right time and for the right reason. People who are angered at every nuisance or inconvenience to themselves know nothing of gentleness.

A gentle person is one whose emotions are under control. It describes the attitude that submits to God’s dealings without rebellion, and to man’s unkindness without retaliation.

Albert Barnes writes that...

“Meekness (gentleness) relates to the manner in which we receive injuries. We are to bear them patiently, and not to retaliate, or seek revenge. The meaning here is, that we adorn the gospel when we show its power in enabling us to bear injuries without anger or a desire of revenge, or with a mild and forgiving spirit.” (Albert Barnes. Barnes NT Commentary)

The meek person does not have to fly off the handle because he has everything under (Spirit) control. A perfect picture is found in our Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 21. Quoting from the Septuagint (LXX = Greek of the Hebrew Old Testament) rendering of Zechariah 9:9, which predicts the Lord’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Matthew uses the adjective form of prautes (praus) to describe Jesus as
“gentle (praus) and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden” (Mt 21:5).

Meekness is a willingness to waive one's rights for a good cause, just as Jesus waived His rights to His rule as King as he rode into Jerusalem mounted on a donkey (see above). Set aside your rights! Do not demand that you be satisfied, but for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ be willing to suffer loss. Meekness is the opposite of rudeness and abrasiveness.

Meekness and weakness are not synonymous. Meekness says,
"God, in this situation, You have a purpose. You're in control, sovereign, and ruling over all." Meekness is thus a willingness to stand and do the will of God regardless of the cost.”

John MacArthur writes that...

“Meekness is the opposite of violence and vengeance. The meek person, for example, accepts joyfully the seizing of his property, knowing that he has infinitely better and more permanent possessions awaiting him in heaven (Heb. 10:34). The meek person has died to self, and he therefore does not worry about injury to himself, or about loss, insult, or abuse. The meek person does not defend himself, first of all because that is His Lord’s command and example, and second because he knows that he does not deserve defending. Being poor in spirit and having mourned over his great sinfulness, the gentle person stands humbly before God, knowing he has nothing to commend himself.” (MacArthur, J: Matthew 1-7 Macarthur New Testament Commentary Chicago: Moody Press

Ray Stedman describes meekness as "strength under control" adding that

"It is real strength, but it does not have to display itself or show off how strong it is. This is what our Lord beautifully displayed He described himself as "meek and lowly in heart." The first curriculum of the Holy Spirit is that we must do what Jesus said, "take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly of heart."

“Patience” or “Longsuffering” comes from the Greek word “makrothumia” (from makros = long, distant, far off, large + thumos = temper, passion, emotion or thumoomai = to be furious or burn with intense anger) is literally long-temper (as opposed to short tempered), a long holding out under trial before giving in to passion, a tumultuous welling up of the whole spirit or a might emotion that seizes and moves the entire inner man.

It is bearing patiently with the foibles, faults, and infirmities of others. It is a patient holding out under trial; a long-protracted restraint of the soul from yielding to passion, especially the passion of anger. Our old nature is so quick to take offense that we need longer "fuses". The new life in Christ enables one to endure with unruffled temper any wrong suffered without retaliation and to turn the other cheek.

“Showing tolerance(forbearnce)” (anechomai from aná = in + écho = have) means literally to hold one’s self upright or firm against a person or thing, to put up with, to bear with (equanimity or evenness of mind especially under stress), to tolerate, to forbear. It pictures restraint under provocation and includes liberal allowance for the faults and failures of others. The present tense calls for this to be our lifestyle.

The idea is to hold out in spite of persecution, threats, injury, indifference, or complaints and not retaliate. It conveys the sense of putting up with others and of undergoing something onerous or troublesome without giving in.

Paul encourages the saints to make allowance (tolerate, bear, endure) for the faults and failures of others, or differing personalities, abilities, and temperaments. Forbearance is not a question of maintaining a façade of courtesy while inwardly seething with resentment but is a Spirit empowered positive love to those who irritate, disturb, or embarrass you! Not a natural but a supernatural response!
We can understand why Paul prayed for the Ephesian saints to be strengthened by the Spirit in their inner man! Ephesians 3:16) This attitude and action is not possible naturally, but only supernaturally!

How are you bearing up with the idiosyncrasies of your brethren at church, your spouse, your children, your co-workers, your fellow students, etc? You can't, He can and He lives in you to transform your temperament and attitude to those who irritate you.

“One another” (allelon from állos = another) means just what it says. It is like the sequoia trees of California which tower as high as 300 feet above the ground. You might be surprised to discover that these giant trees have unusually shallow root systems that reach out in all directions to capture the greatest amount of surface moisture. Their intertwining roots also provide support for each other against the storms. That's why the giant Sequoia trees usually grow in clusters. Seldom will you see a redwood standing alone, because high winds would quickly uproot it! That's what "one another" means!

“In love” - describes the spirit in which such forbearance was to be exercised.

John Eadie writes that...

“Retaliation was not to be allowed; all occasionally needed forbearance, and all were uniformly to exercise it. No acerbity of temper, sharp retort, or satirical reply was to be admitted. As it is the second word, which really begins the strife, so, where mutual forbearance is exercised, even the first angry word would never be spoken. And this mutual forbearance must not be affected coolness or studied courtesy; it must have its origin, sphere, and nutriment “in love”—in the genuine attachment that ought to prevail among Christian disciples.” (John Eadie, D., LL.D. The Epistle of St Paul to the Ephesians)

Love (agape) is unconditional, sacrificial love, the love that God is and in the New Testament defines a supernatural love, commanded by God, empowered by His Spirit, activated by a personal choice of our will, not based on our feelings toward the object of our love and manifested by specific actions especially as summarized in 1Corinthians 13:

“Love is patient (makrothumeo), love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag (self display, boast, praise oneself excessively) and is not arrogant (inflated, puffed up, haughty); does not act unbecomingly (an ugly, indecent, improper, unseemly manner); it does not seek its own, is not provoked (aroused to anger, not "touchy"), does not take into account a wrong suffered; does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1Cor 13:4-7)

In combination with showing tolerance, the idea is to love those who don't deserve it or who irritate, disturb or embarrass us. This supernatural, Christlike behavior is only possible by the strengthening of our inner man by the Holy Spirit.

Thomas à Kempis wrote that...

“If Christ is amongst us, then it is necessary that we sometimes yield up our own opinion for the sake of peace. Who is so wise as to have perfect knowledge of all things? Therefore trust not too much to thine own opinion, but be ready also to hear the opinions of others."

D L Moody quipped...

“There are two ways of being united -- one is by being frozen together, and the other is by being melted together. What Christians need is to be united in brotherly love, and then they may expect to have power.”

This is not easy to do. From my own personal experience, it is hard to love someone who abuses you, lies to you, talks bad about you, refuses to apologize for the wrong they have done to you, and believes they have done nothing wrong. It’s even harder when the person is a Christian.
You have to make a decision to love them no matter what. Yes it hurts. Don’t get offended and fall into unforgiveness. Don’t give bitterness a foothold. The best thing you can do is to start praying for that person, and every time the devil brings the offense up, you have to refuse to keep rehearsing it in your mind. The more you rehearse it in your mind, playing it over and over again, the more it grows and that root of bitterness will start to take hold in your spirit. Let the Lord deal with that person. Pray for that person, pray blessings for him. This will help keep the root of bitterness from growing.

EPHESIANS 5:1: “and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”

Paul uses the present imperative which is a command calling for their way of life and daily conduct to be in the sphere of unconditional, sacrificial love, the love that God is, the love that is a fruit of His indwelling Spirit in the yielded, obedient saint.

Paul's point is that the believer now as a new creation in Christ is to be constantly ordering your behavior within the sphere of love.

“Love” (agape) describes the love God gives freely, sacrificially and unconditionally regardless of response -- love that goes out not only to the lovable but to one’s enemies or those that don't "deserve" it.

“Agapao” speaks especially of love as based on evaluation and choice, a matter of will and action. This love is not sentimental or emotional but obedient and reflective of the act of one's will with the ultimate desire being for another's highest good. Since it is unconditional, this love is still given if it's not received or returned! “Agape” gives and gives and gives. It is not withheld.

“Agape” love is commanded of believers, empowered by His Spirit, activated by personal choice of one's will, not based on one's feelings toward the object of one's love and manifested by specific actions (see 1Cor 13:4-8 for a succinct list of these actions).

“Agape” love speaks of a love called out of one’s heart by the preciousness of the one loved, a love that impels one to sacrifice one’s self for the benefit of the object loved. It is the love shown at Calvary. The prototype of this quality of supernatural love is the Father's love for sinful men as manifest by the Son's sacrifice on the Cross.

Wuest adds that...

“This love is the “agape” love which God is, which God exhibited at the Cross, which Paul analyzes in 1 Corinthians 13, and which is the fruit of the Spirit in the yielded saint. The saint is to order his behavior or manner of life within the sphere of this divine, supernatural love produced in his heart by the Holy Spirit. When this love becomes the deciding factor in his choices and the motivating power in his actions, he will be walking in love. He will be exemplifying in his life the self-sacrificial love shown at Calvary and the Christian graces mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13.” (Wuest, K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans

S Lewis Johnson speaking of living our lives now based on faith in the Son of God asks...

“But do we have good reasons to rest in Him? The final words of Galatians 2:20 supply ample grounds. Our faith is in the Son of God, "who loved me and gave himself for me." Cf. Gal 1:4. All of the essentials of the atonement are found here. His redemptive work is grounded in the love that expressed itself in the cross, the word "loved" being an aorist in tense and referring to the event of the cross as the issue of eternal, electing love (cf. Eph 1:3-6; 2:4, etc.). The verb, "gave," means to hand over, to deliver over (cf. Romans 4:25; Ro 8:32; Eph. 5:2). It in this context suggests these important things:

(1) First, His death was voluntary. He gave Himself.(2) Second, His death was a penal sacrifice, for He had to deliver Himself over to the cross. The aorist of the participle again points to the cross as the event at which the delivering took place. And it was a delivering of Himself over to the divine penalty for sin. He, thus, was a sacrifice.
(3) Third, His death was substitutionary. It was "for me," Paul says, a personal reference that is expanded to all the elect in other places in his writings (cf. Eph. 5:2; Gal. 1:4). The use of the first person here "indicates the deep personal feeling with which the apostle writes."

EPHESIANS 5:8: “for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light”

Darkness describes the character of the life of the unconverted as void of truth and virtue in intellectual and moral matters. It's all the things Paul has already described about the Gentiles in their unconverted state. It's all the things he has described which characterized the old self or old man. Formerly all of those things were the only life they knew.

It is that very darkness from which salvation in Christ delivers sinners.

Again therefore Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8:12)

(Jesus again said) "I have come as light into the world, that everyone who believes in Me may not remain in darkness. (John 12:46)

For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, (See note Colossians 1:13)

But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; (1 Peter 2:9)

So how are believers to respond? What is true about us now in regard to the darkness? Paul summarizes how we should relate to the darkness writing...

“The night is almost gone, and the day (of our Lord's return) is at hand. Let us therefore lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. 14 But put on (like a new garment) (aorist imperative) the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision (present imperative = with negative means stop making provision) for the flesh in regard to its lusts.” (Romans 13:12; 13:13; 13:14)

Wayne Barber explains now you are light in the Lord this way...

“It is all because of Him. Outside of Him there is no light. In Him is where the light is. Remember, I am not the light. He is the light. I am light because the Light is within me. He has come in and turned it on, and now I can understand and comprehend. I can walk the way He wants me to walk. His Spirit can teach me the things I need to know, and I can live a life that reflects the essence of light. We were once darkness. Now we have been made light. Not just put in the light, we are now made light because He is in us. The Light is in us...We are accountable for sin now...Now that you are in Christ, you are responsible to call them by name because you have light within you and you know what you are doing is by your own choice. You choose not to put that garment on (the garment of the "old man"). You have light in you. That is why confession of sin is such an important word in the vocabulary of the believer.”

In contrast to those who walk in spiritual darkness, Paul uses the present imperative to command believers to continually walk in the light into which they have been transferred. Keep walking in the light, step by step, ever making progress.

Walk as children of light for as Paul says
"what fellowship has light with darkness?" (2Cor 6:14)

The point is that there is none. Thus it makes "good sense" that those who walk in the darkness (as manifest by their deeds just described) would not enjoy fellowship in the Kingdom of Light in the presence of the One Who Alone is the Light of the World and in Whom there is no darkness at all.

F B Meyer has the following devotional comments...

“God is light; and when we live in daily, hourly communion with Him, in such a frame of mind as that His name is frequently in our hearts, or murmured softly by our lips, or spoken as a talisman when temptation is near, we may be said to be walking in the light. And it is just in proportion as our steps tread the crystal pathway of light, that our understanding becomes enlightened. In God's light we see light. When the heart is pure, the eye is single.The contrary to this is also true. When we are alienated from the life of God, our understanding is darkened to the truth of God. The seat of infidelity is in the heart. Once let a soul become shut out from the life of God through the hardening of the heart; once let it give itself up to lasciviousness, and to make a trade of uncleanness with greediness: then the light of the knowledge of the glory of God beats against a shuttered window, asking for admittance in vain.If you would know God, you must resemble God. If you would learn God's secrets, you must walk with God. If you would know the doctrine, you must be willing to do his will.
But there is something even better than walking in the light; it is to become children of the light. What an exquisite conception! Dewdrops sparkling in the light of dawn; star-dust glittering on the vault of night; humming-birds flashing in the tropic sun; children dancing in light-hearted glee, none of these are so truly sons of light as they who have been begotten by the Father of Lights; who carry within them the Light that lights up hearts, and who, in goodness, righteousness, and truth, prove what is well-pleasing unto the Lord. Let us live as such.” (Our Daily Walk)

EPHESIANS 5:15-16: “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.”

See to it that you walk circumspectly (akribos - accurately, diligently, carefully). Walk warily, exactly or diligently. Our English word circumspect is from the Latin (circum- = around + specere = look) and conveys the literal picture of looking around or figuratively being cautious. One who is walking circumspectly is one who is surveying all circumstances and possible consequences before acting or deciding. A great word picture!

The idea of "akribos" is that our walk is in strict conformity to a standard, and as such calls for carefulness against any departure from what is proper to a believer's walk.
How does one accomplish this charge to be careful how we walk?

By not walking unwisely, but wisely, as those who are continually redeeming for themselves the precious time God gives, by understanding His good and acceptable and perfect will and by not being filled with wine but being filled with His Spirit.

The present imperative commands one to continually pay especially close attention to how they walk. “Be constantly taking heed how accurately you are conducting yourselves.” We need to remember that our heart is more deceitful than all else and that the enemy of our soul constantly prowls around and his desire is for our soul.

Wuest adds that you are to...

“see to it that your conduct is accurate with respect to the demands of the Word of God. It is like a motorist accurately following on the right side of the center line dividing traffic.” (Wuest, K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans)

To walk circumspectly is to walk in the light of our exalted position and privilege as beloved children of God. To walk in an unwise manner means to descend from the high plane and privilege to the profane practices of the fallen world. To walk wisely is to redeem each day, "buying up" every precious moment God gives.

The Amplified Version conveys the thrust of Paul's command rendering it...

“Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately... “(Ed note: Good advice. God's formula for real success!)

Wayne Barber writes that...

“Ephesians 5:15 tells us we are to be very careful as we walk. When we put on this new garment and walk out into a world penetrated by darkness, this garment, Christ in us, has the power to first of all refuse the deeds of darkness, secondly reprove the deeds of darkness, and thirdly remove the deeds of darkness. Light puts out darkness. Folks, when you put on the garment, when you are living what you have in Jesus Christ; it is a powerful weapon against the darkness that is residing in this world.”

To walk as fools means to descend from this high plane to the conduct of worldly men.
The NKJV has a good rendering...
“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise.”
To walk circumspectly and thus wisely is to live in the light of our position as God’s children. To walk as fools means to descend from this high plane to the conduct of worldly men.
To walk any way except in the path of holiness, the ancient paths, turning neither to the left or the right, is to walk as a fool!

CHECK YOUR WORK

Ephesians 5:15 February 27, 2001

I'm getting pretty good at math. That's because every day my son Steve and I have a little math session. He does his 30 junior high math problems, and I help him check them over. Sometimes we even get them all right. As I go over Steve's math, I notice that he understands how to do his problems. In fact, in some areas he's better at it than I am. But occasionally, despite knowing how to do the problem, he gets the wrong answer. He either gets a little sloppy in using the right formula or he just doesn't check his answers carefully. Aren't we all a little like that in our Christian life? We know what we should do. We have a good understanding of how to live the Christian life, but we get careless or lazy. We know better, but we fail. For instance, we know we aren't supposed to gossip. But before we know it, we're roasting a fellow Christian. Or this: We know God wants us to keep our mind and heart pure, but we let down our guard and watch a TV program or movie we know is not edifying.
It's true, isn't it? We all get a little sloppy in how we live for God. Let's be more careful and pay closer attention to our Christian walk (Ephesians 5:15). Let's make sure we're doing quality work for our heavenly Father. —JDB (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

Lord, help me to apply Your Word and move it from my head

“Making the most”(redeeming) (exagorazo from ek = out or from -- If something is in something else, then “ek” describes separating it in respect to place, time, source or origin + agorázo = buy, acquire possessions or services in exchange for money with the result that whatever has been bought is the buyer's by right of possession <> from “agora” = market place where things were exposed for sale, a forum, a place in which the people assemble and where public trials were held) means literally to buy out of (ek = out of) the market place. It means to completely redeem. Believers are to take advantage of every spiritual opportunity because we know that the night is coming when no one can work. There is an open window in time for the gospel. We must seize the moment!

Pastor Ray Pritchard writes that "exagorazo"...

“is a word from the market place. You go down to your supermarket and look for bargains because you know they will not last long; they are passing, changing. Therefore, make the most of them and buy them up. This is exactly the word he employs here. Buy up the opportunities which are created constantly by the evil days.” (Ephesians 5:15-20: Watch How You Walk)

Warren Wiersbe laments...

“How foolish to stumble along through life and never seek to know the will of the Lord! Instead of walking “accurately” (which is equivalent to “circumspectly”), they miss the mark, miss the road, and end up suffering on some detour. God wants us to be wise and understand His will for our lives. As we obey His will, we “buy up the opportunities” (redeem the time, v. 16) and do not waste time, energy, money, and talent in that which is apart from His will. Lost opportunities may never be regained; they are gone forever.” (Wiersbe, W. W. Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the New Testament. Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books)

The idea then is turning each season (kairos) to the best advantage since none can be recalled if missed.

“Every time you can do something good you should”.

As someone else has said

"Beware of wasting the present. Instead of killing time, redeem your spare moments today. Wasting the gift of time insults the Giver of time."
Redeem the time! God only knowsHow soon our little life may close,With all its pleasures and its woes,Redeem the time! — Anonymous

The idea is not to make best use of time as such (although that is certainly advisable), which is what we should do in the sense of not wasting it, but of taking advantage of the opportunities that present themselves.

HOW NOT TO WALK:

Do not let immorality or any impurity or greed even be named among you, as is proper among saint

There must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting.

No immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

Let no one deceive you with empty words.

Do not be partakers with unbelievers.

Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them.

Do not be foolish

Do not get drunk with wine

Do not walk as the Gentiles:

Walk in the futility of their mind.

Being darkened in their understanding.

Excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance in them, because of the hardness of their heart.

Have become callous.

Given themselves over to sensuality, for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.

THE QUALIFICATIONS OF OUR WALK:

With all humility and gentleness.

With patience.

Showing forbearance to one another in love.

Being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Lay aside the old self.

Be renewed in the spirit of your mind.

Put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

Lay aside falsehood, and speak truth each one of you with his neighbor.

Be angry and sin not, do not let the sun go down on your anger.

Do not give the devil opportunity.

Let him who steals steal no longer, but rather let him labor, performing with his own hands what is good, in order that he may have something to share with him who has need.

Let no unwholesome word proceed out of your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God.

HOW ARE WE TO WALK?

WALK IN NEWNESS OF LIFE

WALK ACCORDING TO THE SPIRIT

WALK IN A MANNER WORTHY OF OUR CALLING:

IN HUMILTY AND GENTLENESS WITH PATIENCE

FORBEARING ONE ANOTHER IN LOVE

WALK IN LOVE:

WALK AS CHILDREN OF THE LIGHT

WALK A WISE MEN:

NOT AS UNWISE

REDEEMING THE TIME

WALK IN A MANNER PLEASING TO THE LORD

I don’t know if you have realized this, but if you read about Jesus in the Gospels, this is how He walked, and we are to walk in the same way.

SIT

Ephesians 1:17-21

“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. “ (NASB)

Ephesians 1:17-21

For I always pray to the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation, of insight into mysteries and secrets, in the deep and intimate knowledge of Him, by having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints, His set apart ones, and so that you can know and understand what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His own right hand in the heavenly sphere, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and ever name that is named, above every title that can be conferred, not only in this age and in this world, but also I the age and the world which are to come. (The Amplified Bible)

Ephesians 2:4-6

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus, (NASB)

Ephesians 2:4-6

But God, so rich is He in His mercy! Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us, even when we were dead, slain, by our own shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ; He gave us the ver life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him, for it is by grace, His favor and mercy which you did not deserve, that you are saved, delivered from judgment and make partakers of Christ’s salvation, and He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together, giving us joint seating with Him in the heavenly sphere by virtue of our being in Christ Jesus the Messiah, the Anointed One. (The Amplified Bible)

There are three experiences that a believer has in union in Christ:

ONE: God made us alive with Him (Ephesians 2:5)

Literally it reads that God’s love and mercy have “made us alive together with Christ,” expressing the intimate union we have the Lord.

TWO: God raised us up with Him: (Ephesians 2:6)

We have been raised up, or resurrected, in the likeness of Christ. (Romans 6:5)
Not only that, but we have been raised up and seated with Him in the heavenly places, far above this earth.

THREE: God seated us with Him: (Ephesians 2:6)

The believer, by virtue of his union with Christ, is enthroned in the invisible world of spiritual reality where Christ reigns supreme.
Because we are made alive in Him, raised up us with Him, the result is that we are jointly seated with Him.

Colossians 3:1-2 reads,

“If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.” (NASB)

Colossians 3:1-2

If then you have been raised with Christ to a new life, thus haring His resurrection from the dead, aim at and seek the rich, eternal treasures, that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. And set your minds and keep them set on what is above, the higher things, not on the things that are on the earth. (The Amplified Bible)

In Colossians 3:1-2 believers are exhorted to set their minds on heavenly things because they have been raised to a new life with Christ. We will dig into this a little deeper later on.

Right here I want to stop and say this one thing:

IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT YOU CAN BE SO HEAVENLY MINDED THAT YOU ARE NO EARTHLY GOOD.

THE OPPOSITE IS TRUE.

IF YOU ARE NOT HEAVENLY MINDED, YOU ARE NO EARTHLY GOOD.

JESUS WAS HEAVENLY MINDED.

HIS MIND WAS SET ON THE THINGS ABOVE.

This is important.
As we begin to study SIT, WALK, STAND, we begin to see that where our focus will be of the utmost importance.

Let’s look at these passages of Scripture more closely and see what we can glean from them.

We will start with Ephesians 1:20-21.

Ephesians 1:20

“which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places” (NASB)

WHICH HE BROUGHT ABOUT IN CHRIST: ( Romans 6:5-11; Philippians 3:10; 1 Peter 1:3)

“WHICH” (hos) refers to the resurrection and ascension power—the divine energy that lifted Christ from the grave to the earth, and from the earth to heaven—is the power that will lift us to glory

“HE BROUGHT” (energeo related to the noun energeo just used in Ephesians 1:19) refers to that which is effectively working. The idea here is that this might or power was operative in Christ when God raised Him from the dead. It operated to raise Him from the dead." The aorist tense speaks of effective action in the past or past completed action.

WHEN HE RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD: (Psalms 16:9-11; John 10:18,30; Acts 2:24-33; 4:10; 10:40; 26:8; Romans 1:4; Hebrews 13:20)

“RAISED” (egeiro) means to waken, rouse from sleep here to wake up from death, of which sleep is the emblem "AORIST (effective action - the raising) ACTIVE (God performed this action) PARTICIPLE ( having raised = aorist speaks of a definite event in the past ~ the resurrection)

“DEAD” (nekros from nekus) (Eng - necropsy, etc)

In the Old Testament, God’s power was measured by the creation (Isa 40:12–27) or by His miracle of opening the Red Sea to allow Israel to escape Egypt, Jeremiah for example recording:
“Therefore behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when it will no longer be said, 'As the LORD lives, Who brought up the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt" (Jer. 16:14).
But today, we measure God’s power by the miracle of Christ’s resurrection. Much more was involved than merely raising Him from the dead, for Christ also ascended to heaven and sat down in the place of authority at the right hand of God. He is not only Savior; He is also Sovereign (Acts 2:25–36). No authority or power, human or in the spirit world, is greater than that of Jesus Christ, the exalted Son of God. He is “far above all,” and no future enemy can overcome Him, because He has been exalted “far above all” powers.

AND SEATED HIM AT HIS RIGHT HAND IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES: Psalms 110:1; Matthew 22:43-45; 26:64; 28:18; Mark 14:62; 16:19; John 17:1-5; Acts 2:34-36; 5:31; 7:55,56; Romans 8:34; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:3; 2:9; Hebrews 10:12; Revelation 1:17; 5:11-14)

“SEATED” (kathizo from katá = down + hizo =sit) Having caused Christ to sit down. The aorist tense speaks of effective action in the past or past completed action.

“RIGHT”(dexios) right as opposed to left. A person of high rank who puts someone on his right hand gives him equal honor with himself and recognizes him as of equal dignity.

“HEAVENLY PLACES” (epouranios) means above the sky, celestial, heavenly, high. A spiritual battle is going on in this world and in the sphere of “the heavenlies,” and you and I are a part of this battle. Knowing this makes “being strengthened standing firm” vital!"

Ephesians 1:21:

“far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.” (NASB)

FAR ABOVE ALL RULE AND AUTHORITY AND POWER AND DOMINION: (Philippians 2:9,10; Colossians 2:10; Hebrews 1:4) (3:10; 6:12; Daniel 7:27; Romans 8:38,39; Colossians 1:15,16; 2:15; Hebrews 4:14; 1 Peter 3:22)

Christ’s exaltation by His Father has resulted in His supremacy over everything...
“For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-- all things have been created by Him and for Him.” ( Colossians 1:16)

“FAR ABOVE” (huperano from hupér = above + ano = up) So Christ is not just ABOVE but FAR ABOVE. Also includes idea of rank or dignity. Christ is in a class by Himself so to speak. The demonic rule, authority, etc, aren't even in the same ball park!"

“ALL”(pas) all. Terms that follow were traditional Jewish terms to designate angelic beings of great rank and might. The power of Christ applied in the believer’s behalf cannot be defeated because it far surpasses that of the hosts of Satan who are design to defeat it"

“RULE”(arche) means the first ones, preeminent one or leaders. “Arché” speaks of those first in order of rulership in a community, “the first ones” in the town. The "arche" is an authority figure who initiates activity or process. In this context “arche” reflects a high order of demonic creatures that assist Satan in his warfare against God and His children!

“AUTHORITY” (exousia) is derived from éxesti = it is permitted, it is lawful meaning liberty of action. “Exousía” refers to delegated authority and combines the idea of the "right and the might", these attributes having been granted to someone.

“Exousía” means the power to do something and was a technical term used in the law courts, of a legal right.

“POWER” (dunamis from dunamai = to be able, to have power) refers to power, especially achieving power. It refers to intrinsic power or inherent ability, the power or ability to carry out some function, the potential for functioning in some way (power, might, strength, ability, capability), the power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature. In the present context dunamis almost certainly refers to evil spiritual forces which possess this inherent power.

“Dunamis” is the implied ability or capacity to perform. It conveys the idea of effective, productive energy, rather than that which is raw and unbridled. Note that words derived from the stem “duna”— all have the basic meaning of “being able,” of “capacity” in virtue of an ability.

“Duna”- is the root for English words like dynamic, dynamo, dynamite, etc.

Ephesians 2:6

“and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,” (NASB)

AND RAISED US UP WITH HIM: kai sunegeiren: (Romans 6:4,5; Colossians 1:18; 2:12,13; 3:1-3)

Paul speaks here of our spiritual resurrection with Christ (our blessed hope is of a body that is yet future). In Colossians Paul repeats this truth at the beginning of his charge to walk in the light of the truth in the first two chapters.

If (since = fulfilled condition) then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.

“RAISED US UP WITH HIM.” Believers are in a solemn, binding, indissoluble covenant with Christ and so are eternally in union with Him and identified with Him. When He died, we died. When He was buried, we were buried. When he was raised up, we were raised up. When He was seated at the right hand of His Father, we were seated at the right hand of our Father in heaven. These great truths of the believer's identification with Christ are more thoroughly expounded by Paul in Romans 6.

“RAISED UP WITH”(sunegeiro from sun = with, speaking of an intimate relationship or intimate union + egeiro = raise) is more literally "raised up together", the pronoun "Him" being added to indicate it was with Jesus we were raised up. Obviously this is a spiritual resurrection that follows our crucifixion with Christ and our entombment with Christ. Christ's resurrection was physical while ours was a spiritual resurrection. On the basis of the believer's past spiritual resurrection, there is the guarantee of a future physical resurrection and transformation (glorification) when
we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable (earthly body) must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. (1Cor 15:51b-53)

“Sunegeiro” means to be roused (from sleep but here used figuratively as a reference to death) in company with and figuratively as used by Paul means to revivify spiritually. Plutarch has a writing, which uses “sunegeiro” in a secular sense meaning "waking up together".
Believers don't just receive life, but experience resurrection life in Christ! Practically this truth means that we now can walk in His resurrection power. The aorist tense indicates that this co-resurrection is a past completed event.

AND SEATED US WITH HIM IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES IN CHRIST JESUS: kai sunekathisen en tois epouraniois en Christo Iesou: (Matthew 26:29; Luke 12:37; 22:29,30; John 12:26; 14:3; 17:21-26; Revelation 3:20,21)(1:3)

“SEATED US WITH” (sugkathizo from sún = with speaking of an intimate union + kathízo = to set or sit down) means to cause to sit down with. Paul uses the aorist tense, which here speaks of a past completed action. Paul is so certain of this grand truth, that he records it as if it has already occurred! So certain is every word of God, every promise! Why are we so often, so prone to wonder, so little in our faith? And so with the eyes of faith we see that this seating with Christ has occurred, even if we from our finite human perspective cannot fully comprehend its practical importance.

We don't sit in the heavenly places with Christ Jesus (yet) but we do sit in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Since our life and identity is in Christ, as He sits in the heavenly places, so do we. And even though we are not yet in possession of all the inheritance that God has for us in Christ, to be in the heavenly places is to be in God’s domain instead of Satan’s ("For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son" (Colossians 1:13) and we were turned "from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God" Acts 26:18). Now, we are in the sphere of spiritual life instead of the sphere of spiritual death.

"In the heavenly places" is where our blessings are and where we have fellowship with the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, and with all the saints who have gone before us and will come after us. "In the heavenly places" is where all our commands come from and where all our praise and petitions go.

The Queen of England exercises certain powers and privileges because she sits on the throne. The President of the United States has privileges and powers because he sits behind the desk in the oval office of the White House. The believer is seated on the throne with Christ. We must constantly keep our affection and our attention fixed on the things of heaven, through the Word and prayer, as well as through worship and service. We can enjoy “days of heaven upon the earth.”

“HEAVENLY PLACES” (epouranios from epí = upon, in sense of pertaining to above + ouranos = heaven) encompasses the entire supernatural realm of God, His complete domain (it is the supernatural sphere where God rules) and the full extent of His divine operation. The true citizenship of every saint is not this present earth (which is passing away) but is heaven, Paul explaining to the saints at Philippi that...
“our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.” (Philippians 3: 20, 21)

Because our new citizenship through Christ is in heaven, God seats us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus. We are no longer of this present world or in its sphere of sinfulness and rebellion. We have been rescued from spiritual death and given spiritual life in order to be in Christ Jesus in the heavenly places.

Christians are a "heavenly" people. That's what Paul meant when he told the Ephesians that God has "raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:6). We live on earth, but "our citizenship is in heaven.” We should therefore "seek those things which are above," and store up treasures in heaven.
Colossians 3:1

“Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ keep seeking the things above where Christ is seated." To sit down not worshipping or standing, but sitting in majesty. This is His seat of divine authority because He has defeated the forces of evil & death (Heb2:14-15)." (NASB)

“If" does not convey uncertainty but is what is referred to as a first class conditional clause which assumes that the statement which follows is true. One can often substitute "Since" or "in view of the fact" for "if". In marked contrast to the mystical promises of achieving your "human potential" offered under the guise of the New Age Movement, here Paul unveils in clear language the true way to "be all that you can be", God's plan for the "human potential movement".

Thus Paul is reaffirming that our co-resurrection with Christ is a fact & is not in doubt. True spiritual life is nurtured in the "womb" of true doctrine. If you are going to live a holy life in an unholy world, your doctrine has got to be "pure milk" (1 Peter 2:2-3).

RAISED UP WITH CHRIST: sunegerthete to Christoi: (Col 2:12;13,20 Ro 6:4, 6:5, 6:9-11 Gal 2:19,20, Gal 5:24, 2Co 5:14 Eph 1:19a;19b-20 2:5,6)

Correct belief is foundational for right (righteous) behavior. An understanding and appropriation of a believer's death, burial and resurrection with Christ is crucial to living out the Christ life. And so Paul repeats what he had explained earlier to the Colossian believers...

“having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, Who raised Him from the dead. And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross...you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world.” (Col 2:12;13,20)

Writing to the Roman saints Paul declared...
“Therefore (because you have been "baptized into Christ Jesus [and] have been baptized into His death") we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.”

Aorist tense indicates our co-resurrection with Christ is a past completed action, which was reckoned as true in our life the moment we by faith received Christ Jesus as Savior and Lord (Col 2:12). We were raised spiritually when Christ was raised physically and this identification (because we are now in an everlasting, unbreakable covenant with our Lord) is the foundation truth for our new spiritual position and power to walk in newness of life.

Note that "sunegeiro" has the prefix "sun" not "meta", a seemingly small point but actually very profound because "sun" conveys the idea of an intimate and irrevocable association with another, in this case with the risen and exalted Christ.

KEEP SEEKING THE THINGS ABOVE: ta ano zeteite (Jn 8:23, Gal 4:26, Php3:14, Mt6:20, Ro12:1-2 Mt6:33, Mt7:7 Mt13:45,Ps16:11; 17:14,15; 25:14 Pr15:24; Lu12:33; Ro8:6; 2C4:18;

" aim at and seek the [rich, eternal treasures] that are above" (Amplified Bible)

"All your aims must center in heaven, where reigns the Christ who has thus exalted you, enthroned on God’s right hand" (Lightfoot)

"The things above" (the upward things, the treasure in heaven) is placed first for emphasis so that the Greek is more literally rendered "the things above, keep on seeking".

The things above (ta anô) is "the upward things" ( Philippians 3:14 Matthew 6:20).

Paul gives this ideal and goal in place of merely ascetic rules, reminding the Colossians that they have risen with Christ. This is the path to holiness, not self-denial, angelic experiences, or ritual keeping. They should no longer be living the old life they lived before their salvation, but now they should lay hold of he eternal life of Christ since they have been raised to live on another plane & another kingdom. They should not be ignorant or forgetful of who they are in Christ and how they are to live. All sinful passion is controlled and conquered by the power of the indwelling Christ (Christ in you the hope of glory) and our union with Him. Obviously, the thoughts of heaven that are to fill the believer’s mind must derive from Scripture. The Bible is the only reliable source of knowledge about the character of God and the values of heaven. When heavenly values dominate the mind godly behavior is the natural outflow. Sin that so easily entangles us will be conquered and humility, a sacrificial spirit, and assurance will result. All from keeping a proper eternal perspective.

Colossians 3:2:

“Set your mind on the things above , not on the things that are on earth.” (NASB)


SET YOUR MIND: ta ano phroneite: 1Ch 22:19; 29:3; Ps 62:10; 91:14; 119:36,37; Pr 23:5; Eccl 7:14; Mt 16:23; (contrast Mt16:23) (Jos 1:8 Ps 73:25 Ps 8:3,4 48:9 119:148 143:5)

“Have a relish for things above”, “study industriously things above” (Spurgeon)

"Set your affection on things above" (Webster)

"the things above, keep on setting your mind upon", (Literal)"Set your heart on things above, not on earthly things" (Montgomery)

"And set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things)" (Amp)"Focus your minds on the things above," (Jewish NT)

“SET YOUR MIND” (phroneo from phren = mind) denotes the whole action of the affections and will as well as the reason.
"Phroneo" refers to the basic orientation, bent, and thought patterns of the mind, rather than to the mind or intellect itself, and refers more to inner disposition, while "keep seeking" is rather practical pursuit. The sure safeguard against seeking things below, is not to set the mind upon them.

Setting one's minds on things above involves an act of one's will (active voice) and is something we must do (imperative mood = command) continually (present tense = habitual).

Kenneth Wuest picks up on this tense and mood rendering it...

“The things above be constantly setting your mind upon, not the things on the earth.”

Vincent suggests that:

"Seek marks the practical striving; set your mind, the inward impulse and disposition. Both must be directed at things above.

As Lightfoot says:

“You must not only seek heaven, you must think heaven”

The believer’s whole disposition should orient itself toward heaven, where Christ is, just as a compass needle orients itself toward the north.

Remember that everything you allow into your mind will affect your pursuit of holiness either positively or negatively so set a guard over your heart (Pr 4:23) and think on things which are true, honorable, etc (see note Philippians 4:8)

The way you live is determined by what you believe and the purer the doctrine the purer the life. Our position (co-resurrected with Christ) needs to be put into practice. How you live is determined by how you think for as a man "thinks within himself, so he is" (Pr 23:7).

How can we continually think heavenly thoughts when we are continually bombarded with earthly propaganda?

It is not easy but it is not impossible or otherwise God would not have commanded us. Do you remember how you felt when you first fell in love with that person of your dreams? Your thoughts continually focused on that one who made your heart flutter. When you had free time your thoughts would drift in their direction. When you lay in bed at night you thought about them. You'd spend hours together and the first thing you did when you got home was call them and talk until the wee hours of the morning. That's the mindset Paul wants us to exhibit. Heavenly thinking is thinking about the one we love more than life itself. It is being so in love with our Lord that we think about Him all the time, contemplating His loveliness, His power, what it will be like spending an eternity with the One we love and Who loves us with a love indescribable and infinite. You're thinking about Him now aren't you? We need to practice the "presence of God" rising early to meet Him in sweet communion, listening quietly as we read His love letter to us, ready to lovingly do our Master's will. Every time we look at the luxury car commercial on television, we must remind ourselves that car we are lusting for will never make us more significant or valuable than we already are in Christ. Every time we are tempted to compromise our ethics to make things comfortable we must remind ourselves that the impact of our action extends into eternity. Every time we are tempted to choose pleasure over obedience we must remember that we are offending the One who loves us with an everlasting love (cf Gen 39:9). We must resist the notion that true happiness can be found in anything this world has to offer. It is not in the new car, the faster computer, the new mate, the bigger home, the highest award, the swelling bank account. If our greatest desire is for the things of this earth, that's where our heart will be tethered. If our greatest desire is for the things of Heaven, then our heart will be in heaven and as a man thinks in his heart so he is.

QUESTION: WHERE IS CHRIST SEATED?

According to Ephesians 1:20-21 and Colossians 3:1 He is seated:

IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES

AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER

FAR ABOVE ALL RULE, AUTHORITY, POWER, DOMINION AND EVERY NAME THAT IS NAMED.

HE IS SEATED WITH ALL AUTHORITY AND RULE.

QUESTION: IF GOD RAISED US UP AND SEATED US IN HIM, (Ephesians 2:4-6), THEN WHERE ARE WE SEATED?

This is our position in Christ. To be able to WALK and STAND, we must remain in our position in Christ. As we will find out later in our study, one must learn to “SIT” before one can WALK and STAND.

What are the implications of the word “SIT?”

It reveals the secret of a heavenly life.
Christianity does not begin with walking; it begins with sitting.

The individual Christian life begins with a man “in Christ,” when by faith, he sees himself/herself seated together with Him in the heavens.

Most Christians make the mistake of trying to walk in order to be able to sit, but that is a reversal of the true order.

Our natural reason says:

If we do not walk, how can we even reach the goal?

What can we attain without effort?

How can we ever get anywhere if we do not move?

If at the outset we try to do anything, we get nothing.

If we seek to attain something, we miss everything.

Christianity begins not with a big “DO,” but with a big “DONE.”
In Ephesians 1:3, we are invited at the very outset to “sit down” and enjoy what God HAS DONE for us; not to set out to try and attain it for ourselves.

ILLUSTRATION: If you were invited to someone’s house for dinner, and when you arrived saw the table already prepared, the food sitting on the table, all the silverware, fine china plates, do you run to the kitchen, say “I must fix the food, I must set the table”. No, the host will say that dinner is ready. Everything is prepared. All you have to do is “sit down” at the table and receive and enjoy what has been prepared.

In Ephesians 2:8, we begin our Christian life by depending, not on our doing, but depending on what He has DONE!

Until a man does, he is not a Christian; for to say “I can do nothing to save myself; but by the grace of God He “HAS DONE” everything for me in Christ,” is to take the first step in the life of faith.

The Christian’s life from start to finish is based upon this principle of utter dependence upon the Lord Jesus Christ. (John 15:5)

There is no limit to the grace God is willing to bestow upon us.

He will give us everything, but we can receive none of it except as we rest in Him. (Hebrews 4:10,11)

“Sitting” is an attitude of rest.

The only way we advance in the Christian life is as we learn first of all to “sit down.”

What does it really mean to “sit down?”

Walking implies effort.

When we walk or stand we bear on our legs all the weight of our body. We grow weary and in walking or standing we expend a great deal of energy.
But when we sit down, our entire weight rests upon the chair or whatever we are sitting on.
We feel rested because the strain no longer falls upon our muscles and nerves, but upon something else outside of ourselves.

In the spiritual realm, to “sit down” is simply to rest our whole weight, our load, ourselves, our future, everything, upon the Lord. (I Peter 5:7)
We use the expression, “Take a load off your feet!”

We let Him bear the responsibility and cease to carry it ourselves. (Matthew 11:28-30)(I Peter 5:7)

This was God’s principle from the beginning.

Think about this. In the Book of Genesis:

God worked 6 days.

God rested on the 7th day.

If God worked 6 days and rested on the 7th day, on what day was Adam created?

Adam had no part in those 6 days of God’s work, for he came into being at the end.

God’s seventh day was Adam’s first.

Whereas God worked 6 days and then enjoyed His Sabbath rest, Adam began his life with the Sabbath.

God works before He rests, and then alone can He work, because God’s work of creation was truly complete that Adam’s began in rest.

In the Gospels, we find that God has gone one step further and has completed the work of redemption, and we do nothing whatsoever to merit it, but we can enter into by faith directly in the results of His finished work.

Christianity means that God “HAS DONE” everything in Christ, and that we simply step by faith into the enjoyment of that fact.

When Jesus said on the cross just before He died, “IT IS FINISHED,” everything in the plan of redemption was completed and done. There is nothing left out.

It included:

Salvation
Deliverance
Sanctification
Healing
Reconciliation
Prosperity
Redemption
Peace
Righteousness
Justification
Propitiation
Victory
Love
Every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.
Fruit of the Spirit
The promise of the Holy Spirit
Gifts of the Spirit
Wisdom
Knowledge

EVERYTHING YOU NEED IN YOUR LIFE IS ALREADY IN YOUR LIFE MERELY AWAITING YOUR RECOGNITION OF IT!

THE ONLY WAY YOU ARE GOING TO RECOGNIZE IT IS TO “SIT”.

Our key word here is not a command to “sit down,” but to see ourselves “seated” in Christ.

To understand all this, contained for us in this double fact, is that God has first by His mighty power, “made Him to sit” and then by grace “made us to sit down with Him.”

The first lesson we must learn is that:

The work is not initially ours at all, but His.

It is not that we work for God, but that He works for us, and through us.

God gives us our position of rest.

He brings His Son’s finished work, presents it to us and then He says to us “please sit.”

His offer to us cannot be better expressed than in the words of the invitation to the great banquet in Luke 14:17: “Come; for all things are now ready.”

Our Christian life begins with the discovery of what God has provided, and by sitting at His feet we can find out what has been provided and how to appropriate it.

From this point onward the Christian experience proceeds as it began, not on the basis of our own work, but always on that finished work of Christ.
Every new spiritual experience begins with an acceptance by faith of what God “HAS DONE”, with a new “sit down.”
This a principle of life, and one which God Himself has appointed, and from beginning to end, each successive stage of the Christian life follows on the same divinely determined principle.

HOW CAN I RECEIVE THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT FOR SERVICE?

MUST I LABOR FOR IT?

MUST I PLEAD WITH GOD FOR IT?

MUST I AFFLICT MY SOUL BY FASTING AND SELF-DENIALS TO MERIT IT?

WE DID NOTHING TO MERIT IT!

We have redemption through His blood, that is, on the ground of what He “HAS DONE.”

I receive everything, not by walking, but by “sitting down”; not by doing, but by resting in the Lord.

We never arrive by walking.

It starts with Jesus Christ, and with the fact that God chose us “in Him” before the foundation of the world. (Ephesians 1:4)

He chose us, actually picked us out for Himself as His own before the foundation of the world. (Amplified Bible)

Ephesians sets forth what “IS.”

In fact, everything written in the New Testament sets forth what “IS!”

If you will pay attention to the verbs when reading the letters that Paul, Peter and John wrote, you will notice they are always in the past tense. It is not something that may one day be done, or might be done, but something that is ALREADY DONE!

When the Holy Spirit shows us Christ and we believe on Him, then at once, with no further act on our part, there brings a life in union with Him.

But if all these things become ours by faith alone, what about the urgent and practical matter of our sanctification?

How can we know present deliverance from sin’s reign?

How is our “old man” who has followed us and troubled us for years, to be “crucified” and put away?

QUIT CARRYING AROUND THE CORPSE!

HAVE A FUNERAL AND BURY IT ONCE AND FOR ALL!

WRITE OUT A DEATH CERTIFICATE!

SIT AT HIS FEET AND MEDITATE ON GALATAINS 2:20 UNTIL IT BECOMES REAL TO YOU.

Once again, the secret is not in walking, but in sitting, not in doing, but in resting in something DONE.

Because the Lord Jesus was crucified outside Jerusalem nearly 2,000 years ago, and I was crucified with Him, by it His experience has now become my spiritual history, and God can speak of me as already having everything “with Him.”

Here is secret that will help you in your Christian walk:

We need to see ourselves as God sees us.

We need to see ourselves the way the Word of God says we are!

We need to believe what the Word of God says about us!

All that I now have I have “with Christ.”

We must receive it from God as something He “HAS DONE!”

We need to renew our minds to the Word of God.

We were not born with Christ, but we were “crucified with Him.” (Galatians 2:20)

IS GALATIANS 2:20 A REALITY IN YOUR LIFE?

IT IS A REALITY TO GOD!

IT WILL BECOME A REALITY IN YOUR LIFE AS YOU BEGIN TO WALK IN THE REVELATION OF IT!

RENEW YOUR MIND TO THE REALITY OF IT!

AGREE WITH WHAT THE WORD OF GOD SAYS!

THIS IS THE SECRET TO A VICTOROUS CHRISTIAN LIFE!

IT COMES BY SITTING AND LISTENING TO THE HOLY SPIRIT.

START ACTING AS IF IT WE SO!

MAKE A CHOICE TO BELIEVE IT AND SETTLE IT IN YOUR LIFE ONCE AND FOR ALL.

Our union with Him began therefore with His death.
God included us in Him there:

It is something accomplished by Him in His sovereign wisdom, to be seen, believed, accepted, and rejoiced in by us.

God has put us in Christ.

What happened to Him happened also to us.

All the experiences He met, we too have met “in Him.”

Spend some time reading and meditating on Romans 6!

Romans 6:6 is not an exhortation to struggle.

ROMANS 6–8 IS OUR DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE FROM SIN!

IT IS A REALITY WITH GOD!

IT IS SOMETHING THAT IS ALREADY DONE.

WHEN YOU READ ROMANS 6-8, IF YOU WILL PAY ATTENTION TO THE VERBS, THEY ARE IN THE PAST TENSE.

IN FACT, WHEN YOU READ THE NEW TESTAMENT, IT IS ALWAYS IN THE PAST TENSE, SOMETHING THAT HAS ALREADY HAPPENED.

IS IT A REALITY WITH YOU!

EPHESIANS IS ABOUT WHAT “IS”!

IN FACT THE WHOLE NEW TESTAMENT IS ABOUT WHAT “IS”!

THE WHOLE NEW TESTAMENT IS ABOUT HOW GOD SEES YOU.

YOU JUST NEED TO AGREE WITH HIM.

AGREE WITH THE WORD OF GOD!

WHAT GOD HAS SAID IN THIS WORD IS SPIRITUAL LAW!

IT CANNOT BE CHANGED!

WHEN YOU ACT UPON IT, IT BECOMES REAL TO YOU!

SIT BEFORE GOD AND ASK FOR A REVELATION OF IT!

WHEN IT BECOMES REAL TO YOU, IT WILL BECOME PART OF YOU AND YOU REST IN THE POWER OF THAT REVELATION.

That is history, our history, written in Christ before we were born.

Our crucifixion with Christ is a glorious historical fact.

ILLUSTRATION: We have all seen pictures of Christ hanging on the cross. The next time you see one, picture yourself hanging there.

Our deliverance from sin is based, not on what we can do, nor even on what God is going to do for us, but on what He has already DONE for us in Christ.

YOU HAVE BEEN DELIVERED!

When that thought dawns upon us and we rest upon it, then we have found the secret of a holy life. (Romans 6:11)

It is true that we know too little of this in experience.

No Christian experience begins with walking, but always with a definite sitting down.

The secret of deliverance from sin is not to do something, but to rest on what God “HAS DONE!”

SECRET: THE MORE YOU RESIST SIN IN YOUR OWN STRENTH, THE STRONGER IT GETS! YOU CANNOT DELIVER YOURSELF FROM SIN!

GOD IS WAITING TILL YOU CEASE TO DO!

WHEN YOU CEASE DOING, THEN GOD WILL BEGIN!

GOD IS WAITING FOR YOUR STORE OF STRENGTH TO BE UTTERLY EXHAUSTED BEFORE HE CAN DELIVER YOU!

YOU COME THE END OF YOURSELF; YOU COME TO YOUR WITS END.

ONCE YOU HAVE CEASED TO STRUGGLE, HE WILL DO EVERYTHING!

GOD IS WAITING FOR YOU TO DESPAIR!

THIS IS WHERE YOU TAP INTO THE POWER OF GOD!

IT IS NOT BY MIGHT, NOT BY POWER, BUT HIS SPIRIT!

I would like to share a personal testimony with you that will help illustrate what I am saying. When I got saved in 1977, I use to smoke 2 ½ packs of cigarettes a day. The Lord began convicting me about smoking, so I tried to quit on my own. The more I tried the more I smoked. Finally in despair, I sat down in the doorstep of where I was living at the time and turned the radio on to a new Christian radio station. I was really feeling bad about not being able to quit smoking. The man who was talking on the radio spoke Ephesians 6:10: “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” When he spoke those words, it felt like a charge of electricity flowed through my body from my head down. It only last for a split second, but when it left, I no longer had a desire to smoke, and I was completely delivered from cigarettes.

REVELATION:

While “sitting” at my computer one morning, the Lord spoke these words to me:

We “sit down,” not at God’s feet, but at the feet of the TV and listen to the “gods” of this world: Oprah Winfrey, the declared new spiritual guru; Maury Povish, Montel Williams; Jerry Springer, and all the other talk show hosts, the soap operas; the movie stars; the rock stars, the psychics, the fortune tellers, the psychologists, just to name a few. We listen to everyone except the One who has the solution. We don’t take the time to come to Him, sit at His feet, and listen to Him.

In Luke 15 we find the supreme illustration of the way to please God.

“It was meet to make merry and be glad.” (Luke 15:32)

In these words Jesus reveals what is that sphere of redemption that supremely rejoices His Father’s heart.

It is not an elder brother who toils incessantly for the father, but a younger brother who lets the father do everything for him.

It is not an elder brother who always wants to be the giver, but a younger brother who is willing to be a receiver. He received his father’s restoration.

The Father’s chief delight is to give.

ILLUSTRATION: Grandparents are notorious for spoiling their grandchildren. Why? Because their delight is lavishly giving. Do the grandchildren do anything to work for this giving? Do you hear them say,” No, Grandma, no Grandpa, I can’t receive this new toy. I haven’t worked for it, I don’t deserve it. I haven’t been good enough, I can’t go to the ice cream store with you.” No! They just receive. Grandparents receive great pleasure and joy in watching their grandchildren receive from them. How do you think they would feel if their grandchildren refused their gifts?

It gives Him true joy when we just let Him give, and give, and give again to us.

He longs that we will just let Him do and do and do.

It gives Him great pleasure and joy for us to receive all that He has for us.

ILLUSTRATION: How you ever considered that and when we get to heaven that God wants to play with His children? He wants to play with His children now. When I get to heaven, I hope the Father pulls up in that chariot of fire at my mansion, and says, “Come Dan, let’s go for a ride around the universe a couple of times. There’s a planet I want to show you. We can have a picnic there. On the way back you can drive the chariot.” Sounds wild doesn’t it.

He wants to be the GIVER eternally, and He wants to be the DOER eternally.

DO YOU THINK THAT IF YOU CEASE TRYING TO PLEASE GOD YOUR BEHAVIOR WILL CEASE?

IF YOU LEAVE ALL THE GIVING AND ALL THE WORKING TO GOD, DO YOU THINK THE RESULT WILL BE LESS SATISFACTORY THAN IF YOU DID SOME OF IT?

DO WE REALLY BELIEVE THAT HE IS ABLE TO DO EXCEEDINGLY ABUNDANTLY ABOVE ALL WE CAN ASK OR THINK? (Ephesians 3:20)

It is when we seek to do it ourselves that we place ourselves back again under the Law.

Just you stop “giving” and you will prove what a Giver God is.

Stop “walking” and you will discover what a Worker God is.

The younger son was all wrong, but he came home and he found rest, and that is where the Christian life begins.

The story of the prodigal son is a picture of restoration and of the father’s joy in restoring his son. The son rested in what the father gave him.

The younger son was restored to his rightful place, right standing with his father, by receiving it from his father.

In Luke 10:38-42, we have the story of Martha and Mary.

If you know the story, Jesus comes to Martha and Mary’s house for dinner. We find Martha busy with many things and we find Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus. Martha tells Jesus to tell Mary to come and help her. What is Jesus’ reply? He asks Martha why she is too busy with a lot of things. Mary has chosen the good thing.

Where do we find Mary? Sitting at Jesus’ feet; listening to Him.

We need to be more like Mary and less like Martha.
Martha was trying to please the Lord by her “much doing.”
Mary pleased the Lord by just sitting at His feet, listening to Him. What a picture of sitting.

Although active, practical service to God is essential and good, our first and most important task is to a love and devotion that expresses itself in quiet worship, prayer and fellowship with the Lord.

Are we so busy doing the work of the Lord, attending church services and performing good deeds that we forget spiritual communion with our Lord?

“Sitting” is spiritual communion with Jesus at His feet.

It is listening to Him.
It is receiving from Him.
Service comes out of worship, out of sitting at His feet.
It is sitting at His feet and finding out what He wants to do, and then doing it with obedience.
Once we do that, we find that there is no struggle.

The Christian life begins with sitting.
You have to learn how to sit before you can Walk and Stand.
From learning how to sit you will have the power to Walk and Stand.

Satan’s main goal is get you out of your position with Christ. He knows that as long as you “sit” you will receive what you need to defeat him in your life. That’s why is uses distractions of all types. He will even convince you that church activities and much doing are what are necessary to please God. It will keep you from the important thing, sitting before God.

Have you noticed that when you want to “sit” before the Lord, it seems like there is one distraction after another? It’s not a coincidence.
Every time I get on the computer to work on teachings, or read the Bible, I start sneezing for about 5 minutes. It happens every time. It is a distraction.

In March of 2006 I got laid off from my job. I needed a rest, so I spent the next 7 months sitting before the Lord. What I am sharing with you is the result of my sitting before the Lord. I have found some notes from Watchman Nee’s book, SIT WALK STAND. When I read a book, I underline in red ink the things that stand out to me. I had put them on my computer, and each morning during my quiet time, I would read over the notes. Each day that I spent just going over my notes, little by little I would receive a little bit of insight into each section of the book. The result is what you are reading now.

Again, I emphasize putting what you learn into practice. You can read this and say what a wonderful teaching, forget it, and never experience the results for yourself.
Application is very important. Be a “doer of the Word.”

SIT WALK STAND

We are going to begin a 3 part series based on a book by Watchman Nee, titled SIT WALK STAND.

In his book, Watchman Nee teaches about 3 aspects of a Christian’s life that will are fundamental to a successful walk with the Lord, taken from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. When put into practice, you can expect to see your spiritual growth explode. Remember, it is the application of the principles that produce the results.

If the life of a Christian is to be pleasing to God, it must be properly adjusted to Him in all aspects. Too often we place the emphasis in our lives upon the application of this principle to some single detain of our behavior or of our work for Him.

Often we fail therefore to appreciate either the extent of the adjustment called for or, at times, even the point from which it should begin.

But God measures everything, from start to finish, by the perfections of His Son.
Scripture clearly affirms that it is God’s good pleasure “to sum up all things in Christ, in whom also we were made a heritage.” (Ephesians 1:9-11)

Ephesians naturally falls into two sections, a doctrinal and a practical.

The doctrinal section, chapters 1 to 3, is concerned mainly with great facts of the redemption, which God has wrought for us in Christ.

The practical section, chapters 4-6, then go on the present us with the demands, in terms of Christian conduct and zeal, that God is making upon us in the light of that redemption.

The two halves are closely related, but it will be seen that the emphasis in each is different.

Further, the second and more obviously practical half of the letter may gain conveniently be subdivided according to its subject matter into a first long section from chapter 4:1 to chapter 6:9, and a second and much shorter section from chapter 6:10 to the end.

¨ The first part deals with our life in the midst of the world.

¨ The second half deals with our conflict with the devil.

In Ephesians, we find the highest truths concerning the Christian life.

The first half of the letter reveals our life in Christ to be one of union with Him in the highest heavens.

The second half shows us in very practical terms how such a heavenly life is to be lived by us down here on the earth.

There is one key word in each section to express its central or governing idea:

¨ Ephesians 2:6 “SIT”

· This is the key to the first section and the secret of a true Christian experience.
· God had made us to “sit” with Christ in the heavenly places.
· Every Christian must begin his spiritual life from that place of “rest.”

¨ Ephesians 4:1 “WALK”

· It is used as an expression of our life in the world.
· We are challenged there to display in our Christian walk, our conduct that is in keeping with our high calling.

¨ Ephesians 6:11 “STAND”

· This is our attitude toward the enemy.
· It is expressive of our place of triumph.

KEY WORDS IN EPHESIANS:

1. OUR POSITION IN CHRIST: “SIT” (verse 2:6)
2. OUR LIFE IN THE WORLD: “WALK” (verse 4:1)
3. OUR ATTITUDE TO THE ENEMY: “STAND” (verse 6:11)

The life of the believer always presents these 3 aspects:

¨ To God
¨ To Man
¨ To the Satanic powers

To be useful in God’s hand, a man must be properly adjusted in respect of all 3:

¨ His position
¨ His life
¨ His warfare

He falls short of God’s requirements if he underestimates the importance of any one of them.

We are going to take a deeper look into each of the three and see how they interrelate.

But the most important thing is the application of the principles we are about to learn in our daily life. We can say, “What a wonderful study,’ and never get the full benefit of what we studied. It is as we put the principles into practice that we begin to get understanding. As we get understanding, and a revelation of how the principles work, that is when we will begin to see our minds transformed and our growth in spiritual maturity.

The first section we are going to study is “SIT.”