A Great Position
(Sermon Series: The Winning Way)
4. But God Who is rich in Mercy, for His great Love with which He loved us,
5. Even when we were dead in sins, has quickened us together with Christ, (by Grace you are saved);
6. And has raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7. That in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His Grace in His Kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 2:4-7
Position is God’s Wonderful Gift
Some words that are used in Western culture have multiple meanings and can cause confusion if they are taken out of context. For instance, the word “interest” has such multiple meanings. It could refer to the accrual of additional earnings on a sum of money; that is interest. Interest could also describe the level of someone’s concern in a given situation; that too is interest. There is another usage of the word that describes investigative involvement, such as a person of interest. Such usage can be confusing if the listener does not pay attention to the one using the term.
The word “position” is one that should be of interest to all believers and yet many have not grasped what that word entails. Position is more than a place, a posture, or location. When it comes to the Kingdom of God, position should be recognized first and foremost as a gift. God Who is rich in Mercy … has quickened us together with Christ. Let’s be clear about this fact. It was not you who decided you needed to change that placed you in this great position. It was not you who got yourself together. It was not you who quickened your life and placed you in the Grace of our Lord Jesus. It was not you because you were dead in your sins. You and I had no chance of getting ourselves out of the mess, much less into the Amazing Grace of Christ Jesus our Lord. God did that for us. God gifted us with a new position of being in Christ through His Mercy alone. Now, it is up to us to recognize that Gift and thank God for that Gift. As the old hymn, At Calvary declared it so eloquently:
Mercy there was great and Grace was free…
Pardon there was multiplied for me…
There my burdened soul found liberty at Calvary.
The verse does not merely say that God showed us Mercy; it declares that God is rich in Mercy and was moved with great Love. So, the greatest thing about your position is that God really wanted you to have it and that it was completely up to Him for you to obtain that Great Position.
This is the same theme that follows God’s dealings with individuals and nations in the past. It has always been God’s Rich Mercy that moved Him to place both people and nations of people into a Great Position. When we think of the patriarch Abraham, we see how God brought him from his native land of pagan worship into the place or position of promise. Abraham had nothing to offer God. He was an old man and even though he had some possessions, they could not compare with the unsearchable riches that God wanted him to receive. So why did God do that for Abraham? God did it because He was rich in Mercy, for His great Love with which He loved Abraham. God saw he had nothing, but moreover, God saw that Abram had nothing to offer except faith. Abraham simply and fully believed God and that was enough for God to move him into a Great Position. Now Abraham has the position of the father of the Faith.
In the case of the Israelite people, they too had nothing to offer God. They were slaves in Egypt with no hope of ever being rescued. But God Who is rich in Mercy, for His great Love with which He loved (them, Israel) … Even when (they) were dead in sins, God quickened them or brought them to life. Not only did He bring them out of their bondage, He also brought them into the Land of Promise. They had nothing to offer God, but they became the recipients of Abundant Mercy and were given the Land of Israel. God put them into that Great Position.
What Paul is declaring is that Gentiles have now become the recipients of God’s Amazing Grace. They never had any promise of being special, chosen, or favored, but God Who is rich in Mercy, for His great Love with which He loved (Gentiles) … Even when (they) were dead in sins, has quickened together with Christ. What does the Great Position mean?
The Meaning of the Great Position
For starters, a Great Position means you are no longer in the old place. Obviously, this is a spiritual placement or position because we know that believers who are alive today are not physically in Heaven. Yet, that Position should not be minimized because there is something more than physical placement that God has in mind.
Most of our focus has been on Ephesians 2:8-9. Certainly those verses are critical to our understanding of Free Grace. For it is by Grace that you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the Gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Those verses are so foundational to God’s Free Grace and should never be downplayed or polluted by out thinking that we could save ourselves. Yet, Paul wanted us to also know what our new position means in the Kingdom of God. It is one thing to set someone free from something, but if they are left alone, they will probably find something else that would enslave them. Based on these verses in Ephesians, God Almighty has four purposes for the Believers’ Great Position. First is Unification, to bring them together in Christ. Second is Preservation or to keep them safe. Third is Authorization to give them power or authority. Fourth is Presentation, to present them as evidence of His Grace for all eternity.
What greater place can a believer be in rather than in Christ? While we are not in Heaven physically, we are united in Christ spiritually. We will never be and can never be severed from that relationship. God unified us with Christ Jesus. Note, it is with Christ and not just near Christ. Where He sits, you sit. Where He dwells, you dwell. Whatever position Christ is in, there the believer will be. This is that prepared place that Jesus spoke of in John 14. God Almighty has raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. God can now love us as much as He desires. God can bless us beyond measure because whatever would be given to Jesus is now shared with us. We are with Him and will remain united with Him.
In Christ, we also share in God’s Preservation. This means we are safe from all corruption, which includes the past sins. Rather than being in a place that was subject to spoilage, leakage, or waste, we are in Christ Jesus, our Lord. God made us sit together in Heavenly Places in Christ. The threats to my soul are now covered by the protective care of God’s Holy Spirit. The important thing is for the believer to recognize that they are in a Great Position and to be fruitful in that Position.
One of the verses in the Bible that gets me excited is found in Job 1:8. To paraphrase the verse, Satan wanted to afflict Job but could not because God had a hedge of protection around Job, his household, and God had blessed him in every way. Did you hear that, God had blessed Job and had put a protective shield around him. It was only when the devil was granted permission that he could do anything to the man and then he was prevented from taking Job’s life. Isn’t that amazing! Well, you are in an even greater position than Job. You are seated in the very presence of God. Your Amazing God has raised (you) up together, and made (you) sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Please know that you might be tempted. Please note that you might be tried. Please understand that you may even be troubled, but you can never be destroyed because you are in a Great Position.
But that is not all. You are in this Great Position because God wanted you to have authority as a Child of God. You are made to sit together in Heavenly Places in Christ Jesus. Well, where does Jesus sit? He sits on the Throne in Glory. Note please, the verse does not say seated near Him; it says we are seated in Christ Jesus. Yes, you have been given authority. Such authority is not to be used on frivolous things. As a matter of fact, you can only access your authority through the Holy Spirit. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the children of God. Romans 8:14. Based on this Great Position, the decision I now make should reflect where I am seated. Everything I do, say, or think should now represent my new position as being seated with Christ.
In my former position as CEO of a community action program, I very quickly realized how much I needed God’s direction. Nearly all of the programs are grossly underfunded and yet the grantors wanted these programs to work miracles. I learned early on that my first order of business was to get on my knees every day and ask God for direction. That was exactly how I performed my duties. Your order of business as God’s Child is to always ask Jesus to show you how to use your authority for His Glory.
There is one final purpose that we should always recognize that everything is ultimately for God’s Glory. Nothing will ever achieve its highest purpose until it reflects God’s Glory. Our Great Position is not only for Unification, for Preservation, and for Authority; your Great Position is also for Presentation. God will present everyone who is in Christ as His display of Mercy and Love. Yes, God has raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. The ultimate question is why was such Great Mercy shown? Paul gives this wonderful answer. That in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His Grace in His Kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. At some point in the future, that is the ages to come, God will place all the Redeemed on Display. Heaven will become a show room for God’s Glory. All of Creation will see the Amazing Power of God’s Grace. If I could title the show, I would give it this title: It is All For God’s Glory. The Star of the Show is Jesus Christ, the Lord of Glory. The Producer of the Show is the Holy Spirit who did the work of bringing the Saints into the Fulness of God’s Power. Also starring with Jesus are those He loved and gave Himself for them, the children of God. At that point, the Redeemed of God will sing to the Glory of God. All of Heaven will erupt in praise as they witness the exceeding riches of His Grace in His Kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. God Almighty will be the Honoree and the One being Praised with the Highest Praise. The Good News is that this display will have no ending. We will give God thanks forever and ever.
Isn’t that wonderful news? So, now you know what it means to have that Great Position in Christ Jesus. You really are a winner even if you don’t feel like it.