Humans are spiritual people. Whether natural (unregenerated) or born again, people have an existence that transcends the body.
Here we discuss the spiritual location of believers.
Heavenly Places
As a believer in Jesus Christ, you may not realize the spiritual nature of your transformation. You go about your life. You feel God’s presence in your life. The Holy Ghost might fill you. We should thank God for our relationship with him.
Did you know that your salvation adds an extra dimension to your life?
As spiritual beings, we have a spiritual presence in a world we cannot see. Unbelievers have a spiritual existence in darkness. Satan runs their spiritual world. Jesus changes things when you accepted the new birth.
Heavenly Places
We physically exist in earthly places, but we have a presence in the unseen spirit world. Salvation not only saves your soul, but it changes your spiritual condition.
Look at what the Bible says.
We are blessed in heavenly places
Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly [places] in Christ:
Ephesians 1:3
Our Lord Jesus Christ blessed us in heavenly places. We are there right now. As God’s children, our spiritual situation has markedly improved.
We are in the same place as Jesus right now
Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set [him] at his own right hand in the heavenly [places],
Ephesians 1:20
God’s right hand is in heavenly places. We sit where Jesus sits.
Believers share a common spiritual presence in heavenly places.
Ephesians 2:6
And hath raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit together in heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus:
Right now, we are together with Jesus. Once, our sin separated from God. Our spirits lived in satanic darkness. Now, we have the privilege of sharing the same space with Jesus.
Why are we in heavenly places right now?
To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly [places] might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
Ephesians 3:10
Our spiritual awareness that comes from our actual presence in heavenly places makes us conscious of the reality of the principalities and powers that operate in the spiritual realm.
Spiritual Warfare in heavenly places
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places].
Ephesians 6:12
Here, the Bible renders the underlying words for “heavenly places” in Ephesians as “high places.”
We are fighting where our spirits are: heavenly places.
Fortunately, we have some allies in the fight:
And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
Revelation 12:7
More than one power exists in heavenly places. As I before mentioned, salvation translates us within a spiritual dimension. For us, for the Church, we have access to great wisdom and power in a spiritual dimension.
The unity of all God’s people in heavenly places
Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, [art] in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
John 17:20-22
Jesus prayed all believers would be one. This includes those of the past, present and future. How does this happen? We are all seated in “heavenly places.”
Think about what Apostle Paul says in Hebrews 12:1:
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Hebrews 12:1
How are we compassed about with witnesses? It’s in the spiritual realm. All believers exist there, and all believers have the benefits of the experiences of saints of old. We also have the benefits of the presence of Jesus.
If you’ve accepted the New Birth, I want you to open your heart and mind to your spiritual dimension. Right now, you are seated in God’s presence. Accept it. Harness it. Let your standing in the heavenly places give you strength, guidance, wisdom, and everything you need for this life and the next.
