Lords Supper: Ephesians 2

Ephesians chapter 2, and you are dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience, among whom we all once lived, in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ, by grace you've been saved, and raised us up with him, and seated us with him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace and kindness towards us, in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Therefore, remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called the uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands, remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world. But now, in Christ Jesus, you who once were far off, far off, have been brought near by the blood of Christ, for he himself is our peace, who has made us both one, and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God, in one body, through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.

And he came and preached peace to you who are far off, and peace to those who are near, for through him we both have access, in one spirit, to the Father. So then, you are no longer strangers and aliens, but our fellow fellow citizens, with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him, you also are being built together, into a dwelling place for God, by the Spirit.

A dwelling place for God. Well, some men can come and hand out the drink and the bread. If you're visiting today, and you're a Christian, and you've obeyed the command to believe on Christ, and the command to be baptized, you're welcome to partake with us of these symbols, as we as one body, partake of these symbols together, and remember it's what Christ has done.

Well, a quick thought here, as I was reading this, I thought, you know what, let me try to give a brief thought on verse 6. Verse 6 has kind of been one of the most complicated verses for me in this passage. He raised us up with him, and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Seated us in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

Paul just talked this way in chapter 1, and then he also talks this way in Colossians. He says in Colossians, if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. It doesn't mention us being seated there with him, but we see that in Ephesians 2. And in Colossians, he says, if you've been raised, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

So Paul is not saying our body is already in heaven, right? This is not the idea that your body, my body, is in heaven, and it's in two places. It's not the point. It's not what he's getting at.

That'd be confusing. There wouldn't be comfort there. He's not saying your suffering is unreal, because, well, you're ultimately seated in the heavenly, so what happens here is not really real at all.

He's not saying that. Paul's not saying the battle's over, right? You and I live in the here and the now, and the battle is really going on, right? We're in a war, right? Now as Christians, the battle is not over. But he is saying your life, my life, is joined upon conversion spiritually to Christ, and we're seated in Christ.

There's a positional reality that's true as a Christian. And maybe the way to think about it that helps me to maybe get some encouragement from it, is I'm a soldier, and I'm on the battlefield, right? And there's a battle going on, and I feel it. There's temptations.

There's suffering. There's discouragement. The smoke is still thick in the air.

The danger is real. I'm hearing shots. All of that, but word has come from the capital, and the king, I've heard, is on the throne.

He's now seated on the throne. The decisive victory has already been won. The outcome of the war is no longer in doubt, right? The war is going to be won.

And so here, we're in the battlefield, and we're hearing this reality. Christ is seated in the heavenlies. We're seated there with Him.

A spiritual reality. That should encourage you and me, positionally, as we're fighting here in the midst of the battle, that the decisive victory, the war, it's not, there's no ifs, ands, or buts. The war is won by the Lord.

And so the soldier, who's still in the battle, is not fighting to decide the war. I'm not laboring as a Christian to decide my position in Christ. I'm laboring and fighting because the victory has already been won and already secured.

And that is so important in the Christian life. So important to get this. You're still on earth.

You still battle sin. You still face temptation. You still suffer.

You still feel all manner of weakness. But in Christ, your place has already been settled. The king is seated, and because you're in him, God says you're seated with Him.

And so this is a way to remember it. You don't fight for a seat. You're not fighting to get a seat.

You fight from a seat. You're already seated with Him. And so it's not a matter of, I'm fighting to get this seat because He's already put me in the seat.

He's already positionally put me in Christ. The victory is already won. Now I'm actually fighting every day as a Christian because victory has already been decided.

And that's what Paul's getting at in Romans 6, even, about considering yourself dead to sin. We're not fighting to earn a place in heaven. In Christ, your place has already been secured.

And so understanding this positional reality is huge because he says here in verse 10, we're His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works. Well, I got to go do good works this week. But what's driving my motive to do good works? I'm not fighting for a seat in heaven.

I'm already seated with Christ in the heavenlies. I'm already spiritually in Him. I've already been grafted into Him.

And I'm living this life as a Christian in view of those realities that are already true. I'm not suffering as though heaven is still undecided, but heaven is already spoken. The Lord has already claimed me as His own and has seated me in the heavenlies.

I'm already alive with Christ, raised with Christ. And that's why Paul says, if then you have been raised, if you know this is true, that you've already got positional victory and you're in Christ and He's seated you in the heavenlies, if you know this is true, then seek the things that are above. So that's actually the motive for the seeking of God and living out the Christian life is what He's already done for us in Christ.

And so is the battle real? Yeah, you and I are gonna face battles this week that are pretty real. Spiritual warfare that's not fake. And it doesn't help to think, well I'm already seated somewhere physically.

No, I'm not already seated somewhere physically. I'm here physically wrestling against the passions of my flesh that wage war against my body. But there has already been a decisive victory through Christ on the cross and positionally in the spiritual realm I am seated and in Christ and in co-air with Him in the heavenly places and therefore I battle in view of that reality.

My place is settled. I'm not fighting for a seat this week or next week, this year or next year. I'm fighting from a seat that was already given to me.

I'm not fighting for a position. I already have a position in Christ and that's what motivates us in the Christian life to wage war with great confidence. So brethren, that's what this is pointing to what Christ has done.

He's given his body. He's been crushed for us. He shed his blood for us.

His body and his blood for us and that's that's where we have victory. So brethren, let's let's eat this and drink this in remembrance of what Christ has done. Father, we thank you for your patience with us when there's times we question that reality of our position in you.

Lord, unbelief can get the best of us. We can struggle with assurance. Lord, I'm thankful you keep you keep speaking truth to us from your word about what you've done.

Lord, this isn't about what we have done. It's not about what we've accomplished. Lord, nothing in my hands I bring is simply to the cross I cling.

Naked come to thee for dress. Savior clothe us or we die. Lord, foul I to the fountain fly.

Lord, you are the fountain. You're the only river that satisfies. Lord, we just thank you for what you've done.

Thank you for shedding your blood for sinners like us. Lord, we're thankful this isn't some musical chairs game where there's not enough seats and someone gets left out and has to walk away. Lord, we're thankful that we have a secure seat in you.

Lord, help us to believe what's true of us positionally. That there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. Lord, if we really believe there's no guilt, what sort of people ought we to live? Even in the midst of our failures and our sins and the times that we've been like Peter and denied you.

Lord, help us help those who are in that place right now, if any, be there to remember the blood. To remember they aren't fighting for a seat. You've succeeded them or they've been raised.

Lord, help them to live and view those mighty, incredible realities. So we just thank you for your great mercy towards us today. Lord, as we sing these songs, I just pray you'd feed our souls as we address one another with hymns, songs, and spiritual songs.

Lord, that we'd seen them from a heart that loves you. Lord, help our motives be pure. Lord, deliver us from the fear of man.

It is a snare. It lays a snare. Lord, what account is man? Lord, we just have mere breath in our nostrils and we're gone.

Lord, help us to fear you. I ask this in Christ's name. Amen.

Amen. Well, let's sing, brethren.