Eagles' Wings, and Then the Wilderness

God has several goals for His Church. We shall be discussing some of the goals later in this essay. Before we do we would like to point out the manner in which God accomplishes the goals He has established for His saints.

Starting at the top.

And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ: (Ephesians 2:6)

The elect start at the Throne of God—as high as it is possible to go in the Kingdom. Then they must go back and work through each aspect of redemption one step at a time.

By faith we begin at the top, the summit of the new Jerusalem. Then faith is worked out in our thoughts, our words, and our actions. If we do not press forward in faith until our personality is a new creation, our original position in Christ is placed in jeopardy.

By grace, by the Lord's deliberate action, we are placed spiritually on the highest throne. It is possible, however, to pervert God's grace into lawlessness and immorality.

For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness [immorality], and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. (Jude 1:4)

We start at the right hand of the Father spiritually. Then we obey God until what we are in total personality is identical to our spiritual assignment.

What we have initially, when we first receive the Lord Jesus, is a "firstfruits" of redemption. Because the firstfruits is holy, having been offered to the Lord, the rest of our personality and our household, are holy to the Lord. As soon as the firstfruits has been received, God begins the work of judging (reaping) the remainder of our personality and also, in many instances, our household.

Notice the exalted position of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: (Ephesians 1:20,21)

The Lord Jesus can be brought no higher. He is "far above" every other authority. The Father has given Him all authority, all power in Heaven, on the earth, and under the surface of the earth in the dark caverns located there.

Jesus is on the highest throne. All things are being put beneath His feet by the Father.

Then, a remarkable statement is made by the Apostle Paul.

Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us [hath made us alive] together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ: (Ephesians 2:5,6)

When we were dead in our sins, God gave us the resurrection life by which the Lord Jesus lives, and then made us part of His ascension so we are seated on the unbelievably high throne of the Lord Jesus.

To be continued.