Our New Identity in Christ || Who Am I Again? || Part 5

Ephesians 2:6

NASB	NLT	VOICE
6 and raised us up with HIm, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,	6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.	6 He raised us up with Him and seated us in the heavenly realms with our beloved Jesus the Anointed, the Liberating King

Where Do We Sit?

In the context of Ephesians, Paul is addressing the transformation from spiritual death to life. Theologically, it starts our new identity and status in Christ. We commonly hear it as being born again. This section discusses our position of authority in Christ. It highlights the rest we find in Him. This all comes from being seated in Christ. 

• In ancient times: being seated with a ruler showed favor and authority 
• In the Roman Empire: being seated with a ruler signified one’s status 
• Theologically: being seated with Christ indicates our spiritual authority. 

The world sees who we’re sitting with as a sign of status. God sees it as a sign of authority. We’re right close by to have that authority. That separation is the battle between the heavenly realm and the earthly realm. Our citizenship in heaven versus our citizenship on earth. To do this with Christ highlights an important relationship, where we are linked to His death, resurrection, and ascension. Paul says that he was crucified with Christ. It is not him that lives on, but Christ lives in him and continues to live on. 

Seated with Power and Authority

We have authority over sin and the evil forces of the world through Christ. This is something that I don’t talk about enough. Or at least, it feels like I don’t talk about it enough. The same power killed Christ. It is the power that rose Christ from the dead. It ascended Christ back to the throne next to God. To me, this means that we can overcome our struggles with stress, anxiety, and depression. We can do this through the power of Christ. The Holy Spirit lives inside of us. It grants us strength, knowledge, and compassion. This power helps us overcome all evil forces that fall on our path. We can access it through prayer and study of God’s word. As we grow close to God, we seek to understand how He works in us. We also seek to know how He works through us and for us. This understanding helps us give more faith to God. As a result, we believe He will help us overcome our stress. He has the final victory over death, hell, and the grave. To God, our anxiety and depression is just the size of a mustard seed. 

Colossians 2:12

NASB	NLT	VOICE
12 having been buried with HIm in baptism, in which you were also raised with HIm through faith in the working of God, who raised HIm from the dead.	12 For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life  because you trusted the mighty power of God who raised Christ from the dead.	12 You were buried with Him beneath the waters of the ceremonial washing called baptism and then were raised up with Him by faith in the resurrection power of God, who brought Him back from the dead,

Baptism Births a New Identity

Baptism in the early church was a public declaration of faith. It showed our relationship with Christ through His death and burial. Being submerged in water shows our old self being buried. Our sinful life pre-Christ is no longer alive. Our new life through Christ is now the life we live. Just as Jesus was raised from the dead, we are raised to a new life. It’s our new identity. It’s again, as Paul states, no longer us living, but it’s Jesus that lives through us. We live this life through faith. We believe by faith that Christ died for us. We also believe that Christ rose from the dead. He ascended to heaven. We weren’t there. We didn’t see it. We believe it. We learn that this same power resides in us. It empowers us to do what God has called us to do. The resurrection is so crucial because it solidifies Jesus’ ministry. It validates His work as foretold in the Old Testament by the prophets. It is also validated through the Apostles in the Gospels. It confirms Jesus’ victory over death, and guarantees our future resurrection and eternal life. 

Our Newness Raises with Christ

We are called to live in the reality of being raised with Christ. Let’s sit with that for a moment because I feel that in a modern context – we don’t. We don’t take time to comprehend the impact of what Jesus truly did, and what God did through Christ. This shepherd went and served a death penalty on our behalf. It was our spot to be in because of our sinful behavior. But, through God’s love, He sent us His son to pay this penalty for me. This was so that we can be brought into right standing with God. Yet that sacrifice doesn’t stop there. God’s power brought Jesus back to life three days later. Death was defeated. The grave no longer contained Jesus. Jesus was resurrected back into our world, and later ascended into heaven. That power remained with us, through the power of the Holy Spirit. The guide that Jesus sent to join us in our walk and resides inside of us. With the Holy Spirit, we start a new life. We’re no longer living a life that we have been, based on earthly teachings and inner desires. We are living a life with Jesus. Our life is through Jesus. We live as a reflection of God. We carry out his teachings, principles, and love into the world for all to see. 

Above everything, remember this: I am raised with Christ and seated in heaven places.

Reflection Questions

1. Think about where you sit with friends or family for a meal or a gathering. How much time and energy do you put into choosing where you want to sit? Does it change things if you don’t get to sit where you want? 
2. Do you remember your Baptism? Share a moment of your baptism story and the feeling of being re-born through Christ.
3. Tell the story of Christ’s sacrifice, death, resurrection, and ascension. How do you share the story?

Call to Action

We have a new identity and place with Christ. In your prayer time today, sit with God about what identity means for you. How can you embrace that new identity with those around you?

Next part: Who Am I Again? #6