It is so important to know what our position is with Christ. Scripture clearly states that we have been made alive, raised together with Christ and made to sit in heavenly places. What exactly does it mean? To be raised together with Christ and to sit in heavenly places??
“even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace have ye been saved), and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus:” Ephesians 2:5-6
Raised
Used only 3 times in the New testament, the word sunegeirō, G4891 (Strong’s) means: to rouse (from death) in company with, that is, (figuratively) to revivify(spiritually) in resemblance to: – raise up together, rise with.
Such a great definition!! I think my new word is going to be “Revivify”! As you can see, “raised” in the Greek holds a pretty rich meaning. We have been roused from death WITH Jesus that we would be revived!
I want to ask you something today: What have you been raised from?
I know I was raised from a pretty low pit when Jesus came into my heart. But the ‘raising’ didn’t stop there! Jesus is constantly raising me to higher thinking and higher ways in Him!
For the believer, we come up higher with Him as we grow and mature in Him. Our carnal thinking and ways become transformed by the power of His Word and His Spirit.
We are not meant to stay dead, we are meant, in every way possible, to be raised to abundant LIFE in Him!
What I absolutely love about Ephesians 2:5-6 is that God makes it crystal clear that our raising is not a one-person show, solely dependent on our lone efforts.
Jesus, our High Priest, our Teacher, our Lord, does the raising up of us TOGETHER with Him. He is as invested in our improvement and progress just as much as we are. He comes alongside us with love, mercy and compassion!
Girls, we don’t have to do this salvation and raising up thing all alone, our Jesus comes right along side us, lifting us up with Him to heavenly places. I don’t know about you, but that encourages me so much!
Now some of you are probably thinking, “I KNOW He’s the one who does the raising, I know it is by the power of Christ that I am saved…” But can I ask you, do you live your life like you are raised up and seated in heavenly places with Christ???
How’s your behavior, how is your speech, your countenance? How’s your thinking, your prayer life, your study time? Are there still some habits and attitudes that try to hang on from the old life you once led?
I don’t just want to just know I am raised, I want to walk like I am raised!
See, it’s a little tricky here though- this is where so many people fall into legalism and come up with a list of do’s and don’t’s that stamp out the real power of God in their lives.
I know because I have done it! I want to encourage you today to go to your heavenly Father for those areas that you need to be raised up out of.
DON’T FORGET TO GRAB YOUR FREE SCRIPTURE CARDS THAT ACCOMPANY THIS STUDY! JUST FILL OUT THE FORM BELOW FOR INSTANT ACCESS!
Let Him do the heart-work in you. He is a loving Father just waiting to demonstrate His Power in your life!
Receive His Word and His Power for the changes that need to take place so that you can live a truly “raised” life! Learn to think differently, according to His Word.
Learn to submit to the instruction of His Word. Find out how to take authority over that old self that keeps trying to raise back up and remember: that old self is buried with Christ and you can choose to keep them buried!
Let’s Pray
Father, I thank You for raising me with Christ and giving me a seat in heavenly places. Thank you for the Love and Power that You have demonstrated and continue to demonstrate in my life. Raise my thinking to Your way of thinking. Raise my deeds to Your standard. Let my speech be a representation of Christ and the Good News. The old self is buried and I am raised with Christ according to Your Word. May I walk accordingly. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Dive Deeper
having been buried with him in baptism, wherein ye were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. Colossians 2:12
Words to pay attention to: buried, baptism, raised, faith, working, raised, dead
DID YOU MISS THE FIRST DEVOTIONAL IN THIS SERIES??? YOU CAN FIND IT HERE.
So encouraging to remember today that our sanctification is not a TODO list…but rather a more and more accurate representation of who we actually are. We ARE raised up with Him! Our role is to come to Him and, depending on His power at work in us, seek to know Him and His character. Then to go out and live the overflow of that in our lives. Gratefully, humbly, and with total dependence on Him. I love that you took the time to warn against the legalism which is such a temptation when we are challenged by the distance between who we ARE DECLARED TO BE and who we seem to be now.
Ruth recently posted…God is Good: Do I believe it? So what?
Well said Ruth! The overflow… YES! My season to get filled to overflowing began yesterday… I can’t get to time with Him fast enough! And thank you for your thoughts, I can tell we are very similar in certain ways of thinking!