Friday, February 9, 2024
Two-Realm Living
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. (Ephesians 1:3 NLT)
A Christian is someone who lives in two dimensions. There is the spiritual dimension, and as we walk in the Spirit, we know God in the Spirit. Yet we live on the earth. And we need to transfer what we have in the spiritual realm to the earthly realm.
The apostle Paul wanted believers to know what was waiting for them in the spiritual realm. He wrote, “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ” (Ephesians 1:3 NLT).
When Paul spoke of the heavenly realms, he wasn’t talking about something that is merely waiting for us in Heaven. He was talking about the supernatural realm.
For example, when I travel outside the United States, I still maintain my citizenship as an American, but I am living in the culture of the country I’m visiting. There are things that I need to adapt to. I need to exchange dollars for the currency of that nation. And I need to be aware of the exchange rate so that I know how much I’m spending.
Spiritual resources are waiting for the believer who is walking with God. Although there are treasures in the heavenly realms, there are resources that God wants us to start using here.
As Christians, we often don’t know all that God has given to us. We don’t know the resources that He has placed into our spiritual bank accounts.
For example, we sometimes pray for things that God has already given to us. We might say, “Lord, give me more love,” when the Bible says that God “has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love” (Romans 5:5 NLT).
We might pray for more power, yet 2 Peter 1:3 tells us that “by his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life” (NLT).
Maybe we have prayed for peace, but Jesus already has said, “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid” (John 14:27 NLT).
It is not a matter of needing more; we need to use what we already have. We need to stop living like spiritual paupers and start laying hold of what God has given to us. When we put our faith in Jesus Christ, we have God’s approval. He has adopted us, loves us, has chosen us, and has called us.
Therefore, we don’t have to sit around doubting our salvation every other day, feeling defeated and unworthy. We never were worthy and never will be worthy. It is not about worthiness; it is about Jesus and what He has done for us.
You and I don’t have to do X, Y, and Z to gain the approval of God. Rather, we need to understand what God has done for us and let it impact the way that we live.
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