Things Not Seen
Ephesians 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Now based on what I am reading here in Ephesians, there’s an aspect to what is described that cannot be witnessed in the natural by the eye of man, but yet it is very real indeed.
Others may witness, with their own eyes, the change that occurs in the life of a believer in Jesus no doubt. But did they see that person raised up together and seated in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus?
It is not the statement of others who knew us before we came to Christ that they witnessed us being raised from the dead. They may testify to a change they see in us, but they would not declare they saw us raised from the dead. Yet, the testimony of Scripture and heaven itself is that we were raised from the dead.
I sincerely hope you do not imagine that the Scriptures are dishonest, or only speaking of figurative things. I personally believe the Scriptures are describing spiritual realities as plainly as we tend to describe natural ones.
This is just another example of how the unseen realm of the Spirit is more real than the natural realm we are so familiar with.
This language being used in Ephesians is describing the place of authority that Jesus occupies. In that sense there are aspects of it that can be seen in the natural when believers in Jesus exercise their authority in spiritual matters. But who sees us seated with Christ in the heavenly places according to natural realities?
The only time there is any type of natural witness to what is spoken of in Ephesians is when a believer, or the church, exercises spiritual authority that manifests here on this earth.
Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Luke 10:18 And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”
You and I have authority based on Jesus’ authority and the fact that He has seen fit to grant it to us. This authority is to be used for His purposes not our own. It is yet another aspect of unseen things in the Spirit being more real than that which can be so easily seen in the natural. On occasion it manifest in the natural. But for it to do so someone must believe it to be true and exercise it here on this earth. I encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit for revelation on this matter and to walk in the spiritual authority Jesus has given to you as believer in Him. The reality of it manifesting relies on you believing you possess it. No one can use what they do not believe they possess.
