12/10/11
Greetings,
The nature of the human spirit, particularly when considering the spiritual nature of the Christian, is truly an amazing concept. This week we are going to explore some deep spiritual implications regarding the spiritual nature and tie it in with our function as the body of Christ. We are going to pick up with a comment made by Paul in the book of Ephesians.
“And hath put all things under his [Jesus’] feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.” (Ephesians 1:22-23)
This passage is the tail end of a prayer written down by the apostle beginning in verse 16. To be honest, I recommend to everyone that this prayer be memorized and prayed on a regular basis because it is supremely powerful. Nonetheless, when we arrive at the end of the prayer we learn some important lessons.
He begins by saying that all things have been put under the feet of Jesus. This is interesting because when I look outside my window I don’t actually see the foot of Jesus stepping on anything. Do you? Of course not! So then if all things are under the feet of Jesus, where are his feet? This sounds like a silly question but I am very serious. When we read this we often immediately think: Oh that’s just an expression. Is it really? I propose that it’s much more than an expression.
If we do not regard this as an expression then we have to figure out why when we look outside of our windows we don’t see the feet of Jesus standing on everything. How does this work? The answer is that the feet of Jesus, being located in the third heaven (2 Corinthians 10:2-4), are fixed in a dimensionally superior position. Jesus has been seated in heavenly places in the third heaven at the right hand of the Father.
“which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 1:20 NKJV)
Every dimensional realm or “heavenly place” where the activity of Satan is permitted is therefore underneath the feet of Jesus.
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12 NKJV)
In order to comprehend what I’m about to tell you, it is going to require a conscious decision on your part to stretch the realms of your understanding. Going into the deeper truths of God requires a dismissal of unilateral thinking. We often try to bring the Word of God down into a framework that accommodates a practical approach. This is okay at times, but to truly walk out our inheritance involves allowing the Word of God to bring us up into a heavenly framework to accommodate a heavenly approach.
Notice that the phrase “heavenly places” is plural in both Ephesians 1:20 and Ephesians 6:12. One group of heavenly places houses wicked spirits. Another group houses Jesus and the realms of heaven. The group of heavenly places that houses Jesus is defined by the Bible as the third heaven. Therefore, beneath this realm are more heavenly places that can be understood as the second heaven. This is the spiritual realm from which Satan and his kingdom conducts their activity.
Within the respective heavens are multiple dimensions. This is why the phrase “heavenly places” is plural in both occasions. Notice that Jesus is seated in heavenly places. A single person (Jesus Christ) is said to occupy multiple dimensions. The existence that Jesus enjoys in heaven is a trans-dimensional existence. Moreover, this trans-dimensional existence extends right through the second heaven and into our world because the Bible says that Christ is in us.
“To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27)
Not only does Jesus Christ enjoy a trans-dimensional existence, but so do Christians. All humans are born as trans-dimensional entities because of the fact that we have a spirit. Our spirit participates in the spiritual realm while running our physical body on this dimensional plane. It is therefore, trans-dimensional. While we have a conscious mind (soul) and a subconscious mind (heart) we also have an unconscious mind which comes from the spiritual experiences that we have neither conscious nor subconscious awareness of. What distinguishes Christians from other people is the fact that our trans-dimensional nature extends all the way into the dimension containing the throne of God (which is the beginning and end of eternity). Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father and we are seated in Him.
“and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6 NKJV)
This is why we can come boldly to the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16). Only once we understand all of these things can we understand the passage that we began with. Here it is again:
“And hath put all things under his [Jesus’] feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.” (Ephesians 1:22-23)
The church is the body of Christ and the fullness of Him that fills all in all. Just as Jesus in His trans-dimensional identity fills all in all so that He is omnipresent, so the church corporately partakes of the omnipresent nature of Christ in the heavenly places. Doing battle with a church that has a full revelation of the power we wield corporately is what the devil is scared to death of. It is my prayer that as you meditate on this letter, you will begin to comprehend these higher concepts. There is much more that can be said on these things, but we will save that for another time.
Discussion
1. Is the church the body of Christ?
2. What does it mean to have a trans-dimensional nature?
3. Is Jesus trans-dimensional?
4. Are you trans-dimensional?
5. What does this mean for the church acting in unity?
