In the last chapter we saw that Christ is our Representative. His victory is our victory. We saw that there are two main suggested “paths to holiness” by those who disciple Christians. One is to have believers begin to observe carefully their conduct and measure their spiritual progress by the law. We saw that this, while it may develop a type of forced holiness, will often lead to spiritual failure, discouragement, and defeat. For those who can muster strong discipline, it often leads to legalism, self-righteousness, and pride.
The second path is to know who we are “in” or”with” Christ and to know that we have died with Christ to the law and the law no longer has any negative claim on us.1 Its claim on us ended in the tomb when we were buried “with Christ”. Now, we serve God “in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.” Following the path of the Spirit actually achieves a certain degree of righteousness in us to the moral principles of Scripture.2
When we are placed “into Christ” by the Holy Spirit, there is a spiritual movement that takes place that has profound implications. We need to understand our new position “in Christ” so that we may actuate the many blessings that come from this new position. The moment we are placed “into Christ” by the work of the Holy Spirit, Christ, through the Holy Spirit, is placed “into us”. This mutual indwelling promised by Christ in John 17 is now possible. The Holy Spirit will now begin the work of sanctification—changing us from our sinful ways into obedient sons and daughters of God.
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them (Eph. 2:8-10).
Before we can fully understand our new position “in Christ” it is necessary to understand where Christ is and the implications that flow from His position.
Christ is seated at the Father’s right hand
During Jesus’ trial, in answer to questions if He was the Christ, He said,
But from now on THE SON OF MAN WILL BE SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND of the power of God (Lk. 22:69).
His answer reflects Psalm 110:1.
The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”
In Ephesians 1:18-23 Paul expresses the deep desire that we might fully understand what it means to us to know that the Father has seated Christ at His right hand, the position of power.
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all (Eph. 1:18-23).
Let us itemize why Paul feels it is so important for us to know that Christ is seated at the Father’s right hand.
The eyes of your heart have been enlightened, so that:
- …you will know what is the hope of His calling, the future blessings that are now ours “In Christ”
- …what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints. Christ was glorified at the cross when he sank to the bottom of humility to reflect the great grace and love of the Father. We are glorified when in good times and bad, even in the most humiliating circumstances, we reflect the love of Christ to others.
- …what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. Paul wants us to understand the surpassing greatness of the Father’s power toward us. He would not urge this if it were not the case that some, perhaps many, believers did not understand this. There is a good likelihood that many of us today do not comprehend the greatness of the Father’s power toward us.
It is vital that we recognize that Christ is seated at the Father’s right hand, the position of power, and that He is above all rule, authority, power, and dominion. The Father’s right hand is the command center for the Christian life. It is the source of all spiritual power. The Father’s right hand is to be the focus of our attention.
Our position “in” and “with” Christ
A few verses later in his letter to the Ephesians Paul gives us an amazing insight.
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:1-7).
Here Paul has in view the expanded truth of the resurrection. It was at that time that Christ was raised up and seated with the Father. If we have been placed into Christ, then it can be said that we too, were raised up with Christ and seated with Him in heaven. If we are to realize all the blessings in the relationship of mutual indwelling recorded in John 14-17 there are two concepts that we must understand. First, we must discover how these spiritual blessings are actualized. In other words, if these blessings are now “in” or “with” Christ at the Father’s right hand waiting for us, what must we do to realize them?
Second, we need to discover what blessings are ours that are associated with our being seated “with Christ” at the Father’s right hand. For example, when people receive their earthly inheritance, the first thing they want do is to read the last will and testament to see what is willed to them and then take inventory. Only then will they be able to access the full inheritance.
Set your mind on things above
We now turn to the key text for understanding how to apply “in Christ” truths to our lives.
Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory (Col. 3:1-4).
An understanding of the above reference is essential for accessing all of the “in” and “with” Christ truths that will be enumerated in this and the following chapter. The first thing we must know is that we have been raised up with Christ. The verb is aorist passive. This event took place at the instant we were placed “into Christ” by the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the moment of saving faith. This was purely an act of God’s grace in accordance with His mercy and love.
Next, we are to “keep seeking” —an ongoing, continuing activity. But what are we to seek?Answer: “the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” The “things” above are neuter in Greek which tells us these “things” are not persons. Therefore, these things cannot refer to the Godhead otherwise they would be rendered in the masculine gender.
These “things” are situated where Christ is, at the right hand of the Father and that is where we are!3 We “have died with Christ and our life is hidden with Christ in God.” This leads us to conclude that the “things” we are to “keep seeking” are the blessings that are ours “in” and “with” Christ. We are to set our mind on these things and not on things that are on the earth.
And put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another (Eph. 4:24-25).
The apostle Peter using different terminology teaches the same truth.
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust (2 Pet. 1:2-4).
Peter states that God’s divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness. How do we actuate these gifts? We do this by applying “His precious and magnificent promises.” The result, according to Peter, is that we actually become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.
By focusing on “in Christ” truths and the precious and magnificent promises made to believers, we are changed into Christ’s likeness.
Abraham became a prototype of saving faith when he believed God, not on the basis of his own ability to perform, but on God’s power to fulfill His own promise. He believed what God declared. As we saw in Romans 4, Paul applied this concept to the believer. In other words, the things above where Christ is, seated at the right hand of the Father, are the many “in Christ” blessings. As God sees us in Christ, these “in Christ” truths are present realities to the Father. Just as Abraham believed God’s declaration that he would be a father of a multitude of nations, so we are to believe the many “in Christ” truths and precious and magnificent promises of God’s word. Abraham’s productive faith was based solely upon God’s promise and God’s power. He had no faith that He and Sarah could perform. It was impossible from his perspective. In the same way, we are to accept God’s word and believe His declaration about the “in” and “with” Christ truths. Transforming faith brings the future into the present. So when we read about receiving “every spiritual blessing”, we set our mind on the present reality that we are seated in heaven “in Christ” at the Father’s right hand and have already received “every spiritual blessing”
In other words, the believer is to take his frame of mind and to fill it with reflection on what he is and has in Christ. Not only is it a cognitive process but in Colossians 3:2 it involves the assurance that the heavenly things thought about will be the means of gaining victory over the sin nature.4
In Colossians the stream of Paul’s thought moves from “the hope laid up for you” in heaven to the completeness we have in Christ.5 Then he speaks about religious practices involving food, drink, festivals, new moons, and Sabbath days, as well as the worship of angels, and visions which undermine one’s complete standing in Christ. These, he states, “are of no value against fleshly indulgence.”6
Sandwiched between the legalistic religious practices mentioned above which don’t work in controlling the sinful nature, we find the key text on accessing the “in Christ” truths mentioned above in Colossians 3:1-4. Here we are told to keep seeking the things above at the right hand of God. Then immediately after this important section the thought moves to a segment describing personal victory over evil desires.
Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry (Col. 3:5).
After this list of sins, he says,
…and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth (Col. 3:7-8).
Paul urges his readers to understand gospel transformation.
…lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth (Eph. 4:22-24).
We find the same order in Peter’s teaching. After he mentions the importance of God’s precious and magnificent promises that bring to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, only then does he admonish us in personal holiness.
Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kind-ness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 1:5-8).
If we do not have this experience in life Peter makes it clear what is wrong.
For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins (2 Pet. 1:9).
When we forget what God has done for us, then God’s power to work in us is muted.
Personal sanctification comes after we consider the members of our earthly body as dead. We do this by “playing” in our position “in” and “with” Christ.
For example, in football each player is assigned a position in which he is to play. Success for the team comes only if every player understands his position and plays in that position. In the same way we as Christians must understand that our position is “in” and “with” Christ at the Father’s right hand. Then if we “play” -focus our attention on the “in” and “with” Christ truths and the precious and magnificent promises—we will experience the mutual indwelling promised by Christ in John 14-17.
Blessings of being “in” and “with” Christ
Most of us have never and will never win a multimillion dollar lottery. The odds are against us. That is why I don’t play. However, in the spiritual realm there are no odds. We have won! The foundational blessing we referenced above in Ephesians 2:1-7 is that we are seated with Christ in heaven at the Father’s right hand. That is our position and from that position flows a multitude of benefits.
At this point we will consider one of the many positional blessings of being “in Christ”, then we will review how to access this and other blessings. In the next chapter we will explore many other positional blessings, present possessions, and declarations of the precious and magnificent promises made to believers as our Father shows us the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us “in Christ Jesus”.
Every spiritual blessing
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Eph. 1:3).
“Has blessed” is in the aorist tense indicating it was done at a point in time-for us it was the instant we were placed “into Christ”! This is news that is almost too big and too good to be comprehended! We—this means you and I—have been blessed with every spiritual blessing “in Christ”. These blessings are for “us” and are only for those who have been placed “into Christ”
What are these spiritual blessings? The context of Ephesians tells us that they are found “in Christ” , have their origin with the Father and are mediated to us by the Holy Spirit. Specifically they include, but are not limited to the following:
- We are chosen “in Christ” —God desires us to be His (v. 4).
- God’s purpose for us is that we would be holy and blameless—His purpose will be fulfilled (v.4).
- We are predestined to be adopted as sons (and daughters)—we are now members of the heavenly family (v.5).
- We now have redemption—the price has been paid which set us free from the bondage of sin and the condemned family of Adam (v.7).
- We have forgiveness of sins—based upon the riches of the Father’s grace which he lavished upon us (v.7).
- In wisdom and insight the Father has made known to us the mystery of His will—we know the plans which He has for us “in Christ” (v.9).
- We have acquired our inheritance—not something we earned, but because our Father willed it so (v. 11).
- We are sealed by the Holy Spirit—the personal guarantee of our inheritance (v. 13).
- We are now God’s own possession (v.14)!
How to set your mind on things above
We receive these blessings as we set our mind on things above.
In Colossians 3:2 the term used is a mental term. Translations that include “mind” in their text are only partially right in their translation. In the New Testament there are two roots that describe the action of the mind. These roots occur in a wide variety of forms. One involves the use of the mind in taking experience and making its knowledge a part of the mind and memory. The other term describes the activity of the mind by which it processes information and by which it uses the processed information. Some call this intuitive thinking. A better description of the meaning is that it involves the reflection of the mind on the data with which it has to work. It is the thinking process that takes a thought and evaluates it from every angle by bouncing it around in the brain attempting to consider it from every aspect…In other words, the believer is to take his frame of mind and to fill it with reflection on what he is and has in Christ. Not only is it a cognitive process but in Colossians 3:2 it involves the assurance that the heavenly things thought about will be the means of gaining victory over the sin nature. [cf. context]. Grammar requires that reflective thinking is to be the habitual activity for the believer.7
We have only scratched the surface of the many “in” and “with” Christ truths and gospel declarations. These will be developed in the next chapter. However, now is the time to make these blessings our own. Go back, read the bulleted points again, meditate upon these truths. Read Ephesians 1 in your Bible. Believe what God has declared. As we do this the Holy Spirit will work out in our lives the fruit of the Spirit. He is assigned the task of taking from Christ and delivering these blessings to us.
But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you (Jn. 16:13-15).
Endnotes
- The new covenant law of Christ continues to have a positive function in the Christian life. It still points out sin and gives us the perfect standard of love.
- So that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit (Rom. 8:4).
- Eph. 2:6.
- Spurbeck, p. 17.
- “In Him you have been made complete” (Col. 2:10).
- Col. 2:23.
- Spurbeck, p. 17, 18. I highly recommend David K. Spurbeck’s book, The Christian “in Christ”. See page 18 for publisher’s information.
- 10. Know Where You Are - May 21, 2026
- 9. Representation—I Did It “In Him” - May 14, 2026
- 8. Abraham: Prototype of Saving Faith - May 7, 2026