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trespasses being fully and for ever forgiven. Not only so, but all ordinances that were
contrary to us have been taken out of the way, nailed to His cross, spiritual foes have
been subdued, and the bondage of religious observances, which at best were but
"shadows of things to come" gives place to the complete emancipation of the believer.
So real is this "reckoning" to be in the believer's experience, that he can be addressed
thus:
"Wherefore if ye died with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why as though
living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances?"
The argument is rounded off by the positive attitude introduced by Col. 3: 1:
"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth
. . . . . set your mind on things above . . . . . for your life is hid with Christ in God",
which in its turn leads to the seventh and final rung in this ladder of reckoning and
reality, the manifestation of the believer "with Him" in glory.
The two steps therefore that await our consideration, are (1) "seated together" and
(2) "manifested with Him in glory" which must now receive the attention of our
wondering hearts.
No.9.
The Sixth Reckoning, "Made to sit together".
pp. 73 - 77
If we look at the opening of the Epistle to the Ephesians, we shall see that it is
addressed to the saints which are at Ephesus, and although these saints are blessed with
all spiritual blessings in heavenly places, they are nevertheless upon the earth surrounded
by sin and darkness, needing the exhortation to walk worthy of their calling, and to avoid
complicity with the unfruitful works of darkness. They are still conceived of as being
members of a human society, which consists of the sixfold association of husband and
wife, parent and child, master and servant, and in connexion with the child there is a
special promise which speaks of living "long on the earth". Moreover, armour is
provided against a yet future "evil day". All this must be remembered when we read in
Eph. 2: 6:
"And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ
Jesus."
We have recently had occasion to combat the idea that the calling of Hebrews is much
the same, if not identical with that of Ephesians. If occasion should demand it, we should
be quite prepared to meet such a teaching with one passage, and that the one before us.
To be seated together there where Christ sits at the right hand of God, is not only absent
from the teaching of Hebrews, but, as we shall show, contrary to its central conception.