Bible Tidbit, You're Seated In Heaven To Do Something Ephesians 2:6,7,10
July 23, 2013
It seems to me that Ephesians 2:8-9 is parenthetical and proverbial. That is, he's stating a general principle about God's grace, that it is received by faith not works. He's not talking specifically about the Ephesians being saved but is making a general point about how salvation comes.
The main point is contained in Ephesians 2:6-7 and 10:
Ephesians 2:6-7 (NIV) "And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness ("beneficial kindness" per Jonathan Mitchell NT.) to us ( Not "to us" but "upon us" which is what it literally says, or "through us." gm) in Christ Jesus....10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
The point being that God has raised us up and seated us with Christ in the heavenly realms to do something. To bring God's grace, demonstrated through beneficial kindness upon us, towards people in need.
This seating at the right hand of God, this grant of authority to those in Christ, allows us to show the riches of God's grace by kindly benefiting those in need, through healing, deliverance, rescue, salvation, etc. Just as the disciples did in the Gospels after Jesus gave them authority.
We've been seated in Christ, in the place of ultimate authority, so that we can show the world the incomparable riches of God's grace, His loving kindness, by doing these works which he has prepared for us to do.
That's pretty much the theme of the book of Ephesians.