When Christ was raised, in God’s mind I was raised with Him. Many translations rightly use the words “together with,” as that is the impact of the Greek word used. For example, “And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together” (AMP). So here we have three stages of one amazing event: God made us alive, raised us up, and gave us seating together with Christ. That is powerful, and my experience suggests that very few Christians get the greatness of God’s statements here. These truths are far removed from the saying, “Only a sinner saved by grace.” In fact they are the opposite. I was a sinner and I was saved by grace, that is past tense. I am a saint and I am seated with Christ, that is present tense. Here’s how Ruth Paxson describes it in a book that taught me so much [The Wealth, Walk, and Warfare of the Christian], 1:20 “He set him at his own hand in the heavenly places.” As you well know, “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain… And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins” (I Corinthians 15:14,17). No wonder the early church preached constantly the resurrection of Jesus Christ. They taught the message of the Cross too, but the Cross without the Resurrection is meaningless. So even though nearly 2,000 years were to go by before you and I came on earth’s scene, God knew we would be here and took you and Peter Wade and gave us seating at His right hand in the heavenlies. “Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah. Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6,7 MSG). — Peter Wade. 
Easter Sunday is known to many as Resurrection Day. We celebrate with Christians worldwide this glorious, history-changing event when Jesus was raised from the dead. Paul’s revelation in Ephesians gives us the background story. “
2:6 “He made us to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”
Dare we believe this glorious truth that He who went down to the very deepest depths of sin for us now carries us up to the very highest heights of glory with Him? That is hardly the way to put the question. Dare we not believe it? God has written both of these truths in His word and, if we do not believe the latter, we do not really believe the former. God has said it, and to disbelieve is to make God a liar.
“Made us sit together.”–Seated; how restful and relaxed it sounds! Yet how many of us are most of the time anything but that, but rather buzzing around in a fretful, feverish fashion which is far more earthly than heavenly in the impression it makes upon the world about us.
Loved this article. It was just what I was looking for, a timely word in season. Thank you Peter.
EXCELLENT article, Peter. THANK YOU and Happy Resurrection Day to you and Vivien (a wee bit late) but we celebrate HE IS RISEN EVERYDAY! Wonder why it seems easier for people to believe the first part rather than the second of Ruth Paxson’s very powerful statement? “Dare we believe this glorious truth that He who went down to the very deepest depths of sin for us now carries us up to the very highest heights of glory with Him? That is hardly the way to put the question. Dare we not believe it? God has written both of these truths in His word and, if we do not believe the latter, we do not really believe the former. God has said it, and to disbelieve is to make God a liar.”