The Exalted Session of Christ
Our loving God who elected and redeemed us—what is His earnest will for us this morning? I believe He tells us through the apostle Paul that, more than anything, He wants us to know what a great salvation He has given us. We know that when we “HIP”: the hope of our calling, our inheritance, and the power. We are trying to grasp the power of God. This is so important that in Philippians, Paul made it his daily life ambition, saying, “I want to know His resurrection power,” and that is why his life was so powerful and fruitful. Do you seek to know this power daily?
Paul, after stating the characteristics of this power—its excellence, which is the exceeding greatness of His power, and that it is not a dormant, sleeping power—points to its working efficacy. It is according to the working of the strength of His might; it is an efficient, working, active, and accomplishing power. Thirdly, he points to the recipients of this power: it is power to us who believe. Power can be experienced only by those who continually exercise their faith.
Then, to give us further understanding of this power, Paul tells us in verse 20 about the One in whom the power was exercised and manifested. Verse 20 says it is the power which He worked in Christ. He then lists four specific divine acts in which the power was exercised and manifested:
- He raised Him from the dead.
- He set Him at His right hand in the heavenly places.
- He put all things under Him.
- He gave Him to be head to the Church.
These four acts are Resurrection, Session, Exaltation above all, and the Headship of the church. Why only these four acts? Because the first step of the humbled Christ’s glorification was His resurrection.
We saw how it was manifested in His person; first, the Son of God emptied Himself and became fully dependent on the Father. Secondly, He was emptied and humbled so He could be united to His people. So, all He does and all He is as Christ is for His people. If you want to experience this power, never forget this formula: He is me, and I am He. Then we saw the power in His first act, the resurrection, by breaking the power of His extraordinary death and bringing Him to life with an extraordinary resurrection. Not only will He live forever with great authority, but all those who believe will rise like Him; His resurrection is their resurrection.
Today, let us look at the second divine act in verses 20b and 21. We climb higher in this Mount Everest of scripture. Verse 20 says: “…which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.”
We see four things in this verse:
- Act: Seated Him at the right hand.
- Location: In the heavenly places.
- Position: Far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named.
- Duration: Not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
So this is ALPD—Advanced Learning of Power Demonstration: Act, Location, Position, and Duration. Grasping this will make us understand the power of God working in our lives to bring us to our inheritance.
Okay, first, the Act: Seated at the right hand. There are two things to consider: the truth of Christ being seated and the meaning of Christ being seated.
Regarding the truth of Christ being seated: the same Christ who was equal to God, who was emptied and made Christ, who was united to His people, and who lived, died, and was crucified—taken from a Roman cross and placed in the tomb of Joseph—came out of that tomb breaking the power of death. With an extraordinary resurrection, that same Jesus ascended to heaven and was made to sit at the right hand of the Father in heaven.
The truth of Christ’s session is an important truth of His work for us, and our eternal salvation depends on this truth. How do we know Christ sat down at the right hand of God? We know He rose from the dead because the apostles were eyewitnesses. We know He ascended because they saw it with their own eyes. But how do we know He sat down at the right hand of God? We know because of the testimony of the scriptures and the Holy Spirit coming as an experiential reality to confirm His session.
The session of Christ was a prophesied event in the Old Testament. Psalm 110:1 says: “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.'” Daniel 7:13 says: “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”
Our Lord Himself foretold this during an amazing situation; in His Sanhedrin trial, the High Priest asks Him under oath by the living God to tell if He is the Christ, the Son of God. Matthew 26:64 says: “Jesus said to him, ‘It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power.'” Even in His humble state, our Lord was very conscious as Christ that His ultimate destiny was not simply to rise to heaven, but to sit down at the right hand of the power of God.
The apostles make His session the central point of their preaching and message. In Acts 2:33, in his Pentecost day preaching, Peter says this outpouring of the Holy Spirit is undeniable evidence that this Jesus is exalted and seated at the right hand of God. We see many verses in the New Testament talking about it, such as Colossians 3:1, Hebrews 8:1, Hebrews 10:12, and 1 Peter 3:22. Even church history, starting from the Apostle’s Creed, mentions eleven actions of Jesus: He was conceived, born, suffered, crucified, died, buried, descended to the dead, rose again, ascended, was seated, and is coming again. So prophecy, history, apostolic preaching, the New Testament, and church history confirm to us Christ sitting at the right hand of the Father.
Resurrection and ascension transition Christ from an earthly to a heavenly ministry. Christ’s session started a new heavenly ministry. You know, the two books Luke wrote—the Gospel according to Luke and the book of Acts—are like two ministries of Christ. Volume one is the earthly ministry and volume two is the heavenly ministry of Christ. Volume one of Luke contains the earthly ministry, and it ends with the ascension. Volume two picks up with the ascended ministry of Christ, the heavenly ministry. All events in the book of Acts are the effect of Christ’s heavenly ministry after His session. The history of Acts abruptly closes without an end because His heavenly ministry continues even now and will end at His second coming.
Why must I clarify this truth? Because this power works in those who believe. Believe what? Not half and half of the Bible without proper clarity. As biblical Christians, we should believe with an iron grip and as an unforgettable reality that not only was Christ virgin-born, lived a sinless perfect life, died, and rose, but He also ascended to the place this verse calls the “heavenlies” and is sitting at the right hand of God as the God-man with a deathless but human body. He could feel, touch, and sense with that body now. He is the God-man; the theological term is the theanthropic person: “theos” meaning God and “anthropos” meaning man.
All kinds of false teaching—starting from the Roman Catholic transubstantiation of the body, the false teaching of Jehovah’s Witnesses, the widespread dispensational 1000-year reign, and many other false teachings—came because of a lack of understanding of Christ’s present session. So the truth of the session needs to be preached with clarity and authority.
Secondly, let’s look at the meaning of His seating. It is figurative language because God is a spirit and He has no physical hands, right or left. Also, sometimes the Bible shows Christ in heaven is not just sitting always, like some of us do in sedentary computer work. When Stephen is about to enter the presence of his Lord, the scripture tells us in Acts 7:55 that he said, “I see the Son of Man standing.” So we should not emphasize wooden literalism upon the words. But figures are used to convey truth. What is the truth the figure of Christ seated at the right hand of God conveys? There are two things.
First, the right hand in the Old Testament is a place of high favor. It is a place of peerless favor, meaning whatever you will and ask while sitting at the right hand, the king will never refuse you. We see that in Old Testament stories like Joseph being given the right hand place of Pharaoh, where all he says will happen in the kingdom. We see it at Solomon’s throne with his mother, and we see it in the New Testament where the mother of John and James wanted the Lord to grant that her sons sit at His right hand and left in His kingdom. She was asking for a place of peculiar high favor, where whatever is desired will happen.
Second, it is a place of an heir who has absolute sovereignty and dominion. It is a place of the heir. In 1 Kings 1, David says Solomon will come and sit upon his throne, meaning he will take and use all of David’s sovereignty and dominion as his heir.
The word “session” is an old word. As I earlier explained, it is not just talking about a sitting posture. When we say “sitting Prime Minister,” we don’t just mean he is sitting in a chair. It symbolizes present authority, power, and the right to reign. It is their regime and their session going on. When you go to court, the clerk will announce, “All rise, the honorable judge is coming.” All rise, the judge walks in and climbs up to the bench, and he sits down. As soon as the judge is seated in the seat of authority, the clerk says, “This court is now in session.” It is in his just authority and fair control. It means that whatever wrong things were happening before, something different is going to happen now that he is in session. In the same way, when we talk about Christ’s session, after He ascended, God glorified Him by seating Him at His right hand with the supreme sovereignty of government.
Now, this is difficult for us to grasp—Christ’s sovereign rule—since we have been reared in democratic societies. There is all the difference in the world between a Prime Minister’s chair and a throne. Because of constitutions, supreme courts, and independent institutions, Prime Ministers cannot do everything they want; they don’t have supreme power. It is limited power given by people to function under these institutions.
Most of us have never seen a throne that spoke of unrivaled and absolute sovereignty. Most of us have not lived in a society in which the king spoke and his word was law for good or for evil, and anyone who dared to break it could be visited with death. You read of such government in the Old Testament and in books like Esther. So if we are to grasp Jesus sitting on the throne, we must not think of it as today’s government; this is a government of absolute supreme sovereignty.
The wonder of this is that this Christ, who always sat at God’s throne as the eternal Son of God, who humbled Himself in His mediatorial office, has now gone back to the place of authority, sovereignty, and dominion as the God-man acting in His official capacity as the Christ, the mediator of His people. He sits at that exalted position.
So when Paul talks about the resurrection and session of Christ, it is not just a description of what happened to Christ; it is the ultimate proof of the power that God has already committed to working in believers. Remember, He is me and I am He. What this power accomplished in Christ is for me. Remember Ephesians 2 tells us we are raised and seated with Him in the heavenlies. The same mighty power that accomplished the resurrection and session is working in you. If this is so, we will make it our life ambition, like Paul, to press forward with every effort to know the power of His resurrection.
So we see the Act: Seated Him at the right hand. Secondly, the Location: at His right hand in the heavenly places. Where is Christ seated? In the heavenlies. This is that mysterious word that translators don’t know quite what to do with. It is an adjective without a noun to describe it. So you find in some translations, like the NKJV, they put “heavenly” and then, in italics, “places.” The noun “places” is not there in the original, but they feel awkward with an adjective with no noun, so they put “places.” Paul uses it five times in Ephesians. It is a confusing word used in different ways, and such words with different meanings should always be explained according to the context.
For example, Ephesians 3:10 says: “To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in the heavenlies might be made known through the church the manifold wisdom of God.” Ephesians 6:12 says: “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.” This talks about the location where the powers of evil seem to congregate and plan their attacks upon the people of God.
The same word is used in a different way to refer to the highest heaven, like in Ephesians 2:6: “He has raised us up with him and made us to sit with Him in the heavenlies.” This is the location of the special dwelling place of God and of Christ; the highest heaven. We will see it is far above the other heavenlies. So what is the location of Christ’s session? It is the highest heaven, the dwelling place of God. In that place, my Christ, my representative as the God-man in His glorified body, dwells.
Oh, may the Holy Spirit help us grasp this. Because He is there, I am also there. You know, it’s very interesting; 1 Peter says this is exactly the location where my inheritance is. 1 Peter chapter 1 says it is to an inheritance undefiled, incorruptible, and reserved where? In heaven for you. Ephesians 1:3 says: “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.”
Listen closely. How can I experience a foretaste of this heaven now? How do I know for sure that I will attain to that inheritance? Because the inseparable Christ has already gone there, seated with unshakable power and authority. Power flowed from that place to my heart when I was dead in sins, raised me from them, and will keep and preserve us all our lives. It will not only raise us from the dead like my Christ, but bring me to this location where my Christ and my inheritance are kept.
This is our hope. The writer to the Hebrews says He went as a forerunner so that God might give us strong consolation. Verse 19 says: “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil.”
This is an amazing truth. The words “forerunner” and “anchor” are interesting ship harbor words. In olden days, when a ship came near the harbor, for it to safely reach the harbor and not be driven by waves or winds, there used to be a forerunner who would come in a small rowboat near the big ship shaking in the ocean. They would lower the anchor down into the rowboat, and with a rope tied to the main big ship, this little boat would row through the narrow harbor channel and plant the anchor on the shore. The rope would still be tied to the big ship in the sea. Then the big ship, with the anchor on the shore, regardless of winds or waves, would reel itself in with the anchor rope, pulling itself into the safe harbor. The idea is that our Lord Jesus Christ, as the forerunner, has gone into heaven and He has taken our anchor and planted it on the shore of heaven, and that anchor rope is tied to us by our union with Him. It should give us all the assurance that we will be brought into the safe harbor of heaven. So whatever trials, temptations, or struggles we have in this ocean of life, nothing can stop us because our anchor is planted safely in heaven; that rope will drag us to heaven from this ocean of life. Notice verse 19 says which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters into that within the veil.
In the wonderful song “My Hope is Built on Nothing Less,” the writer uses this phrase: “When darkness veils His lovely face, I rest on His unchanging grace; In every high and stormy gale, My anchor holds within the veil. His oath, His covenant, His blood support me in the whelming flood; On Christ the solid rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand.” So the writer to the Hebrews says the oath of God should give us strong consolation that we are going to persevere.
So that is the location. Secondly, the verse talks about the Position. What position is Christ seated in within the heavenlies? It says He has been exalted positionally not just above, but far above all rule and authority and power and dominion—very far above.
Now, what do these things mean? Rule, authority, power, dominion. We can be grateful that this is not the only place where the words occur; there are other passages that help us understand this. Colossians 1:16, speaking of the Lord Jesus as the rightful heir of all creation because He Himself is the creator, says: “For in Him were all things created in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things have been created through Him and unto Him.”
Here these words obviously describe all created things: visible potentates and rulers, invisible spirits, angels, and archangels, both good and evil. Christ is the creator of all these things. Now in Colossians 2:15, there is obviously a reference to evil powers and principalities. Christ in His death despoiled the principalities and the powers and made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in His death. Ephesians 6:12 says we wrestle against what? Principalities, powers, world rulers of the darkness, and the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. This obviously refers to ranks of evil spirits and evil beings.
Paul in Titus 3:1 uses two of the same words in the original and says to put them in mind to be subject to rulers and to principalities. It refers to human kings and governors. Now, when you put all these things together, above visible rulers and authorities we see in our government, there are several invisible realms of rule, authority, power, and dominion. This is a classification of the different creatures of God: angels, evil spirits, and demons—good and evil—into various ranks.
To show the great exaltation of Christ’s session, Paul is reaching into the grab bag of his Greek vocabulary. He is finding every word he can find to describe whatever we might call a political or spiritual position, money power and riches, or a person of pomp and authority and might and influence. He includes whatever powerful, rich, or great person exists—both visible governments and men, and invisible powers of Satan, demons, and all his hosts. Whatever power and position exists, bring all of that and stack up their ranks—all visible and invisible realms of rule, authority, power, and dominion.
In case I have missed anyone, notice what he says: “every name that is named.” Bring all the names—big names, whatever name you think bespeaks of influence, power, greatness, or riches. Think of great men, the greatest king, the biggest Prime Minister, the President of the US, Trump, the PM of Russia, the PM of India, the United Nations, all presidents, the CEO of Tesla, Microsoft, great earning film stars, superstars, legends, princes, any sovereign, lord, baron, duke, archduke—every name that is named.
If this is not enough, he says every name that is named not only in this age but also in that which is to come. Rank up every power; there is a name which is above all of that. The position of Christ seated at God’s right hand is not just above, but far above all that. All clap your hands and say Hallelujah! Oh, sorry, we are a reformed church. Far above any rank or order of authority and power, not only now, but for all coming ages.
Oh, if the Holy Spirit opens our eyes and makes us see our exalted, blessed Christ position, look unto Him; He sits in a place of unrivaled dominion, with unsurpassed power, with undiminished authority, with unrelinquished supremacy, and with unexcelled glory. This is undefeatable, incomparable greatness and majesty.
This is Christ’s government running. He is in session not only above all visible governments, but above the invisible powers of the universe. He is above everything. Oh, may the Holy Spirit help us to see that.
So we see the Act, the Location (heavenlies highest), and thirdly, the Position (far above all principalities and powers and every name named in this world). Then finally, the Duration. How long will this great government of Christ be in power? Five years? Ten years? Whatever governments have gloriously ruled eventually come to an end. The world has always seen this—the golden age of Babylon, Greece, Persia, Rome, Congress, now the BJP; all will go away, and some other new power will take over in a few years. That is the greatest fear of every government, and they do everything to retain power.
But look at the reign of my Christ; look at what it says about the duration of this powerful government. Verse 21 says: “…not only in this age, but also in the age which is to come.” For how long shall Jesus Christ occupy this position of absolute and supreme authority? This age will end in His second coming, and the age to come is an eternal, endless, unchangeable age.
We never have to fear there will be any defeat. Never again will Satan rise from hell and deceive us or take us away from our great inheritance. No power of the universe for all eternity will disturb the reign of my Christ. Scripture says of His kingdom there shall be no end.
So ALPD – Advanced Learning of Power Demonstration: Act, Location, Position, and Duration.
Don’t forget Paul’s goal. He doesn’t want us to just look at Christ’s high position, get caught up in it, and stand in awe; rather, Paul is praying that by seeing this, the spirit of revelation may open our eyes to see the great power and authority we have in Christ. He wants us to know the power that is operating in our lives.
If a government or power is in place for ten or twenty years, how difficult it is to overthrow it in this world! Oh, may the Holy Spirit help us to grasp what power was needed to overthrow all visible and invisible realms of rule, authority, power, and dominion when God raised Christ far above all of them and made Him sit with such authority—not just for this age, but for all eternity.
Do you think all of those powers were just eating biscuits or voting for Jesus to climb? No. There was a host of evil powers and armies of the dark world—all of hell—that would have done everything to resist His enthronement. But the power that seated Him so highly was the greatest demonstration of power; it shattered all their resistance and raised Christ.
Colossians 2:15 says, “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.” This is a picture of a Roman commander conquering enemies, making them his slaves, and dragging them behind his chariot. Christ is raised so high that all evil powers, demons, and even Satan have become like slave dogs who will fulfill His purpose. He uses them for His purposes. What a great manifestation of the power of God that broke all resistance of the hosts of hell and seated Christ so highly!
Paul says, “May the Holy Spirit open your eyes to see that the same power that broke all resistance of the hosts of hell to bring Christ to His throne is working in you.” What does it mean? Whatever hindrances remain—sin, Satan’s temptations, the attractions of the world, the flesh, the trials of this life, family, financial, or health problems—this power has the capacity to overcome them all. The same power that seated Him above all authority is now at work to ensure you live a life that reflects His triumph over sin, over all spiritual opposition, and even over death. Child of God, the same power that brought Him to that throne and put Him in an immovable position is working in you and will bring you to the same throne to share in His glory. In Revelation, He promises that he who overcomes will sit with Him on His throne.
The power available to you is not limited by earthly constraints, circumstances, or spiritual opposition. As Christ is supreme over them all, the power for your life flows from the highest source. This power works to bring your life into conformity with His victorious status and authority. His victory is your victory.
Do you see why we need the spirit of revelation to open our eyes to grasp this? The natural human mind cannot hold it, embrace it, or fathom it. It takes an inward work of the Spirit even to start grasping these tremendous spiritual concepts: the exceeding great measure of power that not only raised Christ from the dead but sat Him at His own right hand in the heavenlies.
Application
In The Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan says that many Christians’ problem is that they are always looking down, like a man who is always digging in the dirt and muck and never realizes that there is a crown above his head because he never looks up. That is a great problem for us; we are always looking down. “Oh, this problem, that problem… how will I manage this and that?” Then we feel helpless. Lift up your eyes and behold your enthroned King; He is the source of your power.
Remember the goal of Christ’s exaltation and session. He didn’t need this; He was already an exalted person. But He was exalted and seated so that He might give power to His people, help them overcome all their enemies, and bring them this high privilege. O, what joy may enter into this poor, dark, disconsolate soul of mine while I think over the glorious position of my Christ in glory!
Oh, may the Holy Spirit help us to stand and see with the eyes of faith His glory far above all rule, authority, power, and dominion, and every name—not only in this age but in the age to come. It is amazing. Why is He seated there? Why is He running this big administration as my Christ? To overcome my enemies and prepare to lift me to such glory! What? Shall I sit at the right hand of Christ? Admire, O my soul, this aim of Christ! The meaning of His exalting Himself with human nature was to exalt thee. Will I sit with Him on His throne?
Some might say, “Oh, I don’t need this, I don’t understand.” But the meaning of His exalting you in this manner is to manifest to all the world the height of His grace toward you in raising so poor a creature to such rich glory. Consider the power, virtue, and influence of this goal upon our souls’ salvation. O, the flowings, the rich emanations of grace and glory that come from here!
O, why do we toil ourselves in gathering sticks, struggling day and night for a little honor in this pitiable world, when tomorrow we shall be out of this world and be exalted so highly with Christ? How this should make us worship and love Christ as we see Him reigning in loveliness, beauty, and the glory of His countenance! Why are we not all in a burning love? O my heart! How is it thou art not love-sick?
The Three Ps
1. Assurance and Security in Life
We always think of the past with joy because Christ came, died, and atoned for all our sins, and we think of the future as joyful because we have an eternal inheritance. But what discourages us most is the present: present trials, daily situations, and confusing circumstances. That is why in our “EPRAIS,” the “A” for administration is a glorious and comforting part. Every day we wake to see a new day with challenges. Do you realize the power of the existing administration? Oh, in the midst of our confusing situations, let us learn to lift up our eyes to behold Christ’s supreme, sovereign government. That vision has the power of calm assurance: all is well.
This vision of Christ’s reign should make us live with the calm power of assurance and security, whatever happens in life. Child of God, are you scared? “Pastor, everything seems to be going wrong; all things are against me.” Yes, that is what Abraham, Joseph, and Jacob—all the saints—thought. But the operations of the government are like that. It is a mysterious government that a little mind cannot understand. It may look like everything is against its goals, but it uses those very things to accomplish its purposes. It turns evil to good and sorrow to joy. That is the model.
This vision of Christ will change our perspective on suffering. Knowing that Christ rules over all things by His providence means that even suffering and trials are under His sovereign control and will be worked together for your good and His purposes. All these light afflictions are working toward an eternal weight of glory.
But you might say, “Pastor, I feel weak; I feel helpless; I have no strength.” The writer to the Hebrews says He is not only sitting as King, but as a sympathetic High Priest who deeply knows what you are going through. Come to Him to receive not only mercy but helping grace for that situation. His position ensures we receive preserving grace in our daily struggles and failures.
Are you guilty because of sin? Are you struggling without assurance of salvation, trying to make up for it with your works to somehow please God? Lift up your eyes and behold your Priest. He is not standing and working; He is seated. That means the atonement is complete and the Father has accepted it. This means your salvation doesn’t depend on your ongoing performance, but on His completed work. This gives you assurance of salvation.
Are you struggling with continual cycles of sin? Are you tired of fighting sin and feeling hopeless? “Oh, this sin sticks so close; it’s been ingrained for years—habits of thought, of attitude, of deed. Will I ever overcome this?” What is your hope? Your only hope is this highly enthroned Christ. The same power that broke the bands of death—the same power that brought Him riding over the heads of His enemies straight to the right hand of the Majesty on high—that is the power that gave you new birth. That power continues to work in your life to sanctify you, and He commits Himself to bringing you precisely to the same place where He is. Get a vision of that power if you want victory!
When you are running around, tensed, worked up, and having palpitations with no assurance, a doctor’s best advice is often: “Sit and relax. Take a deep breath.” Yes, do all that, but as you take that deep breath, lift your eyes and behold your Christ seated. Are you worried you won’t reach heaven? See His location: the “heavenlies,” the control room of the universe. See His position: far above any powers in the universe. See the duration: not temporary, but permanently for all eternity. He sits in a place with the power to secure your future and fulfill all His promises.
2. Power for Obedience and Submission
Recognizing Christ as King of the universe provides the foundation for your daily choices and actions.
- Worship and Submission with Fear: Is Christ set down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven? O, with what awful reverence should we approach Him in the duties of His worship! The very angels at the sight of it stood admiring and adoring. All rule, authority, power, and dominion shudder at His feet. How much more should we worship Him?
- Total Lordship: Since Jesus is Lord over all things, your natural response is to willingly and joyfully submit to His authority in every area of life—personal life, work, family, finances, and thoughts. It is total lordship to Christ. It should not be burdensome, but a joyful and grateful obedience of love to the one who saved you.
3. Power for Ministry and Mission
Christ’s current reign is the source of the Church’s power and effectiveness in the world.
- Source of the Holy Spirit: It is from His position as King that Christ sent the Holy Spirit, who gifts, empowers, and indwells the Church. When we want to witness to the world, the Holy Spirit will give us light and the right words to speak with power. This should encourage us to perform the work of ministry.
- Authority for Mission: The Great Commission (“Go and make disciples…”) is grounded in His declaration: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Therefore, you engage in evangelism and discipleship with the confidence that the sovereign King is with you and will ensure the success of His gospel.
- Church Health and Accountability: If Christ reigns, this means the Church must take His Word and will seriously, holding members accountable to live according to His dictates. When such a Lord reigns, how can the Church fail in its gospel mission?
- Serve Him; Your Rewards are Great: If Christ is so gloriously advanced to the highest throne, oh, serving and suffering for Him is the greatest honor and reward we can have. That is why Moses “esteemed the very reproaches of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt” (Heb. 11:26). That is why Paul boasted that the very chains and sufferings of Christ have glory in them. All we get for service in the world is finally ashes. These men counted shame and suffering for Christ as treasures that would richly reward them. If we lift up our eyes and see how exceedingly great Christ is, we will count it the greatest glory to serve Him, and even to be abased and suffer for Him.
So, there are three Ps: Power for assurance, obedience, and ministry.
Dear unbeliever, whether you accept it or not, believe it or not, or see it or not, this is Jesus’s reign. He is above everything. Not one atom in your life can move without His will. You will not receive anything in life until He gives it. You may wonder, “If He is so powerful and I am not obeying Him, but rebelling against His commands, why is He not crushing me?” Because this is the day of His long-suffering; the day of His patience. He is giving you time to repent. Instead of repenting, if you continue in unbelief, you are storing up His wrath.
Your conscience itself will tell you that. As long as you continue in unbelief, you know inside that wherever you are going, instead of God’s blessing, you feel God’s wrath goes before you. You sense an anger over your head—burdened and scared of when it will break and fall on you. Oh, don’t play with this exceeding great power! It is not only for this life. If you don’t repent, this same power and position which is given to Jesus to save His people will be the same power and throne authority He uses to decide your eternal destiny: “Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire.” He will crush you for all eternity.
Oh, you know if you are not a true believer or follower of Christ, but you are comforting yourself saying, “I am not so bad; every week, for one hour, I come and salute Him and call myself a Christian.” Throw your one hour of worship into the dustbin! He is King of kings and Lord of lords, and He demands that you bow beneath His footstool in repentance and faith, cast yourself upon Him, and say, “Lord Jesus, have mercy upon me.”
And you say, “So what if I don’t?” This same Lord will come from His high throne and reveal His glory. You will shudder at what an eternal fool you have been. He will come with eternal vengeance to punish His enemies, fixed in an eternal state of unspeakable agony and woe.
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.