“God . . . seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:6)
Understanding our throne position determines our attitude and disposition in life. If we do not realize or cannot conceive what it means to be seated on the throne of God in Christ, we cannot soar. We cannot experience the heights God has intended us to reach. We can only see life from the valley. However, once we view our lives from our position at the throne of God, we have a whole new perspective on life—a mountaintop view.
The Believer’s Position in the Heavenlies
George Peck, classic author of Throne Life, explains the two dimensions of our throne: 1) future—“On his future throne we shall be personally with Him; and 2) present—“on His present throne we are with Him representatively, in God’s purpose and thought; generically, as we are born of Him; and spiritually, in conscious communion with Him, through His indwelling Spirit.” Peck further distinguishes between three aspects of present throne position:
- Throne ways of being—since we are born of God and we are united with Him—Christ is in us and we are in Him, and we are God’s royal children.
- Throne ways of thinking—as we sit with God on His throne representatively in God’s purposes and thought, we begin to think throne thoughts—thinking as God thinks.
- Throne ways of living—as we are in constant awareness of His presence and fellowship through the Spirit, we experience intimate communion with Him and the life of the throne.
Throne Ways of Being—Throne Union
“Throne union” is based on the union of the believer with Jesus Christ. As A. B. Simpson declares, “The Man who is in you now is a Heavenly Man.” A.W. Tozer explains, “When God infuses eternal life into the spirit of a man, the man becomes a member of a new and higher order of being.”
Princes, Not Paupers. Simpson declares, “We have ceased to be paupers and have become princes.” A century later, Neil T. Anderson captures Simpson’s thought: “Do you see the incredible kindness of our Lord in saying to a beggar who has known only rejection, ‘Come, sit with me at my right hand’?” Kris Vallotton and Bill Johnson have also expanded upon Simpson’s vision in their book The Supernatural Ways of Royalty, writing chapters about “The Plight of Pauperhood” and “Castle Tramps or Palace Princes.”
Because we are in Christ and Christ is in us, we are identified with Him in His death, resurrection, and ascension. Christ in us is the hope of glory (Col 1:27). We are united with Christ, bonded together with Him. By virtue of identification with Jesus Christ, we are seated with Him in heavenly places on the throne of God. A.B. Simpson describes Throne Life in this way:
- “This is much more than resurrection. It is ascension. It is taking the place of accomplished victory and conceded right, and sitting down in an attitude of completed repose, from henceforth expecting with Him until all our enemies be made our footstool. It is throne life. It is dwelling with Christ on high, your head in the heaven even while your feet still walk the paths of the lower world of sense and time. This is our high privilege.”
As redeemed humanity, we are raised up to His level. Because we are His body, we are where He is; we ascend to where He ascends. We are dwelling on high with Christ. We are royal children of the King with full access to the throne. Throne Life is the Christ Life. Are you experiencing Throne Life? Are you living the Christ Life?
Excerpted from Come Up Higher by Paul L. King (available at www.paulkingminstries.com)
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