Alive and Seated in Heavenly Places in Christ

"1If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." (Colossians 3:1-4)

Beloved, you need to take this truth seriously.

As long as you do not reckon yourself dead to sin (Romans 6: 11-14), as long as you look at yourself and believe that you still have what it takes to get anything done (Romans 7: 21-31), as long as you identify with your fallen flesh or this fallen world, then you cannot rise and overcome anything.

"Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin." (Romans 3: 20)

and

"26For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 29That no flesh should glory in his presence." (1 Corinthians 1: 26-29)

We are more than conquerors in Christ, through Him who loved us (Romans 8: 37)

How is this love defined?

See John's writing:

"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4:10)

To understand "propitiation", simply read two chapters prior:

"1My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:1-2)

Christ is our active mercy seat, where His blood covers our sin, and not just when we first believe on Him, but for all times!

Even when we sin, not when we confess, Jesus our High Priest Forever ministers on our behalf, and His blood keeps on cleansing us from all sin (1 John 1: 7)

For a full explanation of the mercy seat in the Bible, read here.

Jesus ministers on our behalf before God the Father, and so we have no reason to keep looking at ourselves, but rather trust that we are at perfect peace with God, because:

"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17)

We are alive, seated in heavenly places in Christ!