Kingdom Perspective (1)

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus…Ephesians 2.4-6

The view from here
Growing up as I did in the St. Louis area, I was a natural-born St. Louis Cardinals fan. I have watched Cardinals games at three different stadiums, usually occupying a seat somewhere along the left field foul line.

I always enjoyed going to the games, and while it’s better than watching them on TV, still, I found it difficult to follow all the action. Typically, when the ball is hit, a fan’s eyes, trained by television, follow the ball. In the process, you miss a lot. You don’t see, as in a continuous glance, how the players on the field move to get into position to make a play. You can’t see into the dugouts, to watch the reactions of various team members. You can’t watch the umpires as they move to their pre-determined positions in order to render proper judgments. And certainly you can’t watch the runner as he’s watching the ball, the first-base coach, the movements of the opposing players, and, if he gets that far, the third-base coach, as he signals “slide, slide” or “come in standing up” or “keep moving for home.”

You just can’t see all that happening at once when you’re sitting at field level, and so you can’t really appreciate the beauty, symmetry, energy, and dance of any play. You just can’t see the game all at once.

Unless, of course, you sit in the stadium club sky box above the left field wall and seats – like I did one day in the summer of 1967. From that vantage point, I could see everything all at once, the entire orchestration and choreography of big league baseball, unfolding wondrously, thrillingly, and mysteriously with each swing of the bat.

That change of perspective, from field level to sky box, made all the difference in how I watched that game.

The same thing is true when you’ve made the Kingdom turn.

Seated with Christ
What does it mean to be seated with Christ in heavenly places? This is a seating arrangement available only to those who have been called to God’s Kingdom and glory and who are born-again and indwelled by His Spirit. It must be an important privilege and prospect, because Paul commands us to fix our minds there, to let our thoughts, plans, outlook, and worldview be shaped and guided by the vision of unseen things above, where we have been seated with Christ (Col. 3.1-3).

In Psalm 110 David explains that, from His seat at the right hand of God, Jesus Christ administers the progress of His Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. He sends His people out like the refreshing dew of the morning to live and proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom (v. 3). He plants His scepter of uprightness (Ps. 45.6) plunk down in the midst of his enemies – all their culture, institutions, and puny plans – and exercises His power in their midst, doing good, restraining evil, preparing the soil of men’s souls, creating doors of opportunity, and furthering the progress of His Kingdom (v. 2). He engages all His enemies by His powerful Word, working by His Spirit in and through His Church (vv. 5, 6; cf. Ps. 45.4, 5). And He intercedes with the Father for this far-flung, all-comprehending work, a work the triumphant end of which He already rejoices to see (vv. 4, 7).

This is what Jesus sees as He sits in heavenly places. Angels await His instructions to carry out the details of His will. Departed saints keep up a chorus of praise and glory, anticipating with unceasing excitement the reuniting of their souls with their glorified bodies in the new heavens and new earth.. And a landscape of wondrous sights, sounds, sensations, and smells envelops the whole, where everything cries, “Glory!” without end (Ps. 45.6-12; Ps. 29.9).

You are there!
And all who have made the Kingdom turn are seated with Christ, there in the heavenly places. They have the mind of Christ and full access to His Word (1 Cor. 2.16). They live in the midst of that glorious then and there in every moment of their here and now. They see the events of their lives and times through the lens and according to the agenda of Christ’s Kingdom. They receive His grace that they may go into their lives to refresh, redeem, and renew every moment of time and everything in that time.

From this above perspective those who have made the Kingdom turn see everything differently. They see the world and their lives more completely and more truly. They see with the eye of the heart (Eph. 1.15-23), and they position themselves according to what they see, within the orchestration and choreography of the advancing Kingdom of God. They live as real players in that holy domain, and they rejoice with their Lord to see the coming victory which even now – and always – is in their purview.

Fellow citizens of the Kingdom, set your mind on the things that are above, and live from the vantage point of eternal glory and unlimited power. Do this, and you’ll never again look at the game of life the same.

Next steps: What suggestions do you have for yourself and other believers to help you in setting your minds on the things that are above? Talk to some fellow believers and a church leader or pastor about this question.

T. M. Moore
Additional Resources

This week’s study, Kingdom Perspective, is the second of an eight-part series on The Kingdom Turn, and is available as a free download. T. M. has written two books to complement this eight-part series. You can order The Kingship of Jesus by clicking here, and The Gospel of the Kingdom by clicking here.

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.