This life can be so difficult at times. I find myself discombobulated way too often —even with the littlest things! To help me, the Lord led me to this wonderful quote from Jesus Calling:
“…Though you live in this temporal world, your innermost being is rooted and grounded in eternity.”*
Yes, of course! I am grafted onto the Eternal One whose roots are in a different world—a different realm. My physical being isn’t there yet, but the spiritual part of me is. That’s what I believe “seated in the heavenly realms” means.
For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. (Eph 2:6 NLT)
As you know, there are two realms—the physical and spiritual. When we’re saved, we are grafted unto Christ the Vine/united with Him. I explained in a previous blog that Christ the Vine is not only referring to the top part of a climbing grapevine, but to the roots as well. He is the Rootstock unto which believers are embedded.
Jesus Christ, the God-Man entered this physical realm, lived a perfect life, and died for us so that we could have a way into the spiritual realm where the Godhead lives.
Without Christ we are spiritually dead. With Christ we are made spiritually alive.
It is from His roots that we derive everything we need to live and to live it in a godly way (1 Pet 1:3). We can even thrive because of our union with Christ whose roots are securely anchored in infinity, located by the never-ending, life-giving river. Nothing can ever uproot Him, and nothing can ever detach you and me from this Vine.
If we could only picture ourselves embedded in the Eternal One, the Prince of Peace, we wouldn’t be overwhelmed with fear, discouragement, doubt, anger, sorrow, or pain while in a storm. We wouldn’t have to feel discombobulated even though we are being violently tossed about. Our souls are strongly attached to Christ in that peaceful heavenly realm.
If we could only picture ourselves cleansed by His blood, then we wouldn’t be ridden with excessive guilt every time we fail and sin. Instead, we could let our godly sorrow lead us to repentance and receive His purifying forgiveness (1 Jn 1:9).
Everything we need is available in the heavenly spiritual realm in infinite supply. But we can access it only through Christ’s roots with humble, open stems that don’t restrict the flow of His grace into our innermost being. The more we live in and through Christ the Vine, the more we will thrive and produce good and lasting fruit for His glory.
So my friends, the next time you’re struggling in this physical world, use your imagination and picture yourself rooted in eternity, rooted in Christ the Vine. Start by meditating on Ephesians 2:6 and the passages below. It will bring you incredible hope and peace like it has me!
So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek. (Heb 6:18-20 NLT, emphasis added)
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Cor 4:16-18)
Blog adapted from the devotional, A 30-Day Walk Through the Master’s Garden
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*Sarah Young, Jesus Calling, (Nashville, Tn: Thomas Nelson, 2004), 249.
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