Why do many Christians think of the spiritual life as an uphill climb to a place where they would like to be, when it is really who they are “in Christ” here in the world? Was this kind of thinking why Peter wanted to build huts for Moses, Elijah and Jesus on the top of the Mount of Transfiguration? Peter wanted to maintain the “mountain top” experience. But after they had experienced the cloud of glory and heard the voice of God, Peter, James and John descended with Jesus to find a father in despair at the impotence of the other disciples in delivering his son from a demon.
In Old Testament times, every male in Israel aged thirty years and over ascended three times a year to the temple in Jerusalem. On the way up, the pilgrims sang Psalms 120 to 134 – the Psalms of Ascent. The fifteen psalms were a pilgrimage in song, the first a song about the hateful barbs of unbelievers, and the last a song of thanksgiving and praise on reaching the Temple. These songs are also called the Psalms of Degrees because, like the steps of the pilgrims who sang them, they ascend in order.
However, the New Testament temple is the Body of Christ, both corporately and individually, and our songs of praise reveal Christ in us to those around us. In other words, our goal is not to ascend to a mountain-top temple, but to reach out to others from the one we live in: our body.
Unlike those whose religious duty required pilgrimages, we are able to “enter into” thanksgiving and offer high praise and spiritual worship to God, while living among those who hate us and speak out against us (Psalm 120).
We think of Paul’s letters to the Ephesians and Colossians as his most spiritual writings – and they are. But the Apostle does not begin them with warnings against evil speech, lewdness, lying, anger, theft and other sins. Nor does he urge that husbands love their wives, that wives should submit to their husbands, and that children should obey their parents. Paul leaves these things to later chapters and begins both letters with a revelation to his readers of their privileged, heavenly position in Christ. After the apostle establishes Who, What and Where they are in Christ, he applies the reality of this to the everyday problems faced by Christians.
When a young Christian, I wondered how I could be perfect in Christ when my imperfections were as clearly visible to me as they would have been to others. However, I came to see that God sees me as perfect “in Christ” because of the finished work of Jesus on the Cross, and understood the difference between my impeccable heavenly standing and my less than impressive earthly state. I saw that I could not improve my relationship to God, which is based on what Jesus did, but that I could improve my fellowship with God through prayer, praise and worship.
There are only four full stops in the King James Version of the first chapter of Ephesians. Paul writes that God has “blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (verse 3); has “chosen us in him before the foundation of the world” (verse 4); has “predestinated us to be adopted by Jesus Christ to Himself” (verse 5); has “accepted us in the beloved” (verse 6), has “redeemed us through his blood” (verse 7); has “abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence” (verse 8); and has “revealed to us the mystery of his will” (verse 9). Wow!
But, as they say, “there’s more – much more!” In fact, we’re less than halfway through the chapter. We’ve yet to come to Paul’s marvelous prayer, which ends in a crescendo — not in heaven, where Christ’s authority is supreme, but on earth, where all things are “under his feet”!
As the old hymn puts it: “Angels, ascending, bring from above, echoes of mercy, whispers of love.” But it is more expressive of Old Testament religion than New Testament teaching and the Christian experience. Jesus told Nathanael: “After this you shall see angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man” (John 1:51) The angels of God dwell here on earth with us also, and they ascend to God from us.
The interactivity of Heaven with Earth is as amazing as the interactivity of Earth is with Heaven!