Keep Looking Down

"That in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:7, NKJV)

There are seasons in life when friends encourage us to trust God by saying, "keep looking up." This is often good advice, reminding us to fix our eyes on heaven, to remember that our help comes from the Lord (see Psalm 121:1-2). But there are also times when we need different counsel, when the most encouraging words we can hear are: "Keep looking down."

This was the unusual closing Adrian Rogers chose for a personal letter to his friend and my mentor, Bill Bennett, during a difficult season of ministry. Where most people would write "Sincerely yours" or "God bless you," this great preacher wrote: "Bill, keep looking down. Adrian."

At first glance, this might seem like discouraging advice. We typically associate looking down with depression, defeat, or despair. But Dr. Rogers understood a remarkable spiritual truth that every believer needs to grasp: when you are seated with Christ in heavenly places, looking down is actually the perspective of victory.

In Ephesians 2:7, Paul doesn't say that God merely saved us from our sins, though He did that. He doesn't say that God just forgave us, though that's included. He declares that God "raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus." This is where God sees you and has placed you. Your position is determined by your union with Christ, and Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father in heavenly places.

There's a big difference between being rescued and being enthroned. When someone pulls you out of quicksand, they've saved your life, but they haven't necessarily made you royalty. When a lifeguard drags you from drowning waters, you're grateful to be alive, but you're still just a swimmer who needed help. But when God saves us, He doesn't just rescue us; He raises us to a position of honor and authority that is hard to imagine.

To understand the magnitude of this truth, we need to grasp what it means to be seated with Christ. In the ancient world, seating arrangements were never casual. Where you sat indicated your status, your relationship to the host, and your level of authority. To be seated at someone's right hand was to be given the place of highest honor and greatest power.

Psalm 110:1 gives us insight into Christ's position: "The Lord said to my Lord, 'Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool.'" Jesus is seated at the Father's right hand in the position of ultimate authority. And the stunning truth of our passage is that we are seated there with Him.

This means that from God's perspective, you are not under your circumstances; you are above them. You are not beneath your problems; you are positioned over them. The trials and difficulties you face in this life are real, but they are temporary, and they are under the feet of the One with Whom you are seated.

Ephesians 1:22 tells us that God "put all things under His [Christ's] feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church." Everything is under Christ's feet, and since you are seated with Him, everything is ultimately under your feet as well.

The story of Jesus walking on water provides a perfect illustration of this truth. When Jesus came to His disciples walking on the stormy sea, Peter asked, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water" (Matthew 14:28). Jesus said simply, "Come" (Matthew 14:29). Peter stepped out of the boat and began walking on the water, something impossible in the natural realm. But as long as he kept his focus on Jesus, he was able to do the impossible. The waves that had been threatening to overwhelm the boat were now under his feet.

The principle from this story that I want to share is one I once heard Adrian Rogers say: "Anything that is over your head is under His feet." Taken further, since you are seated with Him, it's under your feet as well. The storms of life may rage around you, but you are positioned above them, not under them.

Romans 8:37 calls us "more than conquerors through Him who loved us." Notice it doesn't say we are conquerors, people who have fought and won battles. It says we are more than conquerors. This describes someone who gets the victory without having to fight the battle themselves. It's as if a champion warrior goes before us and defeats all our enemies, and then we get to enjoy the victory celebration. This is exactly what Christ has done. He has already defeated sin, death, Satan, and every power that could ultimately harm us. We can now walk in the victory He has already won.

Romans 6:3-4 helps us understand how we entered this position: "Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."

The beauty of a baptismal service is that we are identifying with Jesus. We no longer find our identity in ourselves, bound by sin, dead in our trespasses, slaves to the devil. We're given a new name: "accepted," "redeemed," "secure for eternity." No matter what the conditions of our life happen to be, that position never changes.

Your feelings may tell you that you're losing. Your circumstances may suggest that you're being overwhelmed. But the truth of God's Word declares that you are seated with Christ in heavenly places, positioned above anything in this life.

Reflection Question: How might remembering your heavenly position change your approach to current challenges?

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You have not only saved me but have also raised me up and seated me with Christ in heavenly places. Help me to live from this position of victory. Give me faith to see from heaven's perspective and walk in the victory You have already won. In Jesus' Name, Amen.