By grace you are saved
Paul is making sure that we who have been made alive together with Christ understand that this salvation is based on God’s grace. God’s response to our hopeless situation is one of Mercy, the motive for his Compassion is his Love for us, and He acts through Grace, God’s unmerited or undeserved favor.
“and raised us up with him”
God made us alive from the dead and then we are resurrected with him. Often in scripture we think of our bodily resurrection, something that is going to happen in the future, when we receive our New Bodies like Christ’s, but here, just as in Col 2:12-13 12 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13 And when you were dead in your wrongdoings and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our wrongdoings, we see that in a real sense, this being made alive in Spirit has already happened to us. So, when we were saved, we were made alive in Christ, raised to new life, made alive in Christ. It’s spoken of the same way in Col 3:1-2 Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Notice that since Christ was raised, we are raised too when we come to a saving faith in Him, being “in Christ”. This is the resurrection, the life in Christ that we enjoy now, and will enjoy more fully in the future. It’s summed up well in Col 3:1–2 which says, Col 3:1-2 Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus
God has seated us together with Christ in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus. As God raised and seated Christ in the heavenlies physically (1:20), so has God raised and seated us together with Christ in the heavenlies spiritually. “In the heavenlies,” means the place of heavenly realms. From this position we have every spiritual benefit, to overcome the power of sin and death. And the reason that we are seated together with Christ Jesus in the heavenlies, is because we are in union with Christ, we are His Body. It is our union with Christ that gives us the right to be in the heavenly places. We already have redemption, having been saved from the penalty of sin, and are being saved from the power of sin; adopted into the family of God, and are positionally in the heavenlies with Christ now. But, we have to wait for the redemption of our bodies, the future salvation from even the presence of sin, when we will be together with Christ in our new bodies in heaven.
in order that he might demonstrate in the coming ages
God raised, and seated us together with Christ in the heavenlies so that he might demonstrate his grace in the coming ages. This word means “to prove, give evidence,” of God’s goodness, His gracious generosity in saving us, when we didn’t deserve it. We will be His proof, after this world is destroyed, that He loved humanity, and sent His only son to save us, and that this salvation was effectual for those of us who chose it. Our witness now, who we really are in Christ now, is developing and transforming our character into who we will be in Christ tomorrow, as we become more and more like Him, and so be a more shining example of the effectiveness of His grace in action. When God points to you as His treasure, as an example of what He can do with a life, now and in the coming ages, we want to be shining gold, and sparkling silver, and precious stones, not a sparkle here or there with most of our efforts cast aside as impurities and dross! We want Him to be proud of who we have become.
the surpassing wealth of his grace.
Back in Ephesians 1:19, we read 19 and what is the boundless greatness of His power toward us who believe. in Christ Jesus. The letter of the law kills, because all of us fall short of God’s standard. Moses, when He received the law met with God and reflected His glory to such an extent that the Israelites couldn’t even look at his face, it was so bright—he had to wear a veil. After a time, that glory faded—but it was glorious while it lasted. 9 For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness excel in glory. 10 For indeed what had glory in this case has no glory, because of the glory that surpasses it. 11 For if that which fades away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory. He’s showing us the surpassing greatness of God’s glory in Christ Jesus. And in our verses today He’s showing us the boundless, surpassing, extraordinary, exceeding greatness, or wealth of His Grace toward us in saving us through Christ Jesus. And, when saints act out this grace toward one another, we demonstrate the surpassing greatness of His grace toward us! When we are generous with out time, our resources, and especially our spiritual gifts to minister to the saints, we reflect the Grace and Goodness that God has shown us. 2 Cor 9:13-15 13 Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your [h]contribution to them and to all, 14 while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you. 15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! Generosity in these ways provides evidence of our changed hearts, and gives an example that God and even other people can point to and say—that is a Christian—He or she follows Christ. And in this way, we give a good witness for Jesus and demonstrate His love. And we all need to be strengthened in this witness by the Holy Spirit. It provides proof of God’s work in our lives. In Eph 3:16-19 13 Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all, 14 while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you. 15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
And because it’s the way God treats us, He expects us to display this kindness and goodness as well. If we’re going to be effective for Christ, we’re going to have to let God demonstrate His patience and kindness and in genuine love. 2 cor 6:2b-7 Behold, now is “a favorable time,” behold, now is “a day of salvation”— 3 giving no reason for taking offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited, 4 but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in difficulties, 5 in beatings, in imprisonments, in mob attacks, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger, 6 in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love, 7 in the word of truth, and in the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left, Notice what the Bible here describes as the weapons of righteousness—purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, and genuine love in the Holy Spirit. And notice that God wants us to be using these to establish righteousness in our own lives, so that we can be the example of righteousness that makes other people want to follow Jesus. Our fight is ultimately “not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12). We need weapons of righteousness, because they’re the only effective weapons that we have.
As we live our lives as devoted followers and warriors for Christ, then although we suffer hardships of every kind–spiritual, emotional, and physical—, with the “weapons of righteousness” in both hands—we will not be defeated. God has equipped us for the battles we face. 2 Corinthians 10:3–5 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage battle according to the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 We are destroying arguments and all arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, And it’s this power to destroy evil, both in our own lives, and by extension out in the world, that constitutes the weapons of righteousness
The Bible, Faith, Prayer, Love, Goodness, Kindness—these can all be weapons of righteousness, if we will let God use us to destroy the works of the enemy.