By Steven J. Hogan
~ A Saturday Morning Post #332 ~
My wife and I recently moved to a new home in another city. This got me thinking about my location in life, and I’m not just talking about my physical location, but my spiritual location and my relational location. Phil. 1 talks about all these: it says the believers are spiritually located “in Christ” (vs. 1), physically located “in Philippi” (vs. 1), and relationally located with Paul (vss. 3-11). What does this mean, and how does it relate to your relationship with Christ and for Christ in the end-times, the last years of this church age?
First, let’s talk about our spiritual location, that we are “in Christ.” We are spiritually blessed because we are “in Christ” (Eph. 1:3); we were chosen to be “in Him” (Eph. 1:4); we have redemption because we are “in Christ” (Eph. 1:7); we are sealed “in Him” (Eph. 1:13); and we are seated with God in the heavenly places “in Christ Jesus.” Eph. 2:6
Rom. 6:3, 6:11, 23 and Col. 2:10-11 also speak of spiritually being “in Christ”. At the moment we were saved, the Spirit caused us to be placed in Jesus Christ. Because we are in Christ, we have protection, a relationship with Christ, a purpose, and a glorious future. And being “in Christ” is constant, unchanging, eternal, and glorious. Each of these truths is extremely important for our Christian life.
Second, let’s talk about our physical location. People are physical beings living on a physical earth and in a physical place (Ph. 1:20, 22). “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth… ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it’” (Gen. 1:1, 28). God wants us to worship and serve Him while we are living on this earth – and in the coming kingdom age, we will join Christ in ruling over it. Rev. 20:6
Here are several thoughts about our physical location:
* Each of us have our own Philippi, our own physical place where we live, and this may change during our stay on this earth.
* We are to love God in our physical location. One way we do this is by worshiping God with other believers, whether that’s in a home, a church building, or outside. Acts 13:1-2a, Acts 16:13, 1 Cor. 14:26
* We are to love and serve others in our physical location. God places us with others so we can hug and shake hands, so we can see their face and hear their voice, and so we can listen and talk to them. Evangelism, discipleship, and fellowship usually occur when we are with people in a physical place.
* The Bible gives examples of worshiping and serving God in physical places. The Jews worshiped God in the temple. Daniel prayed when he was in his home in Babylon. Jesus ministered in Israel. Paul preached about Christ when was in a city, synagogue, jail, and his rental place. Paul established churches in Philippi, Ephesus, Corinth, etc. A church was meeting in the home of Aquila and Priscilla.
* God’s word is the same in every place. Our physical location can change, but God’s word never changes. “Your statutes are the theme of my song wherever I live” (Ps. 119:54). Having relocated to a new city and new home, this truth about God’s unchanging word is reassuring, stabilizing, comforting, and very encouraging.
* God is sovereign over our physical location – He determines where and when we live. “He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation” (Acts 17:26). “The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places.” Ps. 16:6
* Believers will be raptured from a specific place. “He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth…” (Mk. 13:27). “There will be two men in the field, one will be taken…” Matt. 24:40
* God gave the Jewish people a place to live, the land of Israel, and this was their home, their country. Now we are in the end-times and we are seeing God’s continued work with the Jews and again, Israel is their home. From Jerusalem, Christ will reign with them over the world in the age to come. Ps. 48, Ez. 36-37, Matt. 24:15-26, Rev. 11
* Believers will reign over a place, over this earth. “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth” (Rev. 5:10). We will reign with Christ for 1,000 glorious years (Rev. 20:6). And God has planned out the exact place of our ministry. For example, “You are to be in charge of ten cities.” Luke 19:17
* Jesus Christ has prepared a home, a place for His people to live – “In my Father’s house are many dwelling places… I go to prepare a place for you.” John 14:1-3
* In the kingdom ages, we will spend time with believers in eternal dwellings. “Make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings.” Luke 16:9
* Our home in the eternal kingdom will be a physical place, an earthly and heavenly city, the holy city, the new Jerusalem. Rev. 21:1-2
* God is sovereign over the end-times’ location of all people. This world is a massive “chess board”, and God is putting every person in the perfect place and at the perfect time so He can fulfill all His purposes. He knows exactly what He wants to do, the person He wants to do it, and the place it is to happen. Is. 46:9-11, Eph. 1:9-11, Jms. 4:13-15
As I said, my wife and I recently moved – and our new physical location directly and strategically impacts our lives. Most affected are our relationships, not with God, but with people. Our new home is our headquarters, our base of operations, a place of peace, safety, and rest, a place from which we can spend time with God, serve, evangelize, make disciples, and pray. Our new church is a place of worship, Bible study, fellowship, and new friends. And we are meeting people in our neighborhood, in stores, at restaurants, and in the town square, specifically, the preaching place.
Third, let’s talk about our relational location. This refers to our relationships with Christians, and though these relationships usually happen in our physical location, they can be with anyone anyplace on earth. It can be with your spouse, family, church members, someone half way down the street or half way around the world.
Phil. 1-2 speaks in great detail about Paul’s relational location. Paul was in jail in Rome but he had relationships with believers in Philippi. He was spiritually connected and close to these believers – he loved them and they loved him, and they were united for the purposes and glory of God. Much more needs to be said about our relational location with believers, but we will save that for the next post.
This subject of our spiritual location, physical location, and relational location is of utmost importance, and must be understood if we are to faithfully and fruitfully live for the Lord in the last years of this age. We need to know where we are at in our relationship with Christ and with Christians. As life gets more difficult, as we encounter tribulation and great tribulation, we must know what it means to be spiritually located, to be in Christ, and to be physically located “until the day of Christ” (Phil. 1:10), and to be relationally located, to be spiritually and emotionally connected and close to other believers.
“The saints in Christ Jesus (spiritual)… God is my witness, how I long for you all (relational)… my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, so that my imprisonment (physical) for the cause of Christ…” Phil. 1:1, 8, 12-13