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Sermon #4006

In Heavenly Places

A Sermon on the Heavenly Places from Ephesians 1:3

Originally preached Nov. 7, 1954

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Scripture

Ephesians 1:3 ESV KJV
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, (ESV)

Sermon Description

When a person is saved, a profound change occurs and they are taken from one realm to another. The non-Christian only knows the earthly realm. But the Christian knows two realms: earthly and heavenly. In this sermon on Ephesians 1:3 titled “In Heavenly Places,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones expounds the mystery of Paul’s words, showing that in Christ, the Christian has heavenly citizenship. The consequence of this teaching is far-reaching. This makes the Christian an enigma to others and to themselves. They wrestle with sin like others do but do not enjoy it. There are social consequences as well. While the world places its confidence in the perfectibility of humanity and hope for a better future through education, government, and culture, the Christian is engaged in such matters, but their hope is firmly set on the heavenly places, in their afterlife with Christ. Their faith is on the sure ground of the return of Christ and the eternal home where the Savior is, seated in the heavenlies. No one can change their nature; it is only done through faith in God's only Son.

Sermon Breakdown

  1. The phrase 'heavenly places' is used frequently in Ephesians to refer to the spiritual realm where God and spiritual beings exist.
  2. Christians have access to the heavenly places through their union with Christ.
  3. The blessings Christians receive are spiritual blessings from the heavenly places.
  4. Christ is currently seated in the heavenly places, and Christians are seated there with Him.
  5. Christians have two natures: an earthly nature and a spiritual nature from the heavenly places. There is tension between these natures.
  6. Christians live in two worlds: the earthly world and the spiritual world of the heavenly places. They have responsibilities in both worlds.
  7. Christians have two perspectives: an earthly perspective and a heavenly perspective. The heavenly perspective sees the spiritual roots of earthly problems.
  8. The earthly solution is to restrain evil through governments and culture. The heavenly solution is the spread of Christ's kingdom through salvation.
  9. The earthly view sees gradual human progress. The heavenly view sees Christ's return and the establishment of His kingdom.

Sermon Q&A

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Teaching on "In Heavenly Places" in Ephesians

What does the phrase "in heavenly places" mean in Ephesians 1:3?

According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, the phrase "in heavenly places" (or "in the heavenlies") refers to the spiritual realm where God manifests His presence and glory. This is the "third heaven" in Jewish conception - beyond the atmospheric heaven (where clouds are) and the stellar heaven (where stars and planets are). It is "that realm in which God in a very special way manifests his presence and his glory. It is also the place where the Lord Jesus Christ in his resurrected body dwells." It is where angels and "the spirits of just men made perfect" (believers who have died) currently abide.

How many times does the phrase "heavenly places" appear in Ephesians?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones points out that the phrase "heavenly places" (or "in the heavenlies") appears five times in the epistle to the Ephesians: 1. Ephesians 1:3 - "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ." 2. Ephesians 1:20 - Describing God's power "which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places." 3. Ephesians 2:6 - "God hath quickened us together with Christ and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." 4. Ephesians 3:10 - God's purpose is "that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God." 5. Ephesians 6:12 - "We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places [which should be 'in heavenly places']."

How does being "in heavenly places" affect a Christian's daily experience?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that because believers are "in Christ" and Christ is in the heavenly places, Christians experience a profound duality in their existence:

  1. Christians have two natures - "The Christian, by definition, is a man that the non-Christian cannot possibly understand." While still having the "natural" nature, Christians also possess a spiritual nature that makes them different. "The Christian at his very worst knows that he is different."

  2. Christians live in two worlds simultaneously - "The Christian is a citizen at one and the same time of two worlds." While still belonging to this physical world with responsibilities in it, Christians have also been "translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear son."

  3. Christians have two outlooks - They see things as others do but also "differently at the same time." Christians view world problems not merely in political or social terms but primarily as spiritual conflicts: "We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers."

How can Christians be "seated in heavenly places" while still on earth?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains this seeming paradox: "Spiritually, I am in heaven at this moment in Christ, in one sense, as much as I shall ever be. But my body is still left on earth...My spirit has been redeemed in Christ as much as it will ever be redeemed. But my body is not yet redeemed."

He quotes Augustus Toplady: "More happy, but not more secure, the glorified spirits in heaven." This means believers who have died are happier because they're freed from earthly struggles, but they are not more secure in Christ than living believers who are already spiritually seated with Christ in the heavenly realm.

How does the "heavenly places" perspective change how Christians view world problems?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones contrasts two approaches to world problems:

  1. The world's approach sees problems in terms of "the balance of power, certain political and social alignments" and seeks solutions through human enactments, conferences, and agreements.

  2. The Christian's approach recognizes the spiritual dimension: "The Christian knows that the world is as it is because of Satan." While God uses governments to restrain evil (negatively), only Christ and His salvation can cure the problem of sin (positively).

The Christian's hope is not in human progress but in Christ's return: "Christ, who is in the heavenly places at this moment, will come again into this visible world...and banish sin and evil. And his kingdom shall stretch from shore to shore."

The Book of Ephesians

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.