Most Christians still see themselves in the fallen state of Adam, even though Jesus, in His death and resurrection, has brought man back into full communion with the Father. We still see ourselves more after the flesh than after the Spirit because we're residing our mortal bodies. When we read the Word, we still identify more with the first Adam rather than the Last Adam.
The world and the devil desire to keep God's people more focused on themselves rather than on Jesus. We're much more aware of our failures instead of His victory on our behalf. When we read the New Testament, we still identify with the old covenant more than the new one. People believe that it's "just human nature" to think this way and they are right. What we do not seem to understand is that we are supposed to see and think differently after we're born again.
We believe that so much of what Jesus has done for us is for our life in heaven. But, according to Ephesians 2:5-6 (Amplified), the Father says differently saying, "Even when we were dead (slain) by (our own) short comings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ (He) gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him, for it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation). And He raised up together with Him and made us sit down together (giving us joint seating with Him) in the heavenly sphere (by virtue of our being) in Christ Jesus (the Messiah) the Anointed One."
We spend far too much time educating the flesh and far too little time thinking about the spirit. The Holy Spirit will reveal our heavenly seating in Jesus to you and the world and satan will reveal you in the flesh to your own efforts. Through the Holy Spirit's revelations to him, Paul says we're already seated with Jesus where the Father is concerned.
When this flesh body is literally dead, we will only change location from here to where we're no longer separated from Him by this "house" we live in now. 2Corinthians 5:1-4 (Amplified) says, "For we know that if the tent which is our earthly home is destroyed (dissolved), we have from God a building, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Here indeed, in this (present abode, body) we sigh and groan inwardly, because we yearn to be clothed over (we yearn to put on our celestial body like a garment, to be filled out) with our heavenly dwelling." Verse 3-4 go on, "So that by putting it on we may not be found naked (without a body). For while we are still in this tent, we groan under the burden and sigh deeply (weighed down, depressed, oppressed)-not that we want to put off the body (the clothing of the spirit) but rather that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal (our dying body) may be swallowed up by life (after the resurrection)."
The only thing separating us from our place with the Father is this house (body) we now live in. Everything else has been done in Christ Jesus. We've already become new creatures in Christ, we've already been justified and we're already seated with Him in Heavenly Places. The only thing left to do is to finish the job He sent us here to do. We are to be laborers of the harvest who bring forth fruit (new believers) into the His Kingdom. We are to be His Body on this earth.
2Corinthians 5:7-8 (Amplified) tells us, "For we walk by faith (we regulate our lives and conduct ourselves by our conviction or belief respecting man's relationship to God and divine things with truth and holy fervor thus we walk) not by sight or appearance. (Yes) we have confidence and hopeful courage and are pleased rather to be away from home out of the body and be at home with the Lord."
Paul tells us not to look at this place as "home," but to see it as a place to walk out what we're called to do. We are not to always have our eyes on self, but to understand by faith, who and what we really are. The only thing holding us here is our "Earth suit." When we put off this Earth suit, then we won't be held down on this planet any longer.
Our purpose for remaining in this world is made clear in 2Corinthians 5:17-18 (Amplified) which says, "Therefore if any person is (ingrafted) in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation ( a new creature altogether) the old (previous moral and spiritual condition) has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come." Verse 18 says, "But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to Himself (received us into favor, brought us into harmony with Himself) and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation (that by word and deed we might bring others into harmony with Him)."
The entire purpose for our residing here, instead of being in heaven with Him, is to reconcile the world back into harmony with Him. Our actual home is already "Seated with Him in heavenly places." 2Corinthians 6:1 (Amplified) says, "Laboring together (as God's fellow workers) with Him then, we beg of you not to receive the grace of God in vain (that merciful kindness by which God exerts His holy influence on souls and turns them to Christ, keeping them and strengthening them) do not receive it to no purpose."
Our earthly purpose is that we are to be laborers in the harvest, according to 1John 4:2 (Amplified) which says, "Beloved, we are (even here and) God's children; it is not yet disclosed (made clear) what we shall be (hereafter), but we know that when He comes and is manifested, we shall (as God's children) resemble and be like Him, for we shall see Him just as He (really) is."
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