God has raised us up and seated us with Christ. Our natural inclination would be to assume that this will happen in the future, but the text clearly says it has already happened. So what on earth (or what in heaven) does it mean to say we have been seated with Christ? Well I don't have a full understanding or explanation, but here are some thoughts. The heavenly realms are the place of spiritual conflict, and the place where Christ has been seated at the right hand of God with all power and authority. Before we came to Christ we were dead in our sins, but we have been raised to new life with Christ. While eternal life will only be fully consummated when Christ returns, it starts now. Now we can start to live the new life and start to live in the new authority.
The purpose of all this is that riches of God's grace might be demonstrated in the ages to come. So verse 6 clearly talks about something that is already true, while verse 7 talks about something that will happen after Christ's return. At Christ's return God will have a people who are fully Christlike. For a long time it looked utterly impossible that such a thing could happen, for all of us, Jews and Gentiles, lived in disobedience with a naturally rebellious nature. But now, in Christ, things are changing. At the end of time God will be proved to be completely and amazingly wise and successful in His plans.
The purpose of all this is that riches of God's grace might be demonstrated in the ages to come. So verse 6 clearly talks about something that is already true, while verse 7 talks about something that will happen after Christ's return. At Christ's return God will have a people who are fully Christlike. For a long time it looked utterly impossible that such a thing could happen, for all of us, Jews and Gentiles, lived in disobedience with a naturally rebellious nature. But now, in Christ, things are changing. At the end of time God will be proved to be completely and amazingly wise and successful in His plans.
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