Yes — believers are already seated with Christ in the heavenlies, positionally and in God's sight.
God has made believers alive together with Christ, raised them up, and set them in the heavenlies in Him. This is a present positional reality, not a future physical one, and it is given entirely by grace through faith.
Ephesians 2:6 — This verse explicitly states that God has raised believers up and made them sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
In Ephesians 2, Paul describes believers as having been 'dead in trespasses and sins.' He then says that God, 'even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.' The language is past tense: God has already done this in Christ. Paul reinforces the believer's heavenly identity in Philippians 3:20: 'For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.'
Les Feldick takes Paul's words at face value. He tells believers, 'You don't feel like you're sitting in heaven tonight, do you? I don't either. But you know what? We are.' He explains that 'so far as God is concerned, we're already seated in the heavenlies in the person of Christ.' This is a positional standing, not a physical location, and it is true for every believer of the Gospel. Les also says, 'Positionally in the mind of God we are already in Heaven,' and he links the position to citizenship: 'Our citizenship is in Heaven, from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.' Les stresses that none of this is earned. It is 'not by works. Not by joining something. Not by doing something. But how? By grace. The unmerited favor of God accomplished all these things.' Although believers are already seated, he says they are still 'waiting for the day when we will be taken up into the heavenlies, and to be in union with Christ Himself.' At death, the believer's spirit and soul go immediately to be with Christ in heaven, but the body waits for the resurrection day.
Les acknowledges the tension: 'You don't feel like you're sitting in heaven tonight, do you? I don't either. But you know what? We are.' He explains that as far as God is concerned, believers are already seated in the heavenlies in the person of Christ. The believer's daily experience on earth does not change the positional reality God has already declared.
Les is emphatic that this is not something a person earns. He says it is 'not by works. Not by joining something. Not by doing something. But how? By grace. The unmerited favor of God accomplished all these things.' Ephesians 2:8 confirms the same truth: 'For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.'
According to Les, believers are already seated in the heavenlies 'and waiting for the day when we will be taken up into the heavenlies, and to be in union with Christ Himself.' The present position is fixed, but the outward, bodily removal to heaven is still future. Paul says in Philippians 3:20 that 'our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.'
Les teaches that 'the believer, as soon as he dies, his spirit soul takes flight to the presence of Christ in heaven.' There it waits for the day of resurrection when it will be reunited with the resurrected body. So the seated position is already true in God's sight, while the full bodily experience of heaven awaits the resurrection.
The Former State of the Believer
Les explains the 'dead in trespasses and sins' condition that believers had before God made them alive — the old Adamic nature, living according to the course of this world, and by nature children of wrath.
Positionally Seated in the Heavenlies in Christ
Les shows that God has raised believers up and made them sit together in the heavenlies in Christ, so that as far as God is concerned they are already there — not by works but by grace.
The Rapture vs. The Second Coming — What's the Difference?
Now granted as we saw in an earlier lesson when we become a believer, what does God expect? That we withdraw from the world and all of its appetites. Naturally He expects that, but that�s not qualification for salvation. Those are the things that follow salvation. But here�s the qualification if we�re going to be in this number, that we have believed the Gospel.
Already Seated and Waiting to Be Taken Up
Les teaches that believers of the Gospel are already seated in the heavenlies and are waiting for the day they will be taken up into the heavenlies to be in union with Christ Himself.
Positionally in Heaven; Citizenship in Heaven
Les says that positionally in the mind of God, believers are already in Heaven, and that their citizenship is in Heaven, from which they also look for the Savior.
Our Position Based on Christ's Exaltation
Les ties the believer's position to Christ's resurrection and seating at God's right hand; when Christ is in heaven, believers are seen as being there in Him.
At Death, the Spirit Goes to Christ
Les explains that when a believer dies, his spirit and soul go immediately to the presence of Christ in heaven, where they wait for the resurrection day and reunion with the body.
God's Righteousness Explained — Romans 3 Verse by Verse
You know, I'm always warning folks, when we talk about believers coming before the judgment seat of Christ, I imagine a lot of believers still think that somehow they're going to have to be dealt with sin at the judgment seat of Christ. No, you won't. You'll never face your sin when you come up into glory. Because your sin has been judged already. It was judged there at the cross.
Ephesians 2:1: And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
This verse sets out the condition from which believers are made alive.
Ephesians 2:5: Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
This shows that God made believers alive together with Christ by grace.
Ephesians 2:6: And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
This is the key verse declaring that believers are already seated in the heavenlies in Christ.
Ephesians 2:8: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
This confirms that this position is by grace through faith and not by works.
Philippians 3:20: For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
This connects the believer's heavenly position to citizenship in heaven.
In God's sight, because you are in Christ, you are already seated with Him in the heavenlies. Les explains that this is positional: 'So far as God is concerned, we're already seated in the heavenlies in the person of Christ.' It does not mean you leave earth now, but that your standing before God is already heavenly.
No. Les says this position is 'not by works. Not by joining something. Not by doing something. But how? By grace. The unmerited favor of God accomplished all these things.' Believers receive it simply by believing the Gospel.
Yes. Les says 'the believer, as soon as he dies, his spirit soul takes flight to the presence of Christ in heaven.' However, the body is not yet resurrected; it waits for the day of resurrection when it will be reunited with the spirit.
Les says believers have been translated into the Kingdom by virtue of salvation and that 'our citizenship is in Heaven, from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.' It means a believer's true home and destiny are heavenly, not earthly.
Watch the Teaching: Why Grace Always Wins Over Sin — Romans 5:15-20 Explained