I like good seats. When I go to a sporting event or a concert or some other special presentation in a large venue, I like to get good seats . . . I don’t like paying for them . . . but I like to get good seats. I like to be near where the action is . . . I’m not much of a binoculars guy, so if I’m going to watch it, I need to be near enough, or at least have a good enough vantage point, to clearly see what’s going on.

On a few occasions, I’ve been invited to a Seattle Mariners game and to watch it from one of the hospitality rooms — sitting in those perfectly placed box seats. Now that’s how to a watch a game. Perched over the third base line . . . with the game in front of you . . . and a room full of food behind you. Able to move from seat to buffet table without having to say “Excuse me . . . pardon me . . . excuse me”. Those are good seats!

This morning, as I read Ephesians 2, I read about some more good seating . . .

“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:4-6).

Were I to list all the benefits of salvation, in addition to forgiveness of sins, relationship with God, and eternal life, I’d have to write down, “Good seats!” Through faith in the finished work of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, on the cross, I have been made alive, raised up, and seated in heavenly realms in Christ. There’s a seat with my name on it . . . purchased with the blood of Christ . . . and, it is a front row seat . . . center stage . . . behind the home plate . . . on the 50 yard line . . . pick whatever picture you want . . . just know that, as believers, we have sweet seats together with Christ in heavenly places.

In the company of Jesus . . . He whose “exclusive seating” is located at the right hand of the throne of God (Eph. 1:20). You don’t get much closer to “the action” than that. Reserved seating in the heavenly Holy of Holies . . . so close you can reach out and touch Him . . . ah, no . . . so close you would do nothing but fall on Your face and worship Him! And it says we occupy those seats even now . . . we are seated there now . . . our presence is known there even at this moment as He makes intercession for His beloved children (Rom. 8:34). But then, a day will come, and just as we have been raised in newness of life spiritually, we will be raised in newness of life physically and transported to our seats . . . taking up our place at the marriage supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:9) . . . settling into the customized venue that Jesus has been preparing for us for the last 2,000 years (John 14:1-3) . . . oh, don’t you love good seats!

I can’t afford premier seating at a professional sporting event . . . and I could never pay the price for seats in the heavenly places. And I certainly don’t merit front row seating because of who I am or what I’ve done . . . in fact, were my seating based on what I’ve done, I’d be seated in the basement . . . far, far away from the where the action of glory is. Nope, my seat was graced to me. Even when I was dead in trespasses and sin . . . even when I was still an enemy of God, caring nothing for the things of the kingdom of heaven . . . it was then He made me alive together with Christ . . . by grace I was saved. And He determined to bless me beyond “just” the salvation of my soul . . . He reserved for me a seat . . . a real good seat . . . a spot in heavenly places in the One I love.

By faith I enjoy, in some measure, the vantage point of heaven from that seat today . . . the Spirit of God interceding with my spirit to reveal something of the glory that awaits. But the day is coming, perhaps very soon, when I will take that seat “face to face.” I’ll enter the venue . . . won’t need an usher, I’ll know just where to sit . . . and the glory of the place with fill me with indescribable awe . . . only to pale when I see the One who loved me so much He sent His Son to redeem me and purchase for me a place in the heavenlies. And, I’m guessing I won’t sit in that seat very long before I find myself either standing or facedown as I join the choir of heaven and declare, “Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb, forever and ever!” (Rev. 5:13). Those are good seats! Amen?