Are you seated in heaven or still stuck in Kansas?
In 1875, a Missouri farmer named William Jackson won a lawsuit that gave him land rights he had never seen. The deed promised him 160 acres of fertile farmland in Kansas. But Jackson never went to claim it. He kept working his rocky soil in Missouri, living poor and worn, while acres of wheat-ready land lay in his name just over the border. He died, never having set foot on what was already his.
You Are Already Seated in Heaven, Already Heirs in Christ
That’s the life of many believers today. We are joint-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:16–17). All the riches of heaven are ours because the Father has given all things into His hands (John 3:35). In Christ, we share in His inheritance (Ephesians 1:11; Colossians 1:12). But do we live as if our best life lies on the other side of the grave, only accessible after death? Have we forgotten that God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 2:6)?
Jesus says in Revelation 3:21, “Just as I was victorious and sat down with My Father on His throne, to the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with Me on My throne.” Do we catch this vision from Jesus—our Savior, seated at the right hand of our Father, and you and me seated next to Him? This is not a future promise only — it’s our soul’s present position. Our soul is in our body, yes, with our spirt and His Holy Spirit, but also seated in heaven with our Father and Jesus. Spiritually, your soul is already at home with Christ.
And if you are seated with Christ, then everything He has by right is also yours by inheritance.
“The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:16-17). Paul explains it this way: “In Him we have obtained an inheritance” (Ephesians 1:11). Notice the tense — not “will obtain,” but “have obtained.”
What Belongs to Jesus?
“The Father has given all things into His hands” (John 3:35). And if all things belong to Him, and we are co-heirs, then in Him all things belong to us. Not someday “in the sweet by and by,” but now.
Jesus’ death released this inheritance to those who are in His will. “A will is in force only when somebody has died” (Hebrews 9:17). The writer of Hebrews isn’t speaking of our death, but Jesus’. His death unlocked what He already owned so that we could share in it now.
So What Is Our Inheritance?
Our inheritance in Christ includes provision (Philippians 4:19), health and healing (1 Peter 2:24), fruitfulness (Psalm 127:3), blessing on the work of our hands (Deuteronomy 28:12), peace (John 14:27), joy (John 15:11), and eternal life (John 17:3). If we’re not enjoying our inheritance, why not? Could it be that we are like William Jackson, living poor and worn down, while an abundance of God’s goodness lies just beyond today’s borders? Jackson died without setting foot on what was already his. Will we?
How Do We Take Possession of Our Inheritance?
In several places, Jesus tells us to “ask” in prayer what we desire from our Father. The Greek word for “ask” is αἰτέω (aiteō), which carries more than the idea of a hopeful request. It means “demand, call for, require, or claim a right that is due.” This asking comes with eager expectation. It’s like going to a teller to request money from our bank account. We are making a withdrawal from heaven’s riches of something that is already ours.
- John 14:13–14 – “And whatever you ask (αἰτήσητε, aitēsēte) in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask (aiteō) Me anything in My name, I will do it.”
- John 15:7 – “If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask (aiteō) whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
- John 16:23–24 – “In that day you will ask (aiteō) nothing of Me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask (aiteō) of the Father in My name, He will give it to you. Until now, you have asked (aiteō) nothing in My name. Ask (aiteō), and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”
Aiteō doesn’t mean demanding from a position of arrogance. The nuance is confidence—boldly claiming what we know to be ours.
Perhaps you doubt your prayer will help—that your plea will move God’s heart. Maybe you’ve asked God to move in the past and waited and seen nothing change. In fact, things got worse. Discouragement fills your heart. Even reading these verses — which in your head you know to be true — leaves your heart heavy.
Not for me, you think. Been there, tried that. Nada.
Now you’re in a pickle. If God’s Word isn’t true — if the words of Jesus haven’t delivered in the past — then what’s to say Jesus is who He claims to be? What’s to say His words can be trusted?
Two Choices
Like Abraham, you stand at a crossroads: either trust God and His word or walk away. You can decide His Word is dead and false, and get on with your life as best you can.
Or you can confess aloud that God is not a liar.You can stand on His Word for what it is — life itself.
If you choose to trust God, then lift your prayer with confidence and expectation. Don’t ask as if you’re unsure. Claim what has already been given to you through Jesus. In Christ, our Father has already given us all things. You are already seated in heaven, heirs in Christ. If we’re waiting for God to act, know this: God is waiting for us to claim what is ours.
