Already Home: How Our Spirits Are Seated With Christ in Heaven
Though our feet walk the earth, our spirits rest above—hidden with Christ in the heavenlies.
A dear brother in Christ recently asked which Scriptures I turn to for my understanding that our spirits are already in heaven. He shared that a friend of his was curious, having never encountered this idea before. In my experience, when someone runs into a biblical truth they’ve never heard, it often marks the beginning of a deeper unveiling—and I believe this may be one of those beautiful moments. While the thought may sound unusual at first, especially for those taught to see salvation primarily as a future hope, a careful look at the grammar, context, and doctrinal development of the New Testament reveals that this is not speculation—it is the unveiled reality of our present union with Christ.
My friend and his friend are currently reading With by Skye Jethani, which is written from a framework that reflects the more common dichotomist view of human nature—understanding body and soul/spirit as a single, unified whole. This is entirely understandable, as many in the Reformed and evangelical traditions have taught this for decades. Still, I believe it opens the door to gently consider the trichotomist view—that we are body, soul, and spirit: distinct yet integrated. This view, supported by Scriptures like 1 Thessalonians 5:23 (“...your whole spirit and soul and body...”) and Hebrews 4:12 (“...dividing soul and spirit…”), brings clarity to what truly happened at salvation.
According to this view, our spirit is the part of us that was made completely new and joined to the risen Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Corinthians 6:17), our soul—comprised of mind, will, and emotions—is still being renewed (Romans 12:2), and our body awaits glorification at the resurrection (Romans 8:23).
With that framework in place, we’re ready to explore why Scripture confidently declares that our spirits are already in heaven with Christ.
📍 1. We Are Already Seated With Christ in the Heavenly Places
Ephesians 2:4–6 – “...even when we were dead in our transgressions, [God] made us alive together with Christ... and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”
The Greek verb for “seated” here is συνεκάθισεν (synekathisen)—an aorist active indicative. It speaks of a completed action in the past. Paul does not say we will be seated; he says we have been seated.
This is positional truth, describing where our spirit now resides—in Christ, who is Himself seated at the right hand of the Father (Eph. 1:20). Our bodies remain on earth, but our spirits have been placed into Christ—and where He is, we are (cf. Colossians 3:1).
📍 2. Our Lives Are Hidden With Christ in God
Colossians 3:1–3 – “If then you have been raised with Christ... set your minds on things above... For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
“You have died” (Greek: ἀπεθάνετε – apethanete) is again in the aorist—a done deal. Your old man (the unregenerate spirit in Adam) is gone, crucified with Christ (Romans 6:6).
Your new spirit has been raised with Christ and is now “hidden with Him” in God—presently, not metaphorically. You don’t just have a relationship with God—you have union with Him in the deepest part of your being.
📍 3. We Are One Spirit With the Lord
1 Corinthians 6:17 – “But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him.”
This is an astounding statement. It doesn’t say we will become one spirit; it says we are. The Greek here is ἓν πνεῦμά ἐστιν—“is one spirit.” Present tense, reality now.
This isn’t a mystical union. It’s a spiritual reality: your regenerated spirit has been fused with Christ’s Spirit. And since Christ is in heaven, your spirit—joined with His—is already in heaven positionally and relationally.
📍 4. We Are Citizens of Heaven Now
Philippians 3:20 – “Our citizenship is in heaven…”
This is not a future promise—it’s a present declaration. The Greek word for “citizenship” is πολίτευμα (politeuma), referring to our current governing authority and identity. Just as an ambassador remains physically in a foreign land while representing his home country, your body remains on earth, but your spirit derives life from heaven.
📍 5. We Have Been Made Complete in Christ
Colossians 2:9–10 – “...in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete.”
Our spiritual completeness is not progressive. The Greek ἐστὲ πεπληρωμένοι (este peplērōmenoi) is a perfect tense passive—meaning it’s a completed action with ongoing results.
You are not becoming complete—you have been made complete, and this completeness resides in your new spirit, already joined with Christ.
📍 6. We Are Absent From the Body, But Present With the Lord
2 Corinthians 5:6–8 – “...while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord... yet we prefer to be absent from the body and at home with the Lord.”
This seems to suggest separation—but it’s addressing bodily presence, not spiritual union. Paul also says earlier that “we walk by faith, not by sight.” Spiritually, we are already with Christ (Colossians 3:3), even while our bodies remain here.
🧬 Why Trichotomy Clarifies This So Beautifully
From the trichotomist view:
Your body is your earth suit (still awaiting redemption),
Your soul is your mind, will, and emotions (being renewed),
Your spirit is the part of you made new and fused with Christ (2 Cor. 5:17; 1 Cor. 6:17).
This is why Paul can say with confidence:
“...though our outer man is decaying, our inner man is being renewed day by day.” (2 Cor. 4:16)
It’s also why believers are told:
“Walk by the Spirit... live by the Spirit... be filled with the Spirit...”
Because we are already joined to that very Spirit.
💬 The Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
You are no longer who you once were. The old man was crucified with Christ, and I did not raise him again. I raised you as a new creation—born not of flesh or striving, but of My Spirit. Your life now flows from Me, not from the self you left behind. The moment you believed, I made you alive together with Christ. I placed you into Him, and what is true of Him became true of you.
You were raised and seated with Him in the heavenly places—not someday, but already. The place of your spirit is secure, hidden in Me, beyond the reach of condemnation or decay. I have sealed you with Myself, and where I dwell, you dwell also.
Though your body still walks this earth and your soul is being renewed day by day, your spirit is already joined to Mine. One spirit. Not two. Not side by side. One. Your spirit is no longer a lonely vessel seeking connection—it is fused with Mine, living by My indwelling life, filled with My peace, moved by My desires.
I do not wait for you in heaven as though I were far off. I am your abiding place, and you are already at home in Me. Your citizenship is not pending; it is present. You are not waiting to belong—you already do. You are seated with Christ in the place of authority, rest, and favor. My Son is your life now, and where He is, you are.
You may not see it with your eyes yet, but this is not fiction—it is faith. Faith receives what I have already declared to be true. Your old mind may resist it, but I am renewing that mind daily, shaping it to recognize what your spirit already knows: you are Mine. I have completed the work in your spirit. You are whole there—lacking nothing.
The world will tell you that transformation comes through effort. I tell you it comes through union. You are not climbing toward Me; I have descended into you. You are not reaching upward—I have raised you already. Live from that place. Think from that place. Rest in that place.
Your inner man is being renewed day by day because I live there. I do not visit—I indwell. And My indwelling is your assurance that you are no longer earthbound in identity. You belong to another realm, a higher country, and I am the guarantee of your inheritance. Heaven is not just your destination—it is the source of your life now.
I call you to walk by the Spirit not to burden you, but to awaken you to who you already are. This is not performance—it is partnership. You walk not to become new, but because you are new. You walk not to draw near, but because you are already near. I have brought you home in Christ, and I will never leave you. Not in this moment. Not in the next. Never.
So lift your eyes—not in desperation, but in recognition. Set your mind on things above, not to escape earth, but to live from heaven while on earth. Live as one who is already seated, already hidden, already joined, already loved. Because in Christ, you are.
Scriptures Woven Throughout:
Romans 6:6; Galatians 2:20; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:4–6; Colossians 3:1–3; 1 Corinthians 6:17; Ephesians 1:13–14; Philippians 3:20; Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians 4:16; John 14:20; Hebrews 10:14; Romans 8:9–11; Colossians 2:9–10; Romans 8:14–17; Galatians 5:25; John 17:21–23
🙏 A Prayer From My Heart
Father, thank You for opening my eyes to what You’ve already done—not just what You will do. Thank You that I’m not trying to get closer to You, but that in my spirit, I’m already with You—hidden, seated, joined, and complete in Christ.
Let this truth renew my mind, settle my emotions, guide my will, and awaken my affections. You are not far—I am already home in You. May I now walk from that reality with joy and trust, from faith to faith.
Amen.