Q&A 46 What do you mean by saying, "He ascended to heaven"?

That Christ,

while his disciples watched,

was lifted up from the earth to heaven¹

and will be there for our good²

until he comes again

to judge the living and the dead.³

 

¹ Luke 24:50-51; Acts 1:9-11

² Rom. 8:34; Eph. 4:8-10; Heb. 7:23-25; 9:24

³ Acts 1:11

Q&A 47 But isn't Christ with us until the end of the world as he promised us?¹

Christ is true man and true God.

In his human nature Christ is not now on earth;²

but in his divinity, majesty, grace, and Spirit

he is not absent from us for a moment.³

 

¹ Matt. 28:20

² Acts 1:9-11; 3:19-21

³ Matt. 28:18-20; John 14:16-19

Q&A 48 If his humanity is not present wherever his divinity is, then aren't the two natures of Christ separated from each other?

Certainly not.

Since divinity

is not limited

and is present everywhere,¹

it is evident that

Christ's divinity is surely beyond the bounds of

the humanity he has taken on,

but at the same time his divinity is in

and remains personally united to

his humanity.²

 

¹ Jer. 23:23-24; Acts 7:48-49 (Isa. 66:1)

² John 1:14; 3:13; Col. 2:9

Q&A 49 How does Christ's ascension to heaven benefit us?

First, he pleads our cause

in heaven

in the presence of his Father.¹

 

Second, we have our own flesh in heaven--

a guarantee that Christ our head

will take us, his members,

to himself in heaven.²

 

Third, he sends his Spirit to us on earth

as a further guarantee.³

By the Spirit's power

we make the goal of our lives,

not earthly things,

but the things above where Christ is,

sitting at God's right hand.⁴

 

¹ Rom. 8:34; 1 John 2:1

² John 14:2; 17:24; Eph. 2:4-6

³ John 14:16; 2 Cor. 1:21-22; 5:5

⁴ Col. 3:1-4

 

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