Dead in Trespasses

Good morning and welcome to NHCC. Please open your Bibles to Ephesians 2.

Read Ephesians 2:1-2- “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—”

Pray.

Doctor sees three patients. Have some bad news and good news. You’re dying of cancer, but there is a cure. Difficult, invasive, painful, but helpful.

First patient- I don’t like hearing this news. You make me feel bad about myself and what is going on in my body. Leaves to go home so he will no longer feel this way.

Second patient- I don’t like hearing this news. You make me feel bad about myself and what is going on in my body. Leaves to find another opinion so that she can be convinced that she is fine.

Third patient- I don’t like hearing this news. You make me feel bad about myself and what is going on in my body. But I’m glad to hear of the cure. Let’s begin today.

Difficult text this morning that gives some description of the life without Jesus.

Why is Paul going this direction? Remember where we have been.

Paul exclaims the blessings given by God to believers. What blessings specifically? Given in these 10 verses.

Then, Paul moves on to a prayer, and prays that the Ephesian Christians would know God as He has been revealed.

Paul’s great desire in chapter 1 is that these Christians would know who God is and what God has done for them.

Expanding on Ephesians 1:19- “...and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might...”

We want to know the power of God, His strength, particularly as it is expressed for us.

Power presumes a problem.

Something needs to be done that cannot be done by just anyone. So it requires the power or strength of another.

Observing the strength of my dad in seeing him do things that I couldn’t do.

What we have is a text that begins with what cannot be done. It is a putting away of self-sufficiency.

Before we can praise God for His strength in salvation, we must first observe the problem that necessitates God’s power.

Paul draws our eyes and hearts to life apart from Jesus- How will we receive what God’s Word says?

1. A diagnosis of the former life.

Three phrases in our text that illustrate the immensity of our problem. Let’s look at them backwards in the text.

Following the course of this world.

Paul describes the former life in this way. Everyone, even his readers, Paul included, at one point followed the course of this world.

This makes sense when we think logically.

If there is no faith in God, no relationship with Him whatsoever, then what other option do we have? We are fish in the water of our world, often without ever being made aware.

We may not regularly consider it, but all of our actions, viewpoints, ideas, outlooks, have to come from somewhere.

Passed down from parents, seen in our peers, read in a book, viewed in a television program; from where do we get the course of our lives? What it means to be a success? How do we find meaning?

Kids with dating.

Paul makes clear what we observe- prior to life in Jesus, we follow what is around us.

This sounds fine, until we remember that the way of the world may not be the best path for us to walk.

Again, can’t we observe this? All the riches in the world, yet depression sets in. All the company we can keep, yet constantly feeling lonely.

The course of this world has been evaluated and we find that it is broken. Indeed, put another way, we find that such a course is contrary to God’s plan for this life.

Charles Hodge- “They walked in sin. They were daily conversant with it and were devoted to it. They were surrounded by it and clothed with it.”

This course can take a few different forms; let’s consider briefly two:

The first, we might call the traditional worldview.

This worldview is concerned with social hierarchy, personal responsibility, good works, familial structure.

Everything needs to run smoothly and everyone ought to know their place.

Worldview of works- We need to be good enough.

Completely contrary to the gospel, which states that no one can look good enough, let along be good enough.

The second, we might call the emergent worldview.

Profoundly narcissistic (self-love, self-care), autonomous, conveniently pluralistic- believe what you want, do what you want, fulfill whatever makes you your true self.

The gospel reminds us that Jesus referred to Himself as the way, the truth and the life. That salvation is found in Him alone.

Following the course of the world means that we do not pursue the way of Christ. And if we do not pursue Jesus, then Paul says we are walking in sin.

To better illustrate this concept of following the course of this world, Paul uses the imagery of walking.

Walking in trespasses and sins.

Walk- the well trodden areas of life, the places in which we have made paths.

Driving to work.

Trespasses- great word to illustrate sin.

Gerhard Tersteegen- Thou Hidden Love of God- “Yet hindrances strew all the way; I aim at thee, yet from thee stray.”

Is this not life? We hear what is right, what is good, what is truly fulfilling, and yet we live and walk elsewhere.

Paul says it is walking in trespasses and sins.

Finally, Paul makes the most pointed and offensive statement- Because we walk in trespasses, we are dead.

Dead.

Clearly not speaking of physical or emotional death, but instead death that is spiritual in nature.

Paul describes actions that require physical and emotional life.

Spiritual death is the lacking of spiritual life.

A couple of ways to picture this.

First, lacking holiness.

Our sinfulness causes us to be more like the world than we are like God.

If God is without sin, entirely holy, and cannot be corrupted by sin, then we have no place in the presence of God.

Psalm 24:3-4- “Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.”

Is it possible that we take far too likely our approach into the presence of God?

Thus, if we lack holiness, we are cut off from the Life-giver.

Psalm 36:9- “For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.”

God is the fountain of life. It is His to give life as He sees fit.

Psalm 16:11- “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

Not only is God such a fountain, He makes known to sinners what true life is and how it is to be lived.

So, here is our existence apart from Jesus- Death, walking and living in sin, not following God and His Word, but instead figuring out life according to the world around us.

This is the bad news. So where do we find hope this morning?

2. Some really great news.

Illustration of the doctor falls short.

We are not cancerous, we are dead. We love thinking of ourselves as sick, or drowning, needing to reach up and grab the life preserver.

Paul is not unclear- We were dead.

John Calvin- “Our condition, therefore, though many treat it with ridicule, or, at least, with little disapprobation, may well excite our horror.”

Why does Paul use the language of death?

Couple of reasons.

First, it sets everyone on the same level.

There are no degrees of death- Princess Bride- Mostly dead.

Everyone, including these believers who are living godly lives, everyone was dead.

There is no one better than another, no holier than thou, only those who have experienced spiritual death.

The need is universal- We need Jesus.

Second, so that we would rightly understand the remedy.

When death is the reality, nothing will work but resurrection.

No medicine, no life preserver, no convincing of correct philosophy or worldview. We have no set of rules to offer you that will bring true, eternal life. None of these are needed.

We need to be brought to life.

Remember, power of God is meant to be displayed and known.

His power is shown in His bringing to life those who are dead.

What is this good news? We have been resurrected. Or we can be resurrected. All of us were dead. Some have been given life. How do we know? How can such power be proven?

God raised Jesus.

Remember Psalm 24? Who can ascend God’s holy hill? Who can be in his presence? Only those with clean hands.

God’s resurrecting power is a cleansing power. When we are raised to life, we are made new, given a new heart, made a new creation.

This is the very heart of baptism.

Gerhard Tersteegen- Thou Hidden Love of God- “Each moment draw from earth away; My heart that lowly waits thy call: Speak to my inmost soul, and say, I am thy love, thy God, thy all! To feel thy power, to hear thy voice, To taste thy love, be all my choice.”

This is to be our prayer this morning. Take everything else away. Give me you. May you be my choice. Our remedy is known, given to us at great cost. Lord, bring us to life through the death of your Son Jesus.

Let’s pray.