Old Condition to New Position; Sinner to Saints; Trash to Trophies part 1
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Have you ever been to the City Museum in St. Louis? If you haven’t been, it should go on a bucket list if you have kids, grandkids, or any kids in your life that you like well enough to take them to do special things. There are so many things for children to climb up, under, through, and on top of that it is a wonder for anyone who has a spirit of adventure. But perhaps the most poignant part of this building in downtown St. Louis is that everything seems to be made out of junk. It’s as though someone went down to the victory recycling with a welder in the back of their truck and said, “I know, let’s made a playground out of all of this stuff!”. Trash into trophies.
1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 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— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Trash! Worse than trash. Dead! Apart from Christ we were dead in our sins. Ephesians 2:1 “1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins”.
Dead men tell no tails is an infamous saying, but it’s true. Once you die you no longer are communicating with the living. When we were dead to God, we had no way to communicate to Him. We had no way to save ourselves.
Having made this declaration, Paul will now show three ways mankind is spiritually dead.
Following the Course of the World Ephesians 2:2 “2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world...”
Following the Prince of the Power of the Air the devil “...following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-”
“The final term ἀήρ, “air,” was thought in ancient times to be that which filled the space between the earth and moon. The Greeks thought this term referred to the lower impure air, the home of the spirits, as opposed to the higher pure air, the ether...In the present context it is the place or sphere of the activity of the devil. It denotes both universality4 and locality.” -Harold Hoehner
Matthew 9:34 “34 But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the prince of demons.”
Matthew 12:22–25 “22 Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” 25 Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand.”
Mark 3:22 “22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.””
Luke 11:15–18 “15 But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons,” 16 while others, to test him, kept seeking from him a sign from heaven. 17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. 18 And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul.”
John 12:31 “31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.”
1 John 5:19 “19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.”
13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
Carrying out the desires of the flesh Ephesians 2:3 “3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.”
Treasures! Ephesians 2:4–10 “4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
The old condition is sin, the new position is in Christ.