Wednesday, October 25, 2023

Ephesians 2:1-3

I don’t watch a lot of TV. Mostly what I watch is just sports, football, and college basketball. I don’t have any series that I watch and I don’t watch much reality TV. But when I do watch reality TV, one the types I like to watch are the ones where they come in and flip a house. They buy an old dilapidated house, and then fix it up. At the end they always show the before and after pictures. It’s amazing how different some of them can be.

When we bought our house in Naples, it was built in 1907, it needed lots of work. Unfortunately, we weren’t good at taking the before pictures. So, when we got done, all we had was the after pictures. It would have been nice to be able to have both and then put them side-by-side to compare them and see how big of a change was made. The problem was that even after living there for 14 years, there were still things that were on our initial “to do list” that never got done. By that time, I was just glad it became someone else’s problem.

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Tonight, we are going to start looking at the second chapter of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. In this chapter, Paul gives us the before, during and after pictures of a life in Christ. He goes into detail about what we looked like before coming to God’s call to salvation. We see what that salvation process looked like, how it took place. And finally, Paul ends the chapter with what the life of the born-again follower of Jesus Christ should look like.

There is lots of information in this chapter, and we are going to break it up into probably five different sections. Tonight we are looking at the first section in verses 1-3, but I want to read through verse 10 to start with, so we can get the overview; the top-down picture.

Ephesians 2:1-10

2 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins 2 in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler who exercises authority over the lower heavens, the spirit now working in the disobedient. 3 We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us, 5 made us alive with the Messiah even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! 6 Together with Christ Jesus He also raised us up and seated us in the heavens, 7 so that in the coming ages He might display the immeasurable riches of His grace through His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— 9 not from works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.

Verses 1-3 define for us what the life of the believer was like prior to coming to faith in Christ.

Ephesians 2:1-3

2 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins 2 in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler who exercises authority over the lower heavens, the spirit now working in the disobedient. 3 We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also.

This gives us a picture in the mind of God, what the unbeliever looks like. This who we all were at one time, before salvation. This is who many in our world still are today; those who walk away from God, or counter to God. They remain eternally separated from the Father. Paul says

the life of the unbeliever can be divided into four sections, categories, or labels.

· It’s a life of death (vs 1)

· It’s a life of transgressions and sins (vs 1-2)

· It’s a life spent with the disobedient of the world (vs 3)

· It’s a life under the wrath of God (vs 3)

Let’s look at each of these pictures individually.

I. A life of Death (vs 1)

Ephesians 2:1

2 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins.

I’m not sure that the scripture can be any clearer concerning the life before Christ, then with this text right here. Before Christ you were DEAD in your sins. The death Paul is speaking of here is the not a physical death. Of course, that’s not the case, because we were all physically alive before coming to Christ. The death mentioned in verse one is talking about our spiritual death.

The basic meaning of death is separation.

Death never means extinction, annihilation or even ceasing to exist. Death means a person is separated. Either physically from their body, or spiritually from the Glory of the Father.

Mankind was created to be in fellowship and communion with the Heavenly Father. We were created to be in His presence. Unfortunately, at the fall, and through our own sin nature, we are not in fellowship and we do not worship our Heavenly Father. Therefore,

Because of sin we are separated from God’s presence and from His glory.

We are separated from the purpose for which we were created; thus, separated from God and living of life of death.

In the Bible we read about

Three different TYPES of death.

1. Physical Death

The first form of death is physical death. This is the one we most commonly think of when we hear the word death.

Hebrews 9:27

27 it is appointed for people to die once—and after this, judgment.

This is separation of the soul and spirit from the physical body.

2. Spiritual Death

The second form of death is Spiritual Death. This is the

Separation of man from God.

Though someone may be alive physically, it is very possible to also be dead spiritually.

In the parable of the Prodigal Son, Jesus tells us that the Father said when the son returned home:

Luke 15:32

32 But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’

Any person who has not partaken in Christ, who has not been joined with Christ is spiritually dead.

John 6:53

53 So Jesus said to them, “I assure you: Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you do not have life in yourselves.

1 John 5:12

12 The one who has the Son has life. The one who doesn’t have the Son of God does not have life.

Any person who lives in their sinful nature and does not accept the new nature provided in Christ is spiritually dead.

Colossians 2:13

13 And when you were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh (sinful nature), He made you alive with Him and forgave us all our trespasses.

Even those who practice religious works and deeds, yet do them with the wrong motivation and a wicked heart, are spiritually dead.

Revelation 3:1

3 “Write to the angel of the church in Sardis:

“The One who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars says: I know your works; you have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead.

3. Eternal Death

The final form of death comes when one who is spiritually dead remains that way into eternity because they did not receive spiritual life before physical death. This is eternal separation from the Heavenly Father for eternity, this is the “second death.”

Romans 6:23

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

2 Thessalonians 1:9

9 These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction from the Lord’s presence and from His glorious strength

James 5:20

20 let him know that whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his life from death and cover a multitude of sins.

Everyone who has not believed on Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, is spiritually dead; separated from their creator. At their physical death, this becomes eternal death, if they never believe on Christ.

This is the picture of the life of the believer before salvation; they were dead in their sins.

II. A life of Trespass and sin (vs 1-2)

Along that same line, the life of the believer before salvation, is a life of transgression and sin. It is this transgression and sin that separates us from the Father, and gives us our spiritual death.

Ephesians 2:1-2

2 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins 2 in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler who exercises authority over the lower heavens, the spirit now working in the disobedient.

The word translated here as trespasses can also be translated to “transgressions.”

The word transgression means to fall, slip, blunder, deviate, or wander away.

It is a person who deviates from the truth of the Word of God, falls from the right way, or wanders away from God and righteousness.

2 Corinthians 5:19

19 That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed the message of reconciliation to us.

The Word Sin, means to mis the mark.

Romans 3:23

23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

The glory of God is the mark we have missed. In God’s glory there is no sin, there is no imperfection, there are no transgressions.

To be in God’s glory is to walk in perfection and holiness.

It is that glory which is required to stand in the presence of the Father.

In our sinful nature, we fall short, WAY short of that glory.

But, in Christ, the glory of God, the state of perfection and holiness is placed upon us. Our sins and transgressions are atoned for, they are paid for, and we are ransomed from our spiritual death and are made alive in Christ. We are no longer positionally living in sin, but we are positionally in Christ.

Before salvation, before coming to faith, Christians live a life that is in sin and transgressions.

1. In that sin, the sinner follows the “ways of the world.”

That simply means that whatever the world; culture and society, say is right, what they think, what they profess, what they set as a standard is what we follow. Taking the ways of the world goes against the will of God.

James 4:4

4 Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the world’s friend becomes God’s enemy.

1 John 2:15

15 Do not love the world or the things that belong to the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him.

2. The sinner follows under the power of Satan

“According to the ruler who exercises authority over the lower heavens.”

Also called the ruler of the kingdom of the air.

Though man was never intended to be, or to live in evil, through our sin, mankind chooses to follow the ways of Satan.

John 8:44

44 You are of your father the Devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and has not stood in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of liars.

2 Corinthians 4:4

4 In their case, the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

3. The Sinner follows in disobedience.

“The spirit now working in the disobedient”

Simply, the sinner before coming to Christ refuses to be obedient to God; refuses to listen to the will and direction of God. Though that direction leads to redemption and life, we are still disobedient.

Matthew 7:26-27

26 But everyone who hears these words of Mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. And its collapse was great!”

Before faith in Christ, before belief, the follower of Christ walked in a life of trespasses and sin, resulting is spiritual death

III. A life of disobedience in the world (vs 3)

Third, the life before Christ, is a life that of disobedience in the world.

Ephesians 2:3

3 We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also.

When thinking of disobedience, we often think of an action or lack of action that is taken; we either do something we were told not to do, or don’t do something we were told TO DO. But, if we look at this text, we see that this disobedience is not only in the flesh, but also in the mind, in our thoughts.

The unconverted man lives a life to fulfill the desires of his flesh and his mind because that is all we know. Everything is self-centered because God-centered does not exist yet for him. Therefore,

The believer before coming to faith lives a life of disobedience to the will and ways of God in his action and his thoughts.

Matthew 5:28

28 But I tell you, everyone who looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart

James 1:15

15 Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.

IV. A life under the wrath of God (vs 3)

Finally, the life of the believer before Christ is a life that is under the wrath of God.

“and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also.”

Because of our sin, we were spiritually dead; separated from our heavenly Father. Because of that separation, because our sinful nature would not allow us to stand in the presence of God, we were under His wrath, bound for eternal punishment and torment.

A just God, must enact a just punishment. And the punishment for sin is the wrath of God.

Without having our sin cleansed and removed, we remain under that wrath.

John 3:36

36 The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who refuses to believe in the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him.

It was not Jesus who brought this wrath into the world, it was our own sin which required a just punishment. God, in His gracious mercy, which we will talk about next week, sent Jesus to die in our place, to pay our sins penalty, and to reconcile us back to the Father in righteousness.

If mankind chooses to reject God’s gift of salvation through Christ, we remain under His wrath.

Romans 2:8

8 but wrath and indignation to those who are self-seeking and disobey the truth but are obeying unrighteousness;

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Our life before Christ was a life that was spiritually dead, full of transgressions and sin, disobedient to the will of God, and under the wrath of God.

Next week we will begin to look at the transformative process of going from that to who we are today in Christ.