You were Dead, but now Alive

Introduction

Today we are continuing our progression through the book of Ephesians. (Recap)

Spiritual Blessings (v1-14)

Introduction (v1-3)

An Inheritance (v4-14) - Spiritual blessings of the Saints

Of Being Chosen (v4)

Of Adoption (v5)

Of Acceptance (v6)

Of Redemption (v7)

Of Revelation (v8-10)

Of Predestination (v11)

Of Assurance (v12-14)

Paul’s First Prayer (v15-23)

Paul’s Prompt

He Heard of their Testimony (v15)

It was Known

It made a Difference

He Expresses Thanksgiving (v16)

His Passion / Persistence

His Petition

Paul’s Prayer

For their Preparation (v17a)

For their Perfection (v17b)

For them to know their Purpose (v18a)

For their Prosperity (v18b)

For the Fulness of His Power in Them (v19)

Concerning the Placement of Christ (v20-22)

At the Right Hand of the Father

Above Everyone and Everything Else

At the Head of the Church

Concerning the Position of the Church (v23)

So we’ve seen that in the first message at the onset of the letter, Paul speaks of these great benefits / blessings that we enjoy as Christians, but in Chapter 2, Paul deals with the most basic of blessings Christians enjoy - Salvation.

Today’s message is titled ‘You Were Dead, but Now Alive’

The first thing that I want you to see is that It’s Personal

I. It’s Personal (v1)

This is in essence a summary statement for the entire passage to which we’re looking at today - and serves as the basis for the title of the message itself.

You Were Dead

I will remind you that Paul is writing to Christians. He is reminding them of the fact that they WERE Dead - past tense.

He’s not talking about prior to their physical birth, he’s speaking of their past state SPIRITUALLY. But what does this mean?

The lost person is not sick, they are dead. They need not resuscitation, they need resurrection!

In it’s most basic form, there are two types of people - those alive and those dead. Some are not more-dead than others, they are all equally dead! It doesn’t matter if they’re a crack addict, a Hollywood Starlet, a pedophile or a suburban soccer mom! If they’re dead, they’re dead!

We were dead, but He made us alive!

He Made You Alive

(Ill.) A man lying on a gurney in the operating room. His heart stops. The doctor grabs the paddles and says ‘Clear’ - he shocks the heart, the man is brought back to life. Question: Did the man bring himself back to life or did the doctor?

The same holds true for you and I. HE quickened you and I! Thank God

BUT THAT’S NOT THE POINT I WANTED TO MAKE WITH THIS!

Look at the 2nd word - ‘YOU’. This is singular usage of the word. He didn’t say ‘And ye hath he quickened…’ - he said ‘you’.

Now he’s speaking to the church, but the point is, Salvation is personal!

(Ill.) Have you been born again, YOU HATH HE QUICKENED! Which means, YOU were dead, and HE made you ALIVE!

We were dead, but He made us alive!

It’s Personal

II. Our Past (v2-3)

Now here, Paul goes a little more in depth to the utter wickedness and inability of who they used to be.

Our Path was Perverted

‘You USED to walk just as the world walked’

Let me say this: The way of our world is wicked and growing worse.

We walked in lockstep with the heathen

We walked under the influence of Satan

Consider the world’s value system:

The world cares more for the convenience of the mother than the life of the unborn baby

The world (our country) decided it was too non-consequential to have George Washington’s birthday continue to be a national holiday, but we celebrate a whole month for Pride.

Our current administration used Easter to celebrate ‘Trans day of visibility’

1962 prayer was taken out of schools. Since then, over 2,000 school shootings have taken place in America - yet it’s the gun’s fault.

There’s no doubt of the Satanic influence upon pop culture in our society today. Our Path was Perverted

Our Conversation was Corrupt

This word ‘Conversation’ is not simply our speech, but (def) General course of manners; behavior; deportment; especially as it respects morals.

Like animals, we’d seek to fulfil the lust of the flesh.

(Ill.) We went out west recently, and one of the things that I bought before we got out there was bear spray. Do you know why? I didn’t want to get eaten by a bear. Anyway, if a bear saw me and he was hungry, he’d have no problem tracking me down and having supper.

But that’s just the way an animal is - they live by the lust of their flesh!

Our corrupt desires and lusts of the flesh weren’t in isolation - they were born out of the lusts of our mind.

Everything about the way we used to be Christians were wicked, corrupt & perverted - but there’s a reason for that

Our Conversation was Corrupt, because our Nature was Offensive - to God

Our Nature was Offensive

We “were BY NATURE the children of wrath”

There’s good reason why our Path was Perverted, and our Conversation Corrupt - it’s because our very nature is wholly sinful and an offense to a HOLY God!

The Bible makes this clear:

(Read Rom. 3:10-18)

This for the Christian, is the way it USED to be! This is our past - and MAKE NO MISTAKE - if you think somehow you ‘weren’t all that bad’, then you’re either in denial about yourself, OR you’re STILL dead in trespass’ & sins.

Our Nature was Offensive

Paul makes it Personal. Then addresses our Past

III. God’s Passion (v4)

It begins with two words…

Regardless, God…

‘But God,’. This is one of those ‘great big but’s of the Bible’. And it’s truly an amazing thought - But God…

Regardless of how Perverted our Path was

Regardless of how Corrupt our Conversation was

Regardless of how Offensive we were to God

Oh how sad our state would be without that word!

God could have looked at us as worthless and not worthy of redemption - and He would have been right!

We were LOST! We were DEAD! Our WALK was Wicked, our Conversation was Wicked - EVERYTHING ABOUT US WAS WICKED… Regardless

God set that truth to the side! Why? Because of the Riches of God!

The Riches of God

His Mercy

He’s Rich in mercy church!

I deserve Hell! I should be bound for Hell on a bullet train - But My God is Rich in Mercy

Sometimes people offend us, and we get offended and we’re mad and ready to ‘give them what they deserve!’ - boy, I thank God that He’s not like that!

He’s rich in Mercy, but He’s also Rich in Love

His Love

I truly don’t understand why God would love me. Most people don’t love me - even those closer to me. But I can’t blame them, I don’t even like me half the time.

But my God loves me. Do you know how I know that He loves me? He died for me.

Yes, my LORD loved me enough to be taken, beaten, mocked, humiliated, smitten.

He wore a crown of thorns - for me

He allowed the heathen to drive nails into his hands - and feet - for me

He hung there between Heaven and earth, while those that passed by wagged their heads in disgust - for me

He suffered the separation from the Father - for me

He cried out IT IS FINISHED - and gave up the ghost - for me.

He was buried… but then three days later He rose from the grave - FOR ME!

Jesus loves me, this I know! For the Bible tells me so!

Jesus loves Even Me! This Passion Drove Him to the depths of Hell SO THAT I COULD BE SAVED!

Paul makes it Personal. He addresses our Past, He speaks of God’s Passion, now of God’s Power

IV. God’s Power (v5)

To Give Life to the Dead

Bringing the dead to life is no easy task. But it’s not too hard for my God!

(Ill.) The Bible tells us about a man named Lazarus - he was sick & they sent for Jesus. But Jesus tarried before he left, and by the time they got to Bethany, Lazarus had died and been buried for four days. He asks to be taken to the grave and we see this exchange: John 11:39 “Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.”

They thought that it was too much for Jesus to bring life to a body that had been dead for 4 days - but THIS man (me) had been dead for over 26 years when Jesus came along! Then once Jesus came along, it took the same thing to bring life into me as it did unto Lazarus - the Word and a prayer! Jesus spoke the Word unto my heart, I prayed unto Him and what was dead, now had life!

God has the Power to bring the dead to life! But also to give Fellowship to the Fallen

To Give Fellowship to the Fallen

‘Together with Christ’

The Bible tells us: 1 Corinthians 15:20–22 “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”

Not only has Christ made me alive, but God has brought me into fellowship with Christ Jesus!

Let me say this: A lot of people will let you down in this world. No one is perfect - but Jesus will never let you down!

He is the Burden bearer

He is the Friend that sticketh closer than a brother

He will never leave nor forsake you

And by the Power of God, we have fellowship with Him!

His Power gave Fellowship to the Fallen

Paul makes it Personal. He addresses our Past, He speaks of God’s Passion, God’s Power, next our Placement

V. Our Placement (v6-7)

Next Paul speaks of our Placement - where we are in the eyes of God

He has Elevated Us in Christ

Notice the word here - “And hath…”

That is ‘past-tense’. But what does this mean?

It means that God is not ‘redeeming me’. He HAS REDEEMED ME.

My position in Heaven is not up for debate - in the eyes of God it’s as if I’m there already!

It’s a shame that Satan has so many people fooled into thinking that we can’t be sure about our Salvation, because we can!

He HAS - ALREADY DONE - Elevated us in Christ

He has Provided an Expectation of the Ages

I have an expectation - that far from now, in the ages to come, when time is no longer a thing - the exceeding riches of His grace are still going to be shew forth. The kindness that He’s demonstrated toward me will still be evident.

(Ill.) I was saved about 24 years ago. In these past 24 years, I’ve grown to appreciate what Christ has done for me more and more. I wonder how greatly that will grow a multitude of years from now!

Our Placement is in Heaven already in Christ

Paul makes it Personal. He addresses our Past, He speaks of God’s Passion, God’s Power, our Placement, next our Present

VI. Our Present (v8-9)

Reminder - when I’m speaking of ‘The Present’ and ‘The Past’, I’m speaking from a Christian’s perspective. If you’ve never been born again, then your present is the past we’ve spoken about. You have no reason to glory, as NOTHING HAS CHANGED!

Salvation is By Grace through Faith

This is the most basic and elementary of statements concerning our Salvation in Scripture, yet man still tends to mess it up. We are saved BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH

God’s Grace (def) Unmerited Favor is the method we are saved by. It’s ‘not of ourselves’. In other words:

It’s not who your daddy is

It’s not how good you are

It’s not because of your race or nationality

It’s not because you have kept the law

It’s because of God’s GRACE - UNMERITED favor!

How we ATTAIN God’s Grace is through FAITH

Faith in the finished work of Christ

Faith in the Sacrificial atonement for our sins

Faith in what HE DID not what WE DO

Salvation is By Grace through Faith and that not of yourselves - it could not be more clear

Salvation is a Gift to be Received, not a Wage to be Earned

Gift (def) any thing given or bestowed; any thing, the property of which is voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation

Wage (def) to hire for pay; employ for wages

These are as far apart as the east is from the west.

If it is one, then it is not the other. Paul makes that clear to the church at Rome Romans 11:6 “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.”

Salvation is a gift to be received, not a wage to be earned

Glory is therefore God’s not Man’s

Consider this: If I could earn my salvation, then I could boast about my salvation - (Ill.) Just as if I earned a new Lamborghini, I could brag about my Lamborghini - but if God gave me a Lamborghini, then the glory goes to God, not me.

(Read Rom. 3:24-28)

Glory is therefore God’s not Man’s

VII. Our Purpose (v10)

So where do works fit in? Are they excluded? For salvation, yes.

You see, True salvation is not by works, but Salvation experienced will work

Created In Christ, Unto Good Works

Whereas before I couldn’t live Spiritual - I couldn’t bring forth eternal goodness and righteousness, now I can! God has created me UNTO good works - for the purpose OF!

Earlier in this message I stressed the fact that we were wicked. That’s what we were.

Now we see that Christ - through His Great Love and Grace Saved us, so that we would have good works.

This is the difference between the lost and the saved - and it SHOULD BE EVIDENT between the lost and the saved.

In other words, we’re expected by God to Walk Therein

Expected by God to Walk Therein

The difference between the lost and saved couldn’t be further apart - my question to you is - when people look at your life, do they see that difference?

If you’ve been saved, there should be that difference. If not, you need to consider why not?

We’re expected by God to Walk Therein

Conclusion