Ephesians 2:1-6

Introduction

“You” — Paul is again referencing the Gentiles. He will bring the Jews and himself personally into the equation in verse 3. He is only differentiating between the two to make a point that we are all in this together.

Sometimes we can look at others and judge our own sinfulness on a curve. We look at others and say, “Well at least I am not as bad as them!” Jews were sometimes notorious for this in Paul’s day…believers in Christ can be guilty of such in our own day.

Paul is making clear to anyone who reads these words, Gentiles and Jews alike, we are all in the same boat at birth. We are all born sinners and in need of a Savior from sin and death. And dead is just what we were...

Have you heard of the App you can get on your phone called “WeCroak?” Five times a day, everyday, it will tell you at random intervals that you are going to die. It does not mince words. It surprises me at unpredictable intervals, always with the same blunt message: “Don’t forget, you’re going to die.”

It is as if he believes we need this reminder in order to appreciate and understand more fully what Christ has done for us. Death is not something we want to think much about and having moved from death to life in Christ we might neglect to remember from where it is we have come!

In this case Paul has a different kind of reminder…you were once dead but now you are alive…don’t forget…you are alive! But those around you…they are still dead!

“Dead” — This is a reference to spiritual death. We understand our spiritual condition using the same kind of language in which we understand our physical condition. A person is either alive or dead. They are either a living, breathing person or a corpse and the same holds true spiritually…everyone is either alive or dead…there is no in between.

“Dead” — Unable to respond to any impulse or to perform some function --”unable, ineffective, dead, powerless.” “Since the reference in Eph 2:5 (see also Eph 2:1) is to matters relating to God, one may translate ‘we who were unable to respond to matters relating to God because of our sins .”

We were powerless, unable to respond to matters relating to God. Just like a corpse is unable to respond to any kind of physical stimuli, we were dead to any spiritual stimuli. Our soul was dead to God.

Paul now explains the nature of what spiritual death entails. It is not a cessation of existence but an existence completely separated from God...

Dead through our trespasses (sin as a fall, a false step, an offense) and sins (missing the mark). Our sin is what killed us spiritually. The human race chose rebellion against God in the person of our first parents and we are all born with the consequences. We, like David says in Psalm 51:5 are conceived a sinner and born so.

Psalm 51:5 CSB

Indeed, I was guilty when I was born; I was sinful when my mother conceived me.

At birth, our identity as human beings is “sinner.” And because this is our nature it is what we choose to “walk in.” Our natural inclination is to sin. Trespasses and sins were our natural course of life. It was simply who we were. This was the moral and spiritual quality of our life.

“Ways of the world” — You have heard what it means to have a “world view” (a particular philosophy of life or conception of the world).

For the purposes of our research, we investigate a biblical worldview based on eight elements. A person with a biblical worldview believes that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life, God is the all-powerful and all-knowing Creator of the universe and he still rules it today, salvation is a gift from God and cannot be earned, Satan is real, a Christian has a responsibility to share his or her faith in Christ with other people, the Bible is accurate in all of the principles it teaches, unchanging moral truth exists, and such moral truth is defined by the Bible.

In our research, we have found that people who embrace these eight components live a substantially different faith from from other Americans--indeed, from other believers. What we believe influences our choices.

Getting back to the issue of spiritual depth, if two-thirds of young adults have made a commitment to Jesus before, how many do you think possess a biblical worldview? Our research shows only 3 percent of Busters and Mosaics embrace these eight elements. That is just one out of every twenty-two young adults who have made a commitment to Christ. (Although older adults are more likely to have such a perspective, it is also a small slice--only 9 percent--who do.) — What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity…and Why It Matters David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons Pg 75

Before we placed faith in Christ our world view was evil, wicked, Godless and self-centered…and we made our choices on the basis of this world view. If it felt good we did it…if we wanted it we took it…we pursued whatever might bring us greater stature or position regardless the cost.

“To live in this manner is to conform to the world’s shifting standards of right and wrong, to be swept up in its pleasures and its practices.” Vaughan, C. (2002). Ephesians (p. 45). Cape Coral, FL: Founders Press.

We ask the question, “How can people be so wicked, callous and cold?” How can people riot day after day, looting, killing, destroying the property of others?

How can people care nothing for others and live ruthlessly selfish lives? How can people live in a habitual state of sin with seemingly no thought of their soul, the souls of those they hurt or the heart of God that they break?

The answer is simple — These are the lives of those who are spiritually dead to God, alive in sin and walking in the ways of the world…they are living a un-Christian worldview.

The Air

But Paul doesn’t stop there…his description of spiritual death becomes even more vivid. He states those spiritually dead people, living in the ways of the world are actually living their life in accordance with the rule of the power of the air…Satan.

They are living under the power and dominion of Satan. “Their life is determined and shaped by the master of evil, the supreme ruler of all wickedness.” (Vaughn)

They are living a life pleasing to Satan who is their spiritual father. Satan currently has a sphere of influence in the air or world in which we live. Those who are alive in Christ fight against that power but those who are dead in their sins live according to his power, influence and will for them.

Satan and the demons of hell work in the air around us to influence and/or possess the lives of those who are spiritually dead. He does all he can to keep the spiritually dead and disobedient right where they are…providing them new temptations, ideas and creativity to continue being so.

“We” — The “we” just happened in verse three…Paul is now bringing the Jews into the conversation…saying, “Hey this involves us too…we were just like you before we came to faith in Jesus.” And we as believers in the 21st century…we used to be like them too!

Fleshly desires — We all used to live according to our passions. We lived a slave to the desire for what is forbidden. Our mind would come up with an evil scheme and our flesh would carry it out.

Objects of divine wrath — Those who are spiritually dead live under the wrath of God right now. God is hostile to all that is evil…if He were not so He could never be considered righteous. God hates sin and all who walk in sin are under His wrath.

So the lost are dead to God. They do not hear His Holy Spirit and have no relationship with Him. They are living their life in sin, according to a world view of wickedness under the authority and dominion of Satan. They live under the wrath of God.

And at one time…all of us…were right where they are now.

Mercy

“Man’s sin and God’s wrath serve as the dark background against which the riches of God’s mercy and the greatness of His love and grace shine forth the more brilliantly.” Vaughan, C. (2002). Ephesians (p. 48). Cape Coral, FL: Founders Press.

We were there but we are saved…Amazing Grace how sweet the sound…I once was lost. We need to remember that we too once were lost and allow our hearts to be broken over the lostness all around us.

We were once in the grips of death. But now we are raised to new life in Christ. We were once in bondage to sin but now are set free by grace and saved. Once we were disobedient and separated from God but now we are saved to fellowship with Him.

We could never save ourselves…it was something only God could do and He chose to do it from the greatness of His mercy…a mercy found in His great love.

In verses 5, 6 Paul recounts three experiences of believers that are traceable to divine mercy and love. These are: a spiritual quickening, a spiritual resurrection, and a spiritual exaltation. They are the counterparts of the literal quickening, resurrection, and exaltation of Christ (cf. 1:20–23). Vaughan, C. (2002). Ephesians (p. 48). Cape Coral, FL: Founders Press.

And all of this comes to us by grace…we are saved by grace! God’s unmerited favor which springs forth from His incomprehensible Agape love.

Conclusion

God took the initiative and saved us…He loved us and chose to have mercy upon us. God has done great things for us. Things unimaginable. We cannot comprehend this side of heaven the greatness and awesome nature of what God has done to move us from sin, death and wrath to holiness, life and blessedness in Christ.

But the glimpse of our blessings this side of the veil gives us perspective and motivation as we love the lost. We are moved to mercy, love, grace, forgiveness…we are moved to share the Gospel and be the light.

In 1972, NASA launched the exploratory space probe "Pioneer 10." Its main mission was to reach Jupiter and send back information about that planet. It was a bold plan because at that time no satellite had gone beyond Mars. Pioneer 10 accomplished its mission and so much more. In November 1973 it swung past Jupiter, then it passed Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. By 1997, Pioneer 10 was more than six billion miles from the sun. Despite that immense distance, Pioneer 10 continued to beam back radio signals to earth. The most remarkable thing was that those signals were powered by an 8-watt transmitter, which radiates about as much power as a bedroom night light. Not even the most optimistic scientist could have ever imagined what that little 8-watt transmitter could do.

So it is when you and I offer ourselves to God in faithful obedience. It's just incredible what God can do through little 8-watt transmitters like you and me, when we're turned on for Him.

You may not believe yourself to be much of a difference maker in this world filled with lost people…literally hell bent, living under the dominion of Satan and in the wrath of God. But we are the light. We are God’s means of reaching them. We are a trophy of His grace and a testimony to His life.

We have to gain a new perspective…Remember…someday we are going to die a physical death but never a spiritual one. These around us, living like and for the devil, will face both. Send the Light!

There’s a call comes ringing o’er the restless wave, “Send the light! Send the light!” There are souls to rescue, there are souls to save, Send the light! Send the light!

Refrain: Send the light, the blessed Gospel light; Let it shine from shore to shore! Send the light, and let its radiant beams Light the world forevermore!

Let us pray that grace may everywhere abound, “Send the light! Send the light!” And a Christlike spirit everywhere be found, Send the light! Send the light!

Let us not grow weary in the work of love, “Send the light! Send the light!” Let us gather jewels for a crown above, Send the light! Send the light!