SF893 - What is the Result of the Fall (Ephesians 2 1-10)
Ephesians 2:1-10
Introduction
Man was created by the special act of God, in His own image, and is the crowning work of His creation. In the beginning man was innocent of sin and was endowed by His Creator with freedom of choice. By his free choice man sinned against God and brought sin into the human race. Through the temptation of Satan man transgressed the command of God, and fell from his original innocence; whereby his posterity inherit a nature and an environment inclined toward sin, and as soon as they are capable of moral action become transgressors and are under condemnation. Only the grace of God can bring man into His holy fellowship and enable man to fulfill the creative purpose of God. The sacredness of human personality is evident in that God created man in His own image, and in that Christ died for man; therefore every man possesses dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love. (The 1963 Baptist Faith and Message Article III)
When we speak of man's depravity we mean man's natural condition apart from any grace exerted by God to restrain or transform man.
There is no doubt that man could perform more evil acts toward his fellow man than he does. But if he is restrained from performing more evil acts by motives that are not owing to his glad submission to God, then even his "virtue" is evil in the sight of God.
Romans 14:23 says, "Whatever is not from faith is sin." This is a radical indictment of all natural "virtue" that does not flow from a heart humbly relying on God's grace.
The terrible condition of man's heart will never be recognized by people who assess it only in relation to other men. Romans 14:23 makes plain that depravity is our condition in relation to God primarily, and only secondarily in relation to man. Unless we start here we will never grasp the totality of our natural depravity.
What the doctrine of total depravity does not teach
Ø That lost people are as wicked as they could possibly be.
Ø That lost mankind does not make choices concerning good and evil.
Ø That lost mankind does not have a will.
Ø That God is somehow forcing lost people to choose to sin.
Ø That lost people cannot intellectually understand the gospel.
Ø That the image of God is completely destroyed by the Fall.
Ø That lost people do not or cannot believe certain things.
Paul describes our condition prior to the new birth (2:1-3)
1A. Every Human Being is a Sinner
“you…your…we too…us…we”
Romans 3:9 (NASB) 9What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin;
Romans 3:23 (NASB) 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Isaiah 53:6 (NASB) 6All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.
This is the common truth about all people! “We are sons of disobedience.
2A. Ever Human Being Sins
Paul describes for us the manner in which we sin.
1B. Lost people walk according to the course of this world. (2:2a)
They have the values of this age.
Ø We have the ideas of this age.
They have not set their minds on eternal things but on the creature.
Romans 1:25 (NASB) 25For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
They are not seeking the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. (Matthew 6:33)
They are those in Psalm 1 who walk in the counsel of the wicked, and stand in the path of sinners, and sit in the seat of scoffers!
2B. Lost people live as the sons of disobedience (2:2b)
Every person rejects God and His revelation of himself.
Ø “Sons of disobedience” implies that in the mind and hearts of all people is a moral standard because they are made in the image of God and they are living in disobedience to it.
Romans 2:14-15 (NASB) 14For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, 15in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them,
Because of their disobedience, lost people are easily controlled by Satan.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 (NASB) 3And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
Ø These sons of disobedience willing go along with Satan.
Ø They find themselves bound by the power of the prince and the power of the air.
His power is universal.
His power is limited to this world.
3B. Lost people are indulging the desires of the flesh and the mind.
The flesh dominates the person who is outside of Christ.
Ø They enjoy sin it fulfills their fleshly desires.
Satan simply takes advantage of the desires that are within us.
3A. Ever Human Being is a Sinner Because of Their Nature
1B. Lost people are dead in their trespasses and sin.
Spiritual death began in Eden
Genesis 2:17 (NASB) 17but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”
Ø When the crime was committed the sentence was executed, death. Death included…
Spiritual death, separation from God.
Physical death, “you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:16-19)
Spiritual death speaks of a lost person’s spiritual incapacity.
Ø Spiritual death is the condition of being devoid of God’s Spirit and therefore being unable to submit ourselves to God.
Romans 8:6-9 (NASB) 6For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 8and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.
Spiritual death means lost people have no desire to know God, to love God or be with Him.
1 Corinthians 2:14 (NASB) 14But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.
Ø This is a willful rejection of the things of God that arises from man’s spiritual inabilities and rebellion.
Ø Because he does not accept he cannot understand them. We are spiritually insensitive.
Spiritual death means that lost people cannot resurrect themselves from their spiritual condition. (John 11; Lazarus)
Spiritual death means that lost people are bound by their sin.
John 8:34 (NASB) 34Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.
Inability does not remove responsibility.
All men are commanded to love God with all their being and our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:36-ff), but John makes it clear that the only born-again Christians can do this. (1 John 4:19-21; 5:1-4)
2B. Lost people are by nature children of wrath (2:3b)
Children, teknon, has to do with physical generation.
Nature, phusis; refers to the conditions of our birth
Galatians 2:15 (NASB) 15“We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles;
We are born sinners. Our moral nature is from birth in rebellion against God.
Psalm 51:5 (NASB) 5Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.
Ø Paul does not set this forth as an excuse but as an explanation of our condition and that we are deservedly are under God’s wrath.
Because of our nature, God’s wrath is justly upon us!
Ø As long as we are alive, it is a testimony of God’s mercy.
Ø By nature we are all children of wrath.
Application
(1) Our rebellion against God is total. Apart from the grace of God there is no delight in the holiness of God, and there is no glad submission to the sovereign authority of God.
(2) In his total rebellion everything man does is sin. Romans 14:23 says, "Whatever is not from faith is sin."
(3) Man's inability to submit to God and do good is total.
(4) Our rebellion is totally deserving of eternal punishment
There is an encouragement here for those who are still dead in their sins.
John 5:24-25 (NASB) 24“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. 25“Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.
Revelation 22:17 (NASB) 17The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.
WHAT IS THE RESULT OF THE FALL?
Ephesians 2:1-10
Introduction
What the doctrine of total depravity does not teach
Ø That lost people are as wicked as they could possibly be.
Ø That lost mankind does not make choices concerning good and evil.
Ø That lost mankind does not have a will.
Ø That God is somehow forcing lost people to choose to sin.
Ø That lost people cannot intellectually understand the gospel.
Ø That the image of God is completely destroyed by the Fall.
Ø That lost people do not or cannot believe certain things.
1A. Every Human Being is a ___________________ (Romans 3:9; 23; Isaiah 53:6)
2A. Ever Human Being ________________________
1B. Lost people walk according to the course of this __________________. (2:2a)
They have the values of this age.
They have not set their minds on eternal things but on the creature. (Romans 1:25)
They are not seeking the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. (Matthew 6:33)
2B. Lost people live as the sons of disobedience (2:2b)
Every person rejects God and His revelation of himself. (Romans 2:14-15)
Because of their disobedience, lost people are easily controlled by Satan. (2 Corinthians 4:3-4)
3B. Lost people are indulging the desires of the ____________________ and the mind.
The flesh dominates the person who is outside of Christ.
3A. Ever Human Being is a Sinner Because of Their __________________________
1B. Lost people are dead in their trespasses and sin.
Spiritual death began in Eden (Genesis 2:17)
Spiritual death speaks of a lost person’s spiritual incapacity. (Romans 8:6-9)
Spiritual death means lost people have no desire to know God, to love God or be with Him. (1 Corinthians 2:14)
Spiritual death means that lost people cannot resurrect themselves from their spiritual condition. (John 11; Lazarus)
Spiritual death means that lost people are bound by their sin. (John 8:34)
Inability does not remove responsibility. (Matthew 22:36-ff; 1 John 4:19-21; 5:1-4)
2B. Lost people are by nature children of wrath (2:3b)
We are _____________ sinners. Our moral nature is from birth in rebellion against God. (Psalm 51:5 )
Because of our nature, God’s wrath is justly upon us!