090 Ephesians: Dead or Alive?

As we continue our series from the book of Ephesians, we come to some of the most miraculous, hope-filled, life-changing verses in the whole epistle. These words are like a spiritual before and after picture.
 
Paul begins by describing what it was like for us when we were…Apart from Christ. He surfaces three aspects of our desolate condition in Ephesians 2:1-3.   

·      We were spiritually dead (v. 1)

Though outwardly we looked very much alive, inside we were cut off from the essence of life because we were cut off from the Author of life. 

·      We were bound by sin (v. 2)

People apart from Christ, while thinking they are free, are in fact in bondage.  They are slaves to sin…and to Satan.

·      We were destined for hell(v. 3)

This is a challenge for many to accept. Sure, some people deserve hell – like the Osama Bin Ladens or Adolf Hitlers of the world. But not them! They’re not that bad!

Yet though they do not lead equally sinful lives, these folks are equally in the state of sin because they have not perfectly honored the standards of a holy God. And though they may have done some, perhaps even a lot of good things, they are still not perfectly good – and that disqualifies them from being in the presence of a God.

Fortunately, that’s not the end of the story.  Paul continues with an explanation of what it’s like when we become...  United with Christ. 

·      We are made alive (v. 5)

While we couldn’t do anything about our spiritual death, Jesus could.  His sacrifice on the cross in a very real sense absorbed our death. 

Through our union with Him, we are now made alive. We can experience and share God’s love, joy, and peace. 

·      We are raised up (v. 6a)

When I consider this, I picture the Lord taking this once dead, now alive man or woman by the hand and lifting them out of the mire of sin. Freeing them from bondage to Satan and enabling them to stand up above what they once were.  

And rather than being destined for Hell, as those united in Christ… 

·      We are seated in heaven (v. 6b)

According to Eph. 1:20, Jesus is already there – seated far above anything else there is, including Satan and all of his evil forces. 

And now Paul adds that this our reality as well! This gives us hope in the midst of earthly heartache and encourages us to live lives of daring discipleship.

When you grasp the immensity of these verses, it’s truly mind-boggling, and it begs the question: Why would God do this?

Verse 4 states God has this incomprehensibly “great love” for us. He is “rich in mercy.” And what greater picture of that do we have than when He took on our flesh, living with us, teaching us, and finally stretching out His arms on a cross to die for us… paying our penalty and providing our salvation?  Think of it!  

And those who will open up to and receive that stupendous work by faith will be celebrated throughout eternity. 

It’s a simple yet absolutely essential act of faith.  By grace through faith. Not because we earned it. Not because we deserved it. It’s by His gift of grace we were saved.   

Because of God’s grace, we who have taken that step have been moved from death to life, from corruption to redemption, from hell to heaven. And that’s something worth living for, indeed something worth dying for.

Will you exercise your faith in Jesus and embrace Him as your Savior and Lord?

Text: Ephesians 2:1-8

 Originally recorded on January 31, 2016, at Fellowship Missionary Church, Fort Wayne, IN.