Today, I want to speak to you about our condition outside of Jesus Christ. This topic is crucial for understanding and appreciating the grace and power that work within us during our conversion. Our reading this morning from Ephesians shows Paul’s heartfelt prayers for the Ephesians, praying that they may know God, the glorious riches of His inheritance, and the exceeding greatness of His power towards believers.
In Ephesians 1:20-23, we learn about the resurrection and exaltation of Jesus, establishing Him as the head of all things. Moving to Ephesians 2:1, our lesson for today, we focus on our state before conversion. We cannot fully appreciate our current spiritual wealth without understanding our former poverty. Before knowing Christ, we were like the walking dead, spiritually lifeless due to our trespasses and sins.
Consider Ephesians 2:1, which says, “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins.” This verse highlights that before Christ, we were spiritually dead. This does not mean devoid of good or godly desires. Acts shows many God-fearing people who believed before their conversions, like the devout men in Jerusalem during Pentecost (Acts 2:5), the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:27-28), and Cornelius (Acts 10). These individuals sought God yet remained spiritually dead until they embraced Christ.
James 2:26 tells us that just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead. Romans 6:23 further explains that the wages of sin is death, a separation from God caused by our trespasses and sins. Isaiah 59:1-2 confirms that our iniquities create a barrier between us and God, leading to spiritual death.
We were once walking in sin, following the course of this world and the prince of the power of the air—Satan himself. Even devout individuals, before their conversion, were under his influence, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and mind, making them children of wrath.
Ephesians 2:2-3 reveals that before our conversion, we walked according to the ways of the world and Satan, leading lives separated from God. Our spiritual death was a result of personal sins, not inherited ones. Ezekiel 18:20 states that each soul bears its own guilt. Thus, our condition outside of Christ was due to our own actions and choices.
However, there is hope and redemption. Ephesians 1:4-6 tells us that God chose us before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless. Through Jesus Christ, we receive adoption as His children, accepted by God and made alive together with Him.
So, I ask you today, have you experienced God’s grace in your life? Have you obeyed the gospel and been baptized, washing away your sins and rising with Christ? If you have already accepted Christ but feel you have fallen short, know that you can seek forgiveness through prayer. Let us come together and support each other in our spiritual journeys.
