Young People's Group

Remembering Our Former Sinful State

by Mitchell Tan
November 06, 2019

WE WERE ONCE SPIRITUALLY DEAD IN SIN

Paul remembered how spiritually dead the people at Ephesus were before their conversion. He did not mince his words about it. He was brutally honest about their spiritual state.

“Who were dead in trespasses and sins …”
Ephesians 2:1

The people of the Ephesian Church were once “dead” in their sins. To be spiritually dead would mean that there was no spiritual life within them at all. When someone is spiritually dead, he is totally unresponsive to any spiritual stimulus. He is dead to the things of God. The word “trespass” in Greek has the idea of “lapsing by crossing the line.” It is to cross the line with regards to the laws of God. The word “sin” in Greek has to do with the evilness of doing a sin. All these transgressions and sins cause people to be in a state of spiritual deadness.

WE WERE ONCE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE EVIL ONE

“… In which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience …”
Ephesians 2:2

Paul went on to write of how the Ephesians once walked in sins and transgressions because there were powerful sinister forces involved.

1. EXTERNAL WORLDLY INFLUENCE

The Ephesians were once living according to the external influence of the world. They were walking in sin according to the present worldly ways. They were fully caught up with the world.

2. INTERNAL HIDDEN PROBLEM

Behind the world is the sinister internal influence of the evil one. He is also considered as the prince of the power of the air. He exerts tremendous power in this world. He is the spirit that energises and works in the hearts of people who are disobedient and rebellious towards God and His word.

WE WERE ONCE CONDUCTING OURSELVES SINFULLY

“… Among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.”
Ephesians 2:3

When we are dead within and there is a powerful external evil force working within us, we would conduct ourselves as the world does. Paul saw himself together with others living in the lust of their flesh and their carnal mindedness. We too were once living in the desires of our own flesh and mind. We were by nature both children of wrath and disobedience. We were just like everyone else in the world.

THANK GOD HE HAS MADE US ALIVE

“And you He made alive”
Ephesians 2:1

“Made us alive together with Christ”
Ephesians 2:5

Truly, let’s thank God that we have a second chance at life. It is the Lord God who has made us alive spiritually with Christ. It is through faith in the Lord Jesus and through the work of the Spirit of God that we are alive. It is only through Him that we can find such spiritual vitality. Let’s truly be thankful that we can become alive to the Lord. Let’s not forget what the Lord has saved us from. Let’s be thankful for His mercies.

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