Once Dead~ Now Alive

This morning, we are going to look at the characteristics of the life lived without Christ, and then those we find in the life live with Christ.

First, let’s look at the life lived without Jesus Christ as Head of that life.

1.   It is a life lived according to the standards and practices of this physical world we live in.

2.   It is a life lived according to the dictates of Satan.

3.   It is a life lived according to our own desires.

4.   It is a life lived in disobedience to God and His laws.

5.   It is a life which will, in time, end in wrath and destruction – apart from God.

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Ephesians 2:1-10

(Just to get a feel for this Scripture, I want to break it down so that we might better see what Paul is teaching us.)

Verses 1-3– What we are.

Verses 4-6, 13-18 - What God has done for us.

Verses 6-10 and 19-22 - What we are to be.

Paul speaks, in this Scripture about “being alive.”

This happens when we are buried with Christ in baptism and are raised a new creature – one who is alive in Christ.

A new creature no longer lives according to the ways of this world, being governed by the prince of the power of the air – that is Satan.

So, let’s look at these two ways of living – living a dead life, or living a life alive in Jesus Christ.

I.             The conditions of our life before conversion – DEAD

The person who is a sinner – without Christ – is dead as far as God is concerned.

Death in the Bible is not a state of “not knowing”, or unconsciousness – is it simply a complete change of relationships or a separation from our former relationships.

When people are alive here among us, we talk to them, and we have a relationship with them.

When they die, that relationship changes.

Their relationship then – if they are saved – is with those others who are saved – with the angels, and with the Lord.

A person – one who is alive – but dead in sin – can still walk around among us – and they do.

But the condition and position of that person – is that he or she is cut off from God.

God cannot bless a dead person, or answer their prayers, or take him or her to heaven – even if that person was a “good person.”

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. For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment. John 5:25 – 29     

They shall hear and live; only the Spirit of God can speak so that dead men can hear.

When we have heard the Gospel, when we believe that Christ is the Son of God’ when we have been baptized, our relationship with God and His Son changes.

Romans 6:11- “…. even so, consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”

SIN – as used here means – missing the mark of life. We are dead because of – or by – or through – trespasses and sins.

Because we often miss the mark of life on our daily walk.

One who is DEAD IN SIN lives according to the prince of the power of the air – that is, of course – Satan.

Most people would deny that they are being directed by any outside influence. This is because of pride – thinking they can do whatever they please – not realizing that this is Satan’s method of directing their lives through his deceitful wicked ways.

Satan apparently lives in the air. What is one thing that we are constantly in contact with? --- the air! It is everywhere we are, and so, we are constantly coming in contact with Satan, who has his angels organized into and efficient power to lure us into his clutches.

Paul plainly teaches here that a real devil exists in our world.

Many refuse to believe that – “it’s just a myth to scare us – a scare tactic.

You know, Satan is not offended when people deny that he exists. In fact, he is most gratified when people do deny his existence – this is more of his ability to deceive us.

One who is dead in sins lives according to the children of disobedience.

Once, we who are Christians lived as children of disobedience, just like the people who live around us are in disobedience.

Our manner of life was that we were led by whatever the lusts (desires) of our flesh craved and whatever our minds thought up – our lazy, filthy, scheming minds,

We were, by nature, children of wrath, even as the rest of mankind were. God’s wrath was directed at us because of our sins.

That condition – “by nature” – does not imply that we were born into the world with God’s wrath upon us because of some guilt of sin that we inherited from Adam – the first man.

“By Nature,” here means the conduct we practiced so long, and so habitually that it has become our natural way of life.

Often people will use the excuse – “we are not sinners because we sin; we sin because we are sinners” – but that logic places all the blame for our sins on Adam – or even worse – places the blame on God – instead of upon ourselves where it belongs.

II.           Let’s look at our condition, then – After Our Conversion

Simply put, here is our condition – We are ALIVE!

God changes the condition of the sinner – one who was dead in sin.

Because we have all walked according to the devil at one time, it would be natural for it to say here, “And God smote you in His wrath!”

Instead, though, the verses (Ephesians 2:4-5) say, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ….”

And again, we can and should praise Him and thank Him for that blessing.

God has been merciful to us – not because of what we have done - but because of the love He has for us.

But, you know, it gets even better than all of that because God was not only merciful toward us --- He was also LOVING.

A judge in court can be merciful in his judgments, but will he also be loving?

It is only through an out-and-out favor from God that we can be saved.

The word SAVED here indicated a past action with continued efforts.

Maybe we should say that we have been saved --- and are being saved.

Being saved means being alive ---- being alive in Christ.

Verse 6:

Not only did God make us alive together with Christ, but He also:

1.   Raised us up spiritually with Christ.

2.   Made us to sit with Christ in the heavenly places – the Church, which is a heavenly institution in which we sit as member of His Body.

But, He has also favored us because He desires the sincere praise of loving souls.

In all the ages past and in all the ages to come – even after Jesus returns – we will be praising God’s riches of grace which He has demonstrated by kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Look again at Ephesians 2:8-10: “saved by grace through faith”.

Faith, in the New Testament implies not only belief, but obedience as well.

Paul instructed the church in Galatians 3:26-27 to “put on Christ” – and by doing so – conduct a life of obedience to Him.

This salvation by grace through faith is all the gift of God.

We were not saved because of our goodness, although God does expect us to live a life in goodness.

Even Cornelius, who was described as a “devout man, one who feared God (Acts 10:1) – was not saved by his goodness.

Go back to Ephesians 2:10 – “We are His workmanship created for good works in Christ,”

No Christian should feel that he or she is self-made. Without God’s provision to save us, through Christ, even the best of us would still be lost.

Everyone of us would “miss the mark.” We would all be dead in our sins rather than alive in Christ.

So, the question before us today is this: “What is the condition you are in today?”

Are you alive in Christ? Or are you dead in your sins?

If you have never repented of your sins, they still control you and you are dead in them.

Now is the time to put Jesus Christ in control of your life --- now is the time to become alive in Him.