In Ephesians 2, we find the power that gives meaning and informs our understanding of the resurrection. This passage, specifically the first ten verses, offers valuable insights that are relevant to our lives. To truly appreciate life, we must understand death. Often, it is only when we face death, whether our own or that of a loved one, that we recognize the value of the life we have been given. We may come to appreciate the importance of a spouse or the impact that others have had on our lives.
This truth is also reflected in the gospel, particularly on Good Friday, when we reflect on the death of Christ and what was accomplished on our behalf. Through His death, we gain a new understanding of the resurrection life that is available to us in Him. However, it is important to not simply take this reality for granted. The fact that we, as believers, have been given the resurrected life with Christ is truly remarkable and should continue to blow our minds. This is what was achieved on the cross and what we celebrate in the resurrection.
Understanding Life in Christ by Examining Death
In order to appreciate the new resurrection life we have in Christ, we should take a deeper approach by following Paul’s path in Ephesians 2. This begins with understanding death. We are all dead in our sins, but by God’s grace, we have been saved from death to everlasting life through the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This means that we live for Him, or rather, He lives through us. To appreciate the life we have in Christ, we must first understand that without Him, we are dead in sin, unable to respond, and in need of God’s work in us to bring us to life in Christ. Paul talks about this in the past tense because he is addressing believers, and they need to understand that, before Christ, they were dead, but God brought them to life in Christ. This understanding informs how believers live and celebrate important events, such as Resurrection Sunday.
For those who are not believers, this passage is also relevant because it shows the hopelessness of death they are currently in. Paul describes eloquently the position of those who are dead in their transgressions and sins, meaning they are not able to respond and are unconscious. It is important to note that Paul is talking about spiritual death, which is much more important and lasting than just physical life. As believers, we should have joy in life because of the life we have in Christ, and for unbelievers, this passage shows the importance of finding life in Christ.
Repentance as the Way to Life
It’s possible to appear alive on the outside while being dead and dying on the inside. If you’re spiritually dead, you are like a walking zombie. Although you can deceive those around you, breathe, and have a beating heart, if you’re honest with yourself and not a follower of Christ, you know that you’re dead on the inside. This state robs you of joy and hope, and it’s a terrible and desperate position to be in. You don’t care about God’s things because you don’t know Him, and you don’t understand or celebrate His goodness. You’re like a lifeless corpse that can’t know God unless He works a magnificent work in your life.
This is the point Paul is making: you can’t know God on your own. Even if the pastor screams, flips the pulpit over, or builds crosses, it would all fall on deaf ears because you’re unresponsive and dead. It’s a terrible problem, but you can pray for the Lord to soften your lost brothers’ or sisters’ hearts.
If you’re not a follower of Christ, God can break down your pride and soften your heart, bringing awareness that sin has marred you forever. God will bring conviction and repentance so that you never have to hear the words, “away from me, I never knew you.” We’re all born dead in our sins. It’s crazy to think that though you’re living and breathing, you’re already dying and eternally separated from God. That’s original sin. Not only are you born with it, but you also walk in this way, meaning that each of us is accountable, not only because of the generations of sin passed down to us, but also for our own mistakes. You choose to walk in the way that the Lord doesn’t want you to walk and do the things the Lord doesn’t want you to do. It’s important to be aware of this and seek repentance.
Three Things That Bring Death
Paul says there are three things that spiritually dead people are controlled by, which believers will never be controlled by, because they are only controlled by God and His Spirit. These three things are: the world, the devil, and the lust of the flesh.
Spiritually Dead People are Controlled by the World
The word “world” is translated from the Greek word “cosmos,” which is used 189 times in the New Testament, and is always associated with some kind of evil. Thus, if someone is spiritually dead, they are controlled by the morality of the current evil age, which is pulling them away from God and telling them to worship themselves. This is called relativism, which means that morality is relative to the individual, and there is no absolute truth. Those who follow the ways of the world are enslaved to worldly trends, pop culture, and what the world says they should be doing. Even though some spiritually dead individuals want to feel spiritual, they are still controlled by the world, and truth is relative to them. They come to church on Sunday and create a man-centered religious nonsense to make themselves feel better, instead of letting their Creator speak truth over them. This has always been the case.
Spiritually Dead People Are Controlled by the Devil
Throughout human history, evil has been a force that pulls us away from God. This shouldn’t come as a surprise since the Bible describes the devil as the god of this world and the prince of the time we live in now. As the devil, he uses evil to lead us astray from God. This is not a new problem, but one that we face and, as spiritually dead individuals, one that we are enslaved to. We are not only controlled by the world, but also by the enemy who controls it, the devil.
Who is the devil? He is the deceiver, the liar who has been deceiving people for thousands of years, just like he did to Adam and Eve in the Garden. He lies to us, telling us that what he offers will bring us happiness and satisfaction, but in reality, it leads to shame, emptiness, and eternal separation from God. It is crucial to recognize the devil’s lies and reject them to avoid being deceived.
Spiritually Dead People Are Controlled by their Sinful Flesh
Those who are spiritually dead are not only controlled by the world and the devil, but also by their own flesh. They are guided by their animalistic passions and selfish desires, ultimately leading to a life of narcissistic emptiness. According to Paul, these individuals are children of wrath, subject to the judgment of God. This should be a scary thought as the wrath of God is not only reserved for eternity, but also upon us right now. The spiritually dead person is turned over to the lust of their flesh, chasing after what they desire and doing as they please. This is what it looks like to have the wrath of God on us as spiritually dead individuals.
It is essential to understand that this hurts not only us, but also those around us. Satan loves to see us hurting and serving ourselves because it not only harms us, but also those we interact with. However, God offers salvation through His Spirit, and it is our responsibility to turn to Him and avoid the deception of the devil.
How to Become Alive in Christ
When we are apart from Christ, we are completely lost and without hope in our sin, and are considered totally depraved. This does not mean that every person will always be as bad as they could be, but rather that we are dead in our sins. However, God’s love for us is so great that He doesn’t want us to stay in that state. For believers, God has made us alive in Christ.
The good news is that even when we were dead and hopeless in our transgressions, God, who is rich in mercy and love, made us alive together with Christ by grace. This is the work of God, and every aspect of our salvation is a result of His love, grace, and mercy. Paul emphasizes that our salvation is not our own doing, but rather a work of God. It is His love that saved us, and not anything that we have done.
Jesus Came to Bring Life
Despite feeling lousy about being dead in our sins, it is important to recognize the glory of the life we have been given in Christ. It is through God’s love and mercy that He came to us when we could not go to Him. This shows us just how much God loves us, and it is truly awesome.
As a believer, it is important to be grateful that God found you when you were hopeless and came to you in Christ, who was born to a virgin 2,000 years ago. Jesus was different from us because he was born alive and did not have original sin. He lived a perfect life, fulfilled the law, and was not controlled by the world or the devil. He died for our sins so that we could live, and through faith in Him, we have been made alive with Christ.
The Active Life of True Believers
Ephesians 2:8–9 emphasizes that our salvation is a work of God’s grace and not something we can earn or boast about. When we stand before God in judgment, we will be standing on the merit of Christ, not our own merit. Easter morning symbolizes the transition from death to life, and it should inspire us to do good works.
“You are God’s workmanship,” as stated in the Bible. This means we are “created by God in Christ Jesus to do good works that He has prepared for us in advance so that we can walk in them.” It is essential to understand that there should be no disconnection between the grace of the cross and the resurrection and the good works that we live out for His glory. Paul seamlessly transitions from one to the other, but our society seems to have a significant disconnect.
Removing Unrepentant Sin
God created us to bring Him glory through good works that demonstrate His goodness to others. Unfortunately, many people today claim to be followers of Christ, but continue to live lives of unrepentant sin. This cannot be so. Although this may be uncomfortable, it is necessary to address it.
To claim to understand God’s grace and to be a Christian while living openly in unrepentant sin, without any sense of remorse, is not acceptable. For instance, sleeping with friends without feeling any guilt, cheating on your spouse, viewing pornography without any sense of horridness or guilt, lying, or stealing are all unrepentant sins. It is impossible to live a life of unrepentant and unconfessed sin and still call oneself a Christ follower. Your good works matter because they demonstrate to the world that you understand the grace of the cross and the power of the resurrection, and they honor the God who saved you.
God’s Workmanship
In this passage, the word “workmanship” is used, and it is a fantastic word. It is the Greek word from which we get the word “poem,” but it is not only a poem; it refers to anything that an artisan creates that he would consider a masterpiece or a work of art. Therefore, in Christ, you are God’s work of art, His masterpiece. Sometimes, like an artist on a stone, God may have to chip away at your rigid exterior, but He does it out of love. It may be painful, but He does it so that He can continue to craft you into a masterpiece of the man or woman He created you to be.
Michelangelo was once asked what he was doing as he chipped away at a shapeless rock, and he replied, “I am liberating an angel from this lifeless stone.” Similarly, God is your masterful Creator, and He is freeing you from a life of sin so that you can be made into His masterpiece for His glory. You are His sculpture, His painting, and His poem, and as His masterpiece, your life should be eloquent, pointing the world to His goodness and His glory. That is what your life should communicate, as the poem written by God.
Next Steps
What does the canvas of your life convey to others about the God you worship? If you are a believer, what does your canvas of good works communicate? Does your humility point others to the fact that you worship Christ, who was also humble? Or does your pride make others think that you might be worshiping yourself? These are important questions to consider because your good works matter. God created good works for you to do from the beginning of time. They show your appreciation of the cross and your understanding of the resurrection. To work for God from a position of grace allows you to walk the journey that God has brought you on from death to life, serving Him each day.
If you know that Jesus is not your Savior, would you let Him do the work He was sent here to do in your soul? Would you let Jesus bring you from death to life? God will see your lifeless soul that lies spiritually motionless, unable to even move towards Him, and He will draw you to Himself. No matter where you are in your spiritual walk, God can awaken you, breathe conviction into you, and bring repentance in you through the Holy Spirit. That is the journey from death to life.
