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| Are you spiritually dead or spiritually alive? |
Making our way through Ephesians, one of our church pastors asks the question, "Are you dead or alive?" Today we are taking a look at Ephesians 1:1-10. The following are my Bible study notes based on my pastor's sermon. You are invited to watch, listen, and worship with us here.
Are you dead or alive?
Death is our enemy. Everything bad about life is rooted in death. Are you spiritually dead or alive? There are only two spiritual camps, dead or alive.
1. You were dead.
The difference between one sinner and another is the state of decay.
Death's Place
And when you were dead in your wrongdoings and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our wrongdoings. - Colossians 2:13
The unsaved person is controlled by the world. He or she walks with the world. They feel no conviction. They go with the crowd.
In which you previously 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. - Ephesians 2:2
But now in Christ Jesus you who previously were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall. - Ephesians 2:13-14
Death's Passions
We take things that God intended for our good, and we use them in an ungodly way.
Among them we too all previously lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the rest. - Ephesians 2:3
Therefore God gave them up to vile impurity in the lusts of their hearts, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. - Romans 1:24
We are all guilty of sin.
Death's Future
Wrath is the future for spiritually dead people. Physical death is a reality for all of us.
2. God made you alive.
We are alone, addicted, deep in sin, etc . . . but God is rich in mercy. He is filled with great love for us.
What is love? Love is an act of will accompanied with emotion on behalf of a person or thing.
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. - John 3:16
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. - Romans 5:8
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. - Ephesians 2:8-9
What is mercy? Mercy is not getting something you deserve.
What is grace? Grace is getting something you don't deserve.
What are appropriate responses to mercy and grace?
*Overwhelming gratitude
*Explainable humility
*Radical obedience
*A desire to tell others what God has done for you.
Do you want to transform from spiritually dead to spiritually alive? Learn more about how to do that here.
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| Are you spiritually dead or alive? |