Once you were dead,
doomed forever because
of your many sins.
Ephesians 2:1
Bible Rank: 55
Dead, doomed, and sinful. That's what this verse tells us, and that, indeed, is the natural human state.
Dead, doomed, and sinful. What we've learned, journeying for a few months through TopVerses, is that when a verse is the first verse in a chapter, it's really saying, "Read what comes next too."
Today's question, then, is this: If dead, doomed, and sinful is our natural condition, what then is the solution and where is our hope? To answer that, we must keep reading what is perhaps my favorite collection of verses in scripture.
After saying that we are "dead" and "doomed" "because of our many sins," the Apostle Paul delves deeper into our original condition, saying, "2 You used to live just like the rest of the world." Ouch! You and I are common thieves. Wait. We're common. Just plain common, broken, sinful, doomed.
He calls this situation "2 full of sin." He describes it as "2 obeying Satan" and he describes the devil as "2 the mighty prince of the power of the air. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God." Read that last sentence again. Satan is the influence driving the world's rebellion against God.
And what percentage of us do you think is vulnerable to these distraction? The Apostle says, "3 All of us used to live that way." What way? "3 following the passions and desires of our evil nature." And lest we blame everything on demonic influence, we must admit that we -- ourselves, not Satan -- are the real problem. Paul says, "3 We were born with an evil nature and" -- what was the result? -- "we were under God's anger just like everyone else."
Stop. Comprehend that. Sin equals God's anger and judgment. Period. Unless God intervenes, your sin (and mine) always and inevitably equals dead and doomed. Thus, since you and I have a sin nature, we are dead, judged, and doomed. And that is our natural situation.
"4 But ..." Ah! Here comes the hope -- God's rescue plan!!
God's utter holiness puts us "under God's anger." But what about God's other key trait? Love?! "4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so very much 5 that even while we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead." Jesus took our penalty upon himself. Our "1 dead" became him "dead." Our "doomed" led to his dark appointment with the cross. Our "sinful[ness]" was laid upon him, and because he rose, we can rise in faith, hope, and confidence.
And it's not our doing -- our nature is sinful (lest we ever get prideful and boast). Rather it's all God's doing. "5 By grace you have been saved!" is this passages' rightful conclusion. And our only response should be thankfulness and praise.
God transferred you from doomed to forgiven and alive. Praise him! Praise him!
In Christ's Love,
a guy who's a masterpiece
(Wait! That's not what I say about myself!
That's God's assessment five verses later!
10 For we are God’s masterpiece.
He has created us anew in Christ Jesus,
so we can do the good things
he planned for us long ago.")
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