Daily Devotions
Ephesians
"And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins."
Text: Ephesians 2:1
IN SHARP CONTRAST
In the first chapter of Ephesians, the apostle Paul painted a glorious picture of what it means to belong to the Lord as His redeemed people. In sharp contrast, Paul painted a bleak and somber picture of those who have not received the redeeming grace offered by the Lord. How should we understand why Paul painted this stark contrast? Many reasons may be offered. Six are offered for further consideration.
1. Because it is true.
2. Because the contrast is so obvious.
3. Because one must not forget the horrific state of one entrapped by sin.
4. Because one will appreciate the redemption of the Lord so much more.
5. Because one will determine to walk worthy of God’s calling.
6. Because one might be stirred to reach out to the unredeemed with the message of salvation.
SPIRITUALLY DEAD
It is difficult to comprehend fully why Paul used this dreadful word “dead” to describe the state of the unredeemed. What other words would suffice?
1. Would the word “weak” be sufficient?
2. Would the word “sick” do?
3. Would the word “ignorant” be a good alternative?
Paul was right to use the word “dead”. We are reminded of what God said to Adam when He forbade him to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He warned about the sin of disobedience.
“In the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die.”
GENESIS 2:17B
Adam and Eve chose to disregard God’s word. Instead they listened and yielded to the Tempter’s voice. They ate and the consequence of their sin was death. In another epistle Paul elaborated on the matter of how sin and death are related.
“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world,
and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men,
because all sinned.”
ROMANS 5:12
Paul was honest as he was astute as a theologian. He called a spade a spade. He could not but describe man in his unredeemed state. He was spiritually dead!