Daily Devotions
Ephesians
"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)."
Text: Ephesians 2:4-5
A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF “SPIRITUAL DEATH”
How well do we understand the concept of being “dead in trespasses”? If we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that we do not fully comprehend this concept very well.
Perhaps the best way to understand spiritual death is to compare it with physical death. Though death must be understood as a normal feature of life, nevertheless it is always a time of immense sorrow. The Gospel of Luke records for us a moving story of the death of the son of a widow in the city of Nain (cf. Luke 7:11-16).
1. Death brings great sorrow
The fact that the lady mentioned in the story was called “a widow” implies that she had already experienced bereavement. And now she had lost her son to death as well. Who can imagine the double sorrow that this poor widow experienced? Her sorrow was felt and shared by many in the city of Nain. The bereavement of her only son signaled the onset of greater hardship and grief for the poor widow.
2. Help in the face of death
The funeral procession must have been so sad and dismal that the compassion of Jesus was stirred. The widow did not approach Jesus for assistance. To ask for help when a person has already died was preposterous! Jesus went toward the open coffin and then simply said,
“Young man, I say to you, arise.”
LUKE 7:14
Jesus did “the unthinkable and the impossible”. What happened next?
“So he who was dead set up and began to speak.
And He presented him to his mother.
Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying,
‘A great prophet has risen up among us’; and,
‘God has visited His people.'”
LUKE 7:15-16
The reaction of the crowd is perfectly understandable. It would take nothing less than the power of God to raise the dead.
RAISING OF THE SPIRITUALLY DEAD
The raising of the son of the widow was a special event. Though Jesus did raise a few more from the dead, the greater perspective and goal would be to raise the spiritually dead. Did great gladness fill the heart of the widow and her son when they were reunited as a family? We can imagine the tremendous surge of joy that filled their hearts that wonderful day when Jesus walked in the city streets of Nain.
The raising of those who were “dead in trespasses” is no less significant. Our comprehension of what it means to be raised from the dead must cause us to feel a great sense of “fear” (Cf. Luke 7:16a). If God is into raising the spiritual dead, then He has indeed truly visited us.”
“BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED”
Paul felt that he just had to add a parenthetical remark as he thought about this great work of God in raising the dead. We have been gloriously saved by grace indeed!