Dave began a mini-series on Ephesians 2:1-7 last night, looking at the depths of our situation without God and the heights to which He has called us.
This passage teaches us that man without God is dead in transgressions and sins. This spiritual death means that there is no personal relationship with God and mankind is trapped in a cycle of depravity and disobedience. The doctrine of original sin teaches us that man has a bias or propensity towards evil. Sin leads to separation from God and condemnation from Him.
Death Valley is the lowest point in the United States of America. It is 280 feet below sea level and can be terrifyingly hot (43 degrees celsius in summer). Figuratively speaking, this is representative of our position before we came to know Christ:
It is hard for us sometimes to take in the full measure of God’s deliverance. The highest point in the United States is Mount Whitney. This is 14,505 feet above sea level and temperatures are usually below freezing at that height:
The enormity of what God has done for us in Christ is outlined in this passage. Just as Jesus died, rose again and ascended to His Father’s side, so the Christian, who was dead in sin, has been raised to new life and is now seated in heavenly places with God in Christ.
The Christian is no longer dead and no longer imprisoned in sin. “Only He who fashioned the world could create a new nature,” C. H. Spurgeon has said and not only are we freed from sin so that we no longer have to be slaves to sin but are now under grace (see Rom 7:1-4, Rom 6:1-2), but there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:1). We are alive to God, having:
* a new life
* a new attitude to God
* a new mind (see Rom 12:1-2), with a new perspective
* a new purpose (where we can share in God’s exaltation and glory, being raised for the purpose of demonstrating to others the surpassing riches of His grace)
* a new nature (we are now new creations in Christ – 2 Cor 5:17)
The same power which raised Christ from the dead now lives in us (Eph 1:17-18). We are set free from sin and raised to new life. What heights of glory!