 At the beginning of Ephesians 2 Paul talked about being spiritually dead. Ephesians 2:4-5 says, But God is rich in mercy, and he loved us very much. We were spiritually dead because of all we had done against him. But he gave us new life together with Christ. (You have been saved by God’s grace.)
Even though we didn't deserve it, God demonstrated his love, grace and mercy by sending Jesus so that we could be rescued from this spiritual death. If you follow Jesus, you want to obey him because you're so grateful. Your life should produce the fruit of the spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). This is in contrast to people who don't follow Jesus, who do whatever they want. Does his mercy motivate you to love and obey Jesus?
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 In Ephesians 2:1-3, Paul talks about being spiritually dead.
In the past you were spiritually dead because of your sins and the things you did against God. Yes, in the past your lives were full of those sins. You lived the way the world lives, following the ruler of the evil powers that are above the earth. That same spirit is now working in those who refuse to obey God. In the past all of us lived like that, trying to please our sinful selves. We did all the things our bodies and minds wanted. Like everyone else in the world, we deserved to suffer God’s anger just because of the way we were. According to this passage, being spiritually dead is:
Life is a bit like Star Wars, you're either on the good side, or the dark side. If you're not with Jesus, by default, you're on the dark side. Doing your own thing is what Satan wants, so you default to the dark side. Praise God, there is a cure for this spiritual deadness. Stay tuned for our next reading.  In Ephesians 1:21-22, Paul explained that God gave Jesus all authority over everything. There is no king or queen, president or prime minister, celebrity or influencer, pastor or evangelist, angel or demon, greater than Jesus Christ. No one has been, or ever will be, greater than Jesus. It may not seem like he has all authority at the moment. Satan seems to wreak havoc wherever he wants. Bad things only happen because God allows them, because we are living with the consequences of sin and free choice. But when Jesus comes again, we will see his perfect rule and authority.
We can be confident that Jesus has all authority over everything. And he did it for us, the church! |
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