THE LIFE OF THE CHRISTIAN BELIEVER

A. THE BELIEVER’S LIFE BEFORE CONVERSION: LIFE WITHOUT JESUS

-- { Ephesians 2:1-3 } ¹ You were dead through the trespasses and sins ² in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. ³ All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else.  -- NRSV

Breath Prayer For The Week (A "breath prayer" is a brief sentence or simple phrase that can be repeated often to Jesus in one breath.)

Jesus, have mercy on me.

Dear Friend, grace and peace be unto you from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior, Jesus, the Christ.  Amen.

Chapter two of Paul’s letter is one of the most important chapters in the Bible.  It focuses on the life of the Christian believer.  It discusses his past, present, and future.  It shows what life is like before Jesus comes into a person and what it is like after.  It discusses what God has done for humankind in the work of His mercy and grace.

Today Paul helps us look at the believer’s life before he comes to know Jesus.  When God looks down upon a person who does not know Him through His Son, how does He see him?  What is the picture in God’s mind of the person who doesn’t know Him?  Paul proceeds to tell us what life without Jesus is like.  He shares four things about what life is like without Jesus.

First, it is a life of death (2:1)  “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,…”

Without a relationship with God a person lives a life of death.  “…you were dead…” means a separation.  Death does not mean extinction, annihilation, non-existence, or inactivity.  Death simply, and most horribly, means a person is separated from God.  

We were made to know, fellowship, worship and serve God.  But in our natural selves we do not do this.  We turn to other ideas or concepts of God, creating a god to suit our own minds.  This path leads to separation from the true God.  A person is a “dead man walking” while on earth.

The Bible reveals three deaths:

1. Physical death – the separation of a person’s spirit from his body – “21 grams” if you will, a movie that is playing in theaters.  It is known that when a person dies they lose weight at the point of death.  That weight lose has been measured as 21 grams.  It is believed by many that this is the spirit leaving the physical body.  This is what we commonly call death.  A person ceases to exist on earth.

2. Spiritual death – the separation of a person from God while he is still living and walking on earth.  This is the natural state of a person without a relationship with Jesus.  The person is still in sin with no forgiveness through Jesus.  This is a person who is dead while still living.  The Bible describes this person as…

   1. Wasting life in riotous living

   2. Not partaking of what Jesus offers

   3. Not having the Spirit of Jesus

   4. Living a life of sin

   5. Alienated from God

   6. Living in sinful pleasure

   7. Not knowing Jesus

   8. Doing religious works that mean nothing

3. Eternal death – the separation of humankind from God’s presence forever.  This is called the “second death” – an eternal state of being dead to God.  It is spiritual death that is extended beyond physical for eternity.  Each person born into this world enters inheriting this death – called “Original Sin.”  God had to intervene through Jesus to break this terrible reality.

Second, it is a life of transgressions and sins (1:1-2)  “…transgressions and sins,… in which you used to live when you followed the ways of the world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.”

The word “transgressions” (paraptoma) means to fall, slip, blunder, deviate, turn aside, or wander away.

The word “sins” (hamartia) means to miss the mark.  It is an archery term and means the arrow falls short of its target.  Biblically it refers to coming short of the glory of God or what He expects of us.  

The point is that God is perfect and humankind imperfect.  In other words, God and humankind are as opposite as you can get.  Humankind misses God’s mark for life – imperfect – never all he should be.

Humankind is said to be walking under three things:

1. Under “the ways of the world” – its opinions, pleasures, religion, values, possessions, standards.

2. Under “the ruler (Satan) of the kingdom of the air.”  Humankind was not created to be or do evil.  An alien force invaded the earth with evil.  The Bible calls that force a person and names him Satan.

3. Under “those who are disobedient” – means a refusal to obey God.  The natural person chooses to do what he wants instead of what God wants.  Such persons are of the family of disobedience, not the family of God.

Third, it is a life spent with the disobedient of the world (2:3)  “All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts.  Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.”

Paul points out that the main disobedience of humankind is in the areas of lust and the mind.  This includes a wide range of thoughts and behaviors:  illicit sex, overeating, intoxication, laziness, immoral thoughts, anger, unbelief, idolatry, envy, false beliefs.

The person without a relationship with God, through Jesus Christ, lives a life only to fulfill the desires of the flesh and mind.  The reality is that he knows no other way to live.  His life is self-centered, not God-centered; world-centered, not heaven-centered; selfish, not giving; banking and hoarding, not sacrificing and meeting needs.

Fourth, it is a life under God’s wrath (2:3)  “…Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.”

Before one’s baptism into the Family of God and faith in Jesus, the Christ, a person lives under the wrath of God.  

Note how Paul says that we are “…by nature objects of wrath.”  Why?  Because this is how we act:

1. we act against God and not for Him

2. we reject God and do not receive Him

3. we ignore God and do not confess Him

4. we deny God and do not acknowledge Him

5. we curse God and do not praise Him

6. we serve religion and do not serve God

7. we honor personal ideas and do not honor Jesus

Paul says that each person coming into this world is at war with God and God calls us “objects of wrath.”  Therefore, each person shall reap what they sow unless they can find some way out of their mess.  That is the message for next week – “The Work Of God’s Mercy.”

Heavenly Father, what a mess we are born into.  Your perfect created order compromised in sin.  But for Your mercy we would be lost forever.  Thank You for saving us in our baptism and faith in Jesus and making us part of Your Forever Family.