Made Alive: A Short Reflection on Ephesians 2:1-6

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience — among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus”

Ephesians 2:1-6 (ESV)

Humanity is dead.

There was a period of my time in college in which every weekend I could be found at one party or another. I desired the “true college experience” that is romanticized and sold in countless shows and movies, and for the most part I was living it. It was always the same routine: somebody would get the address, we would begin to “pregame” in our dorm rooms, and the Uber would show up. The anticipation for what the night could possibly hold was palpable, and when we arrived the scene was the typical loud music, voices and laughing, dancing, games being played, and solo red cups in every hand. I was truly living the life the world taught me was to be desired. But something was not quite right…

Even if nobody was willing to admit it, everyone at these parties, including myself, was searching for something; love, happiness, belonging, an escape, or maybe just to be seen. The world promised that this was the way for a college student to attain them. Yet we were all deceived, for all that was to be found there was emptiness. This season looked on the outside to be full of life, and yet all the while I was dying on the inside.

Outside of Christ and the living waters of His salvation, we are all dead. This is humanity’s inheritance from the first man, Adam. In the garden of Eden, God made a covenant with Adam, what theologians call the Covenant of Works/Creation. We read of it in Genesis 2:15-17,

“The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.’”

Adam was promised life with God eternally on this one condition. He was deceived, however, by a serpent who convinced him that eating the fruit of the forbidden tree would give him true life. In that day Adam surely died, and “sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” (Romans 5:12).

We were not born dying, we were born dead. We inherited this through Adam as his heirs, children of wrath, and also earned it ourselves by our own trespasses and sin. Instead of following God and His wisdom, we have followed the world and its ruler, that same ancient serpent. Once created in the image of God, humanity has now succumbed to corruption and enslavement to the passions and desires of our mortal bodies.

Being born into this fallen state, this is now the natural course of humanity and the world. All of the wicked ways of this world make sense and seem right to us. Emptiness and a vapor; this is what we were born to know and taught to strive for. Everyone shows up to the party seeking the good life in ignorant, misled hope only to find out just how shallow the promise of the world is. And yet our only course of action, through our own strength, is to keep up the facade. We try, and often succeed, to convince ourselves that everything is okay or that if we are just good people we will be allowed into heaven. But the truth remains that we are dead, and how can one who is dead make themselves alive?

This is, of course, only true outside of the beautiful gift of grace God has given through His eternally-begotten son Jesus; who shed His blood to make us alive with Him. Still, the pull of the world remains strong…

To draw from one of the most famous books of all-time, The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan, it is very tempting even for those in Christ to stray from narrow path and once again follow the course of this fallen world. For although those who are in Christ are indwelled by the Holy Spirit, we still journey through this world on the way to God’s Celestial City. The devil is restrained from affecting our eternal salvation, which is secure in Christ and sealed by the Spirit, but he does still tempt and taunt. The sons of disobedience surround us; persuading and coercing us to join their foolish rebellion and wicked ways.

All of this is difficult to endure. For once upon a time, all of their evil ways once made sense to us! We were glad participants in the war against God. If we spend too much time with our eyes fixed on this world, and not keeping our minds on things above (Colossians 3:1), their ways will begin again to seem “natural”.

And yet Christ is always stoking the fires of grace in our hearts. We were dead, and made alive with Him. This was not our work, and neither is the completion of our pilgrimage to the Celestial City. We are being sanctified by the Holy Spirit along the path, and beyond that Divine gate awaits glorification and everlasting peace. So what shall we do now?

Every day we must contemplate this Gospel, this Good News of our Triune God. The Father is rich in mercy and love for us, so much that He sent to us His only-begotten Son to bear the wrath for our trespasses. Jesus lived a life of perfect obedience to the Father, and as the Second Adam restored our human nature to once again be good, and very good. He climbed up, willingly, on the Cross to cleanse us with His blood and take sin and death (the punishment of Adam and his children!) to the grave. On the third day He rose to life, showing the world and it’s powers that His victory has been won. It is finished, and He ascended to the right hand of the Father where He intercedes on our behalf until the fullness of time; the consummation of His everlasting kingdom. Humanity was dead, but through Christ there is resurrection, reconciliation, and redemption. In Christ alone, their is abundant life.

And He did not leave us to our pilgrimage alone. The Father and Son sent us an Advocate, the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is our seal, the guarantee of our new, eternal inheritance that Christ bought for us. He is the giver of life; regenerating our souls and causing us to be born again (John 3:5). The Holy Spirit convicts us of lingering sin, sanctifies us, keeps us in an abiding relationship with Christ, and gives us access to the Father.

This Gospel is our foundation; keeping us steady and sure in a world constantly sending us winds and waves. Day by day, spend time in the Word of God; saturating your hearts and minds in goodness, truth, and true life. Pray steadfastly; being honest with the Lord your God in confession, praising Him with Thanksgiving, trusting Him with supplication. Walk obediently; on the King’s roads in His ways knowing they are for our good. Love your neighbors; those in Christ and of the world just as God loved you even while you were of the world. Do not neglect the Church; but gather, encourage, love, and journey this pilgrimage in arms with the Saints of all ages.

Even though the world seems like it may offer an abundant life of health, wealth, possessions, “happiness” and “peace”; I appeal to you to not be fooled. Humanity is dead, but in Christ is true life! May the LORD be your light and joy, peace and comfort, hope and life.