What does being dead in trespasses and sins mean?

Being dead in trespasses and sins signifies a complete spiritual incapacitation due to the fall of man. As articulated in Ephesians 2:1-3, this condition reflects our inability to strive for righteousness or to come to God on our own. The fall resulted in total depravity, which leaves individuals without spiritual life and separated from the life-giving presence of God. Apart from the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, individuals will remain in this state of death. The Bible uses vivid imagery to describe this condition, likening it to Lazarus dead in the grave, requiring a powerful command from Christ to be resurrected. It underscores humanity's desperate need for divine grace to be made alive in Christ.