Well, as we continue our meditation
in the Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians, this evening we'll
turn to Chapter 2, which we're commencing, and we'll read the
first three verses. That's the Epistle of Paul to
the Ephesians, Chapter 2, and reading the first three verses.
And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins,
wherein in time past you walked according to the course of this
world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the
spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among
whom also we all had our conversation in times past, in the lusts of
our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind,
and were by nature the children of wrath even as others. Well, this second chapter of
the Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians is a very well-known chapter. And of course it commences very
wonderfully with these words, And you, Hathi Quickened, who
were dead in trespasses and in sins. And you may just notice
that of course the words Hathi Quickened are in parenthesis
and means that they were not actually in the original. about
the translators have put these words in because they really
just give the sense and the sense follows that which we read in
the fifth verse where we're told even when we were dead in sins
hath quicken us together with Christ by grace ye are saved
so It's in order to have these words here just to help us to
understand that which the Apostle wrote under the blessed influence
of the Holy Spirit. And so he tells us, writing here
of course, remember too the faithful in Christ Jesus, those who have
been blessed with the wonderful favour of spiritual life, light
into their hearts, He's able to address them in this way,
and you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins. Now, this was of course addressed
to the Ephesians, but it is really addressed to the whole Church
of God. And if you and I are part of
the true Church of God, this word will be true of us. If it's not true of us now, it
will be true of us before we pass out of time if we are one
of the children of God. And so he just illustrates in
these three verses what mankind is by nature, what they are until
the Holy Spirit descends and grants this quickening, this
enlivening of our souls and how True it is that by nature we
are all dead, spiritually dead, in trespasses and sins. We know that originates of course
from the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve were told that when
they partook of that fruit, if they did, then they would die. And they died spiritually, didn't
realise at the time perhaps what had occurred, They didn't die
physically then, they would, but they died spiritually. And
so everybody is born into this world in a state of spiritual
deadness. And we remain there in that state
until the blessed God, in his sovereign will and purposes,
comes and calls us out of that state of nature into the glorious
light of the gospel. And then it is. that we are a
new creature. There's been an amazing change,
a change which you and I could not produce. It's a change which
the Holy Spirit of God has brought about. And surely it gives us
much cause tonight for thankfulness to our God if we possess this
wonderful blessing of being quickened, being made spiritually alive,
And so then he refers to that which existed in the life of
all believers until that time when they were called, and which
exists in the lives of all those who are unbelievers. And he tells
us we're in time past. Now those who are unbelievers,
there's not a time past, it's a present time. But those who
are believers, Those are blessed with the Spirit of God. This
is true. There is a time past. What a wonderful thing it is
in our lives today. If we can say yes, I know there
was a time past. And there has been a change in
my life by the grace and mercy of God. And so he spells it out
very clearly. wherein in time past ye walked
according to the course of this world, according to the prints
of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the
children of disobedience. The prince of the power of the
air is none other than the devil himself who goes about in various
guises to deceive the Church of God and he makes the things
of this poor vain world attractive. So there is that following the
course of this world. And yet you see it's only for
a few years and then eternity. So what a blessing it is if we
are delivered from the desire to walk according to the Prince
of the Power of the Air, the Spirit that now worketh in the
children of disobedience. And all those who are disobedient,
who do not hear the Word of God, those who do not turn to the
Lord by his grace and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, This
is all those who do not are disobedient. I know we need the grace of God
but on that great day of judgment no one will be able to stand
up and say they were free. They were not disobedient. All
would have been disobedient. And so it's a very striking and
a very solemn consideration. And he goes on then to say among
whom also we all had our conversation. We were no better. We're all
in the same boat. We're all the same. Among whom,
also, we all had our conversation in times past. You see, what
a blessing if there is that in times past. And there's been
a change in times past. In the lusts of our flesh, lusting
after the things of this poor world, which do not profit. We might think there's enjoyment
in them. They're passing. and fulfilling the desires of
the flesh and of the mind and were by nature the children of
wrath even as others. This is the picture of fallen
mankind and what a blessing it is therefore if the Spirit of
God has come and shown us where we are by nature, listening to
the evil one, following his way, not turning to the Lord, satisfying
our own selves, pleasing our own selves, doing those things
which are of the flesh, being disobedient. fulfilling the lusts
of the flesh and of the mind. You see, it's a very powerful
word really, isn't it? It's not just those things that
we do outwardly, it's the things which we think. And that's a
very searching consideration, isn't it? Because how our minds
very quickly flip from one thing to another, from good things
to bad things, and how we need the power of the Holy Spirit
to come. control our minds, to turn us
away from the lust of the flesh and the pride of life and the
things which do not profit and were by nature the children of
wrath even as others. So none of us will be able to
turn around and boast that it was us, our strength, that we
turned from these evil things. It's only through the grace of
God, and it's only through the grace of God, that this will
be true of all those who believe. And you hath he quickened, and
you hath he made spiritually alive. And so tonight the great
need is to know that we are amongst those who are made spiritually
alive. Because if we are, that spiritual
life will bring us safe home to glory and we shall be alive
with the Saviour. throughout eternity. It is a
most blessed and a most glorious prospect which the Church of
God can anticipate and look forward to, realising it is by grace
we are saved.