All right. If you would, turn
over in your Bibles to Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians chapter 2. And I want to read the first seven
verses. You thought I was going to read
2.8, didn't you? I might before it's over, but that's not what
the plan is. But sometimes my plans go awry. but it's okay
as long as his plan goes forward. Ephesians chapter 2 and verse
1, and you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and
sins wherein in time past ye 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 lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and
of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as
others. But God, who is rich in mercy,
for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were
dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, And
by grace ye are saved. And hath raised us up together
and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that
in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of
his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. What I want to speak to you today,
and it's kind of a misnomer, but we'll get into that, who
were dead. That's what I want to speak about.
Now this first part of Ephesians chapter 2 takes us from the depths
of humanity, our true human nature, to heavenly places in Christ
Jesus. In seven verses. That's pretty darn good. You go from human nature, human
depravity, human lust, to the riches exceedingly gloriful grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ. Like I said, that's quite a gulf
to cross in seven verses, but Paul does it quite ably. I was
listening to a dead Englishman the other day. Now, by means
of digital audio. Now, I'm not hearing voices.
Like I said once, you know, only when people are speaking to me
do I hear voices. And he pointed out something
that I'd never really thought about. What he said, he was talking
about Paul's epistles, and what he said was, we expound
upon them. We expand upon them. And the reason you can do this,
and the reason we do it, is because Paul's epistles were made to
be expounded upon. He called them summaries or a
synopsis of doctrine. He wrote this in a letter, but
then he was there in person and he wanted to go back in person.
He was talking actually about the letter to the Romans. Paul
had never been there when he wrote it. But once Paul got there,
he preached every day for a year and a half. The truth of God. But he had
wrote them that letter, and it is made to be expounded upon. This is our foundation, the apostles
foundation. Paul put it this way, according
to the grace of God which is given unto me as a wise master
builder, I have laid the foundation and another buildeth thereupon.
But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other
foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Christ
Jesus, Jesus Christ. There is no other foundation,
and I must take heed how I build thereupon, but that's what we're
supposed to do. That's the foundation. That's
the foundation of the apostles, which we talked about in Acts,
which is they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine. That's
what we are to do. We are to build upon it. John
wrote this, and there are many other things which Jesus did
which if they should be written, every one, I suppose that even
the world itself could not contain the books that should be written.
Amen. We work with what we have, and
what we have is the foundation that the apostles and the prophets
and Moses gave us in this book. And we are to take what's in
this book and preach Christ. Because no other foundation can
be laid. The foundation's laid right here. Ephesians 2 and verse 1, and
you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins.
Now the reason I did want to say a little bit about that,
about how we're to expound upon this, Because this was a hard verse
for me. When you start looking at it, you see in italics, hath
he quicken. That's added in. It's literally
not there. I looked in the Greek, and it's
not there. And it's not necessary to be
there. Somehow or the other, whoever translated this verse,
I think he got a little scared. I'm serious. I think he was worried
that somebody might get the wrong idea. And he just added that
in. It does come in in verse 5. It's
right there. Paul gets to it in his time. But this guy was
in a little bit of a hurry. Because the first two words are
and you. Now, I want you to know who this
you is. This you is everybody Paul was
writing to in Ephesians 1. That's who he is. That's who
it is. It's very simple, it's very profound,
and it's very important that you know exactly who you is in
the beginning of this artificial chapter division, chapter two,
verse one. These are the same ones that
Paul wrote to in chapter one. The you is the saints at Ephesus,
the faithful in Christ Jesus. Those that have been blessed
in him, those that have been chosen, in Him, those that have
been predestinated, redeemed, those who know the mystery of
His will, those who have an inheritance, those who trust Christ after
they heard the gospel of their salvation, those who were sealed
with the Spirit after they had believed. Those whose eyes being
enlightened, who believe by the working of His mighty power. I heard that this morning on
that. That's good. It's His mighty power that has
us believe. Those who are members of His
church, His assembly, which is His body. That's the you at the
beginning of verse 1 of chapter 2. That's who Paul's still writing
to. It's all still one letter. And I will tell you this, it
also means you. If you qualify, if you fit that
description, if you've been chosen, if you've
been given faith by his mighty power so that you believe by
his mighty power, it's also you and me. But only if you fit the description. Like I said, hath he quickened
is not in the text. It is a true descriptive phrase
of this you. They have been quickened. It's
not a lie. It's just an addition and it's
not, I don't think it's necessary because like I said, Paul goes
on in five and says it again. I think the translators were
just trying to show that Paul was still writing about the saints
at Ephesus and possibly to show the opposite of dead and trespasses
and sin. just to put it there. But the next thing I ran into
was this word, were. And you, who were dead in trespasses
and sins. Well, I looked, because that
was the title of this sermon. And you, who were dead. That's
what I want to talk about. You were dead. Now you're alive.
Well, that word, when Paul wrote it, is in the present tense.
It's not in the past tense. That just messed up my whole
sermon. See, you plan these things, you
think of these things, and then something happens. The Word of
God fixes you. It should. A lot of people don't
let that bother them. If you really want to know the
truth about it. And to be honest, to be perfectly honest, I did
think about skipping this word all totally. And just go on because
what I was going to say is true. But what I want to say now is
what actually Paul has written. This is what we call biblical
exposition. I don't want to add to it. I
don't want to take from it. But it's in the present tense. Young's
literal translation actually has this verse as Also you, being
dead in the trespasses and the sins. Being dead. Because that ing is in there,
because it's the present participle or something like that. I forget.
The participle means you put ing at the end, or ed. Well,
this is present tense, so you put the ing. If it was past tense,
you would have put the ed. Enough for grammar. But this
is written in the present tense by the Apostle Paul, And I do
think, Walter, that may have worried the fellow who translated
this scripture. I think it did. And I can understand
it. But this could be that Paul was
referring to the past in the next verse. At that past time, we were being
dead. We were being dead. Because in
verse 2, it starts, wherein in time past. Ye 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. Where in the past, guess what?
Ye walked. Guess what? That's the same ye
as the same you in verse one. We all came from the same place.
No matter where you are now, we all came from the same place.
And the Apostle Paul is fixing to tell us where it was from.
And this is where we walked. We made one's way. The other
definition of this is to tread all around. We stomped around
this way that Paul is fixing to tell us about. This is how
we lived in the past. We lived like the world. we love like the world we love
the world and the things in this world of this world according to the course of this
world this world is on a course and it's been on a course since
adam fell right and that course is cursed the earth is cursed
the universe is cursed The stars are cursed. There's a little
thing out there they call entropy, which means everything's dying. Guess what? They're right. That's
one part they got right. Science, until they change it,
which they might. You never know about scientists.
It changes, but God's word never changes. That's what that church
at the big dip there at Shady's got up on the sign. I don't know
if it's still there today, but it's been up there for weeks.
They put it up there ever since they did that gay marriage thing. And I'm not here to talk about
that, but they put it up. It says, man's laws may change,
but God's word never changes. And that's true. I just wish
they believed it and preached it. This word never changes. We live like the world, we love
the world, the course of this world is cursed, and we lived
according to this cursed world. And it says, according to the
prince of the power of the air. I can't read that without thinking
of Earl anymore when he heard that fella introduce Harry Emerson
Fosdick, who was an Armenian preacher of the first rank. I
read one of his sermons in a book. I think Debbie had it, or we
got it one time, years ago. It was a great sermon. So I had
John Wesley in there. None of them were any good. Not a one of them. So I knew
Harry Emerson Fosdick. I knew the name when Earl talked
about it. Well, he was introduced on the radio one time as the
prince and the power of the air, Harry Emerson Fosdick. And I'm
thinking, boy, that guy was more right than he ever knew. I don't
know if I ever got to introduce him again. I don't know if Harry
Emerson Fosdick got the joke. But yeah, some truth was spoken
at least at the beginning in the introduction. We walked according
to the prince of the power of the air. Beelzebub, lord of the
flies. That's where they got that title
for that book. Beelzebub, that's what it means, the lord of the
fly. The Jews had this thing where they believed the spirits
were full of evil, evil spirits. The air was full of them, excuse
me. The air was full of evil spirits, fallen angels. And I
don't know that they're off the mark. It talks about spiritual
wickedness in high places. In heaven, that's who we had our walk according
to. According to this cursed world
and according to the prince and the power of the air, we were
doing exactly what he wanted us to do. We were being just
as evil as we wanted to be. Guess what? Nothing's changed.
The next part of the verse is, which is the spirit that now
worketh in the children of disobedience? Right now. 2,000 years ago, yes. Right now, yes. The spirit hasn't changed. That
spirit has not changed. That prince in the power of the
air. This cursed earth has not gotten any better. Now the spirit that works in
this world works in the children of disobedience. This in time
past did include us. You. You who can fit the description
of Ephesians chapter 1, these that Paul was writing to, the
saints at Ephesus. We were just like the children
of wrath, the children of disobedience.
This is where we all walked at one time, but believers no longer
walk there. That's the point Paul's getting
to. This is where we're going from the bad stuff to the good
stuff. But he's not done with the bad
stuff yet. Among whom also we had our conversation in times
past. Among whom also in times past
we had our whole life. That's what the conversation
is. It's where you abide. It's where you live. It's not
just what you say, although it includes what you say. It's not
just what you do, but it includes what you do. It's all of it together. Your whole life, my whole life,
before Christ met me, was wrapped up in this world, just like the
children of disobedience, just like the children of wrath. I
was no different by nature. My nature was following. I was
dead in trespasses and sins. I was being dead in trespasses
and sins. Now this does not say that we
were once the children of wrath. Because that's the way a lot
of people look at it. Well, we were the children of
wrath, now we're the children of God. Well, no, that's not
quite right. We were by nature just like those children of wrath,
but believers were never, ever, never. Can I say it again? Never
appointed to wrath. Never appointed to wrath. See,
this is one of them things where they run into problems with Romans
chapter 9. The children of wrath are appointed
to wrath. There are vessels unto honor,
and there are vessels unto dishonor. Then the potter made both of
them out of the same lump. There are the children of wrath,
but the children of God never have been appointed to wrath.
They have been a vessel unto honor, but the vessels The children
of wrath are vessels fitted to destruction. But we were just like them. You
couldn't tell us apart. You couldn't tell us apart. We
were just like them. Living totally in the flesh. And in the flesh dwells no good
thing. And that is in the present tense.
In my flesh now dwells no good thing. But then you get to verse four
and it says, but God. I agree, Walter. I think that
is two of the best words in the Bible when you put them together.
But God. You get through all this. We
had our conversation here. We were fulfilling the desires
of the flesh and of our mind. Everything we had was corrupt,
but God. That's what it comes down to.
This is where it comes to. This is where Paul's leading
us. Everything's against us. We were living according to the
course of the world. We were following the prince and the
power of the air. We were happy there, even if we were miserable. Well, at least we don't have
to go to church like them people over there. At least I don't have to believe
that old doctrine of grace. It says I don't have no free
will. But God. That's the answer to
those first four verses right there. First three verses, excuse
me. But God. This is the only answer. But God, who is rich in mercy,
For His great love wherewith He loved us." God's love and
God's mercy are intricately tied together. God's mercy, God's
grace, God's love, God's salvation is all tied together. And you'll
find them in various things hither and yon through the scriptures.
But right here he says, for who is rich in mercy for his great
love. Wherewith he loved us. And we're
back to us again, the people in Ephesians chapter one. The
you at the beginning of this chapter here. Us. If you fit
the description, this is what God did for you. He was rich
in mercy towards you for his great love. Where he loved us. God's love is just like God. It's eternal. God is love. Now don't take the definition
you have of love and try to fit God into it. This is the definition
of God's love. If He loves you, He's merciful
to you. If He loves you, He's gracious
to you. If He loves you, He'll save you. He'll give you life. He'll bring
you by His Son and reconcile you. He actually has reconciled
you, but then He's going to let you know about it. Everlasting love, eternal love
in Christ from before the foundation of the world. And He is rich
in mercy toward everyone that He loves. Every single one. Walter, you were talking a little
different place. Even when we were dead. Even
when we were dead. Well, we were dead. If He didn't love us when we
were dead, we've got no hope. That's what we were. Also ye being dead. God loved us even when we were
dead. God loved us when we were dead
in trespasses and sins. Now we were not dead because
of our trespasses and sins. Our trespasses and sins are because
we are dead. I sin because I am a sinner. And I'm a sinner because I'm
dead. Because I fell in my father Adam. I was shaped in iniquity. I was
born in sin. And so were every one of you.
But God, even when we were dead in sins,
here it is, hath quickened us together with Christ. And I like it. Earl said it.
He said Paul couldn't hold it in no longer. By grace you are
saved. By grace you are saved. Why? Because it's all but God. His mercy, His love, even when
we were dead in sin, He's quickened us together with Christ. Walter, He's reconciled us. He's
redeemed us. We have received the atonement
with Christ, by Christ. excuse me this is where you were
and this is what you were dead and life was given by the father
with Christ now I do want to point this out the father quickens
the son quickens and the Holy Spirit blows where he listed
guess what these three are one they agree in one Our life, the
life that we now have, that life that we didn't used to have,
this gift is tied together, dependent upon and with Christ and in Christ. If He lives, ye shall live also. And guess what? He ever liveth. to make intercession for you.
But He ever liveth. He that liveth and believeth
in Me shall never die. Believest thou this? Our life is in His life. He is eternal. He has no beginning
and He has no end. By grace, you are saved. What did you have to do to not
be dead? Well, you had to be there. And
don't worry, God made sure you were right where he wanted you
when he was going to give you life. What can the dead do? How dead were we? Makes me feel
like Johnny Carson. You're supposed to answer, how
dead were we? We were so dead, we didn't even
know it. We were so dead we didn't even feel it. We were so dead
that He had to give us life so that we might know that we were
dead. By grace you are saved. If it's of grace, it's not of
works. And hath raised us up together
and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, We have
been raised in Christ. We are seated in Christ, in the
heavenlies. We are seated. And guess what? He is seated
upon a throne. He is King of Kings and Lord
of Lords. He always has been He is now
and He always shall be and He will be coming back with that
written on His thigh. And some are going to be coming
back with Him and others are going to meet Him in the air.
He has raised us up together and made us sit. I like that. What's it say about that beggar,
raised up the beggar off the dunghill? Two, for the express
purpose of sitting with princes and kings. He did that for you when he quickened
you. You came to know it. It was planned and purposed for
the foundation of the world. For every single one that the
father gave to the son is going to be quickened. is going to
hear the gospel, is going to believe the gospel, and is going
to be seated with princes and kings. Where Christ is, wherever Christ
is, there we are. Present tense in Him. That in the ages to come He might
show the exceeding riches of His grace and His kindness toward
us through Christ Jesus. There's more to come. There's more to come. This is written 2,000 years ago,
thereabouts. There's been a lot happened since
then. But there's still, right now, a lot more to come. He's going to show even more
so the exceeding riches of His grace. His grace is shown in
His kindness, His love, His mercy toward His people. We in Christ have been given
so much more than we lost in Adam. I mean, Adam was in the garden. We're going to have a new heavens
and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. Where Christ is
going to be the light. And we shall live and dwell with
Him forever. That's what I'm looking forward
to. I mean, I like this world. I like the place I'm in right
now, at least for the most part. I like most of my neighbors.
God's put me here. And I like these mountains. But
there is such a better world coming that I can't even imagine. In the ages to come, He is going
to show forth the riches of His grace toward us. We didn't deserve
any of it! And all of this is through Christ
Jesus, the God-Man. Now, the conclusion? We have,
right now, two natures. The old nature, but we do have
the new nature. We are depraved. The flesh is
still flesh. We are quickened by the Spirit,
born from above, but my flesh is still my flesh. I still trespass
and I still sin. But I'm no longer dead and trespasses
in sin. That's a blessing. I no longer
walk in sin. Live in sin. Abide in sin. Why? By His grace. By His work. By His mercy. The old nature
is still here in my flesh, but now there is a new nature. And
you have it too if He's quickened you. Romans 7 verse 18. For I know that is in me, that
is, I know that in me, that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good
thing. And like I said, that is present
tense. For to will is present with me,
but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good
that I would, I do not, but the evil which I would not, that
I do. Now if I do that I would not,
it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find
in a law that when I would do good, evil is present with me.
For I delight in the law of God after the inward man, but I see
another law in my members. Warring against the law of my
mind and bringing me into the captivity of the law of sin,
which is in my members, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver
me from the body of this death? He didn't stop there. I thank
God. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
So then with the mind, I myself serve the law of God, but with
the flesh, the law of sin. That's where we're at right now.
That's where we're at. If there's not a war in your
members, then there's not a war between your mind and your flesh.
You don't know what I'm talking about. and you don't know Christ. But Walter said, this is one
of the things he'll show you, you're not worth anything. And
he's worth everything. The other thing that dead Englishman
said was that it was hard to expound upon one of Paul's epistles
without going to another one. He was right. They're all related
because it's all one message. This is the story of God's children,
how they were, how they are, and where we're going to. And
ye were dead. You're no longer dead in trespasses
and sins. You've been quickened. We have
been quickened together with Christ. From the past, the present, and
the future, All is in Jesus Christ. And we have been promised. And
he is able to perform that which he has promised. I want to turn
that up. Our Heavenly Father, we're thankful
again for this time, this place. But most of all, thankful for
you. Our Lord and our Savior. Our forgiveness, our life, our
wisdom, our righteousness, our sanctification, our redemption. Father, you have made your son
everything to us, and for us, and in us. Thank you. In Christ's name, amen.