Bible Reading: 1 Kings 4 & 5; Ephesians 2; Ezekiel 35; Psalm 85
Ephesians 2:1-3 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 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.
You used to be controlled by Satan! That is what Paul is telling the Ephesian believers. Their lives were under the influence of the prince of the power of the air. He is the spirit that is working in all the children of disobedience. The wicked spirit of Satan is working right alongside the course of the world to lead people down the broad way that leads to destruction. He does this by stirring up the desires of our sinful flesh to tempt us to disobey God. The end result of this diabolical work is that by nature, we are the children of wrath…or used to be before we met Jesus.
Now the world will tell you that you are not dead and sinful in your fleshly desires. The world will say that people are basically good and sometimes do some bad things. But the Bible says otherwise – it says that people are dead and doomed. Our trespasses and sins condemn us in God’s sight and we deserve his judgment.
Do you have this kind of past / present testimony? Can you say there was a time when you were deceived by Satan, drugged by the world and driven by the flesh? But God in Christ reached down and gave you life when you were walking in death? The Ephesian believers were quickened. That means to give life. God did it when they heard the gospel of Jesus Christ and believed on him. Do you have that kind of testimony? You need one because this is a Christian's story. Even if you were saved when you were a young child, you were dead and God made you alive. Do you have the new life of Jesus?
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
When Christ gives you new life, you become a new creature. The quickening of God is life giving and life changing. Praise God for his quickening!
In Christ,
Rody
