Introduction
It’s true that without Jesus, we are dead in our offenses and sins.
We’re not born in sin; however, the world eventually pulls us into offenses against God. That means sins. We see things we want brought on by sexual, material, and ego-filled lust. They drive us to do things against God. Adultery, for example, combines all three: sexual, material, and egotistical lust. Material? How can that be so? It’s an easy answer. We want the ambiance of an adulterous setting to carry out our sins.
It’s no secret that this is true, James 1:14-15. We might say that God has a problem with man, and man has a problem with God. God wants everyone to live righteously, but they won’t. Man grows angry with God for telling us no, but He won’t stop. We want to be God of our own lives, and that displaces Him from His rightful throne as King of all.
Unfortunately, living the way we want doesn’t work out well – we make a mess of our lives, sorrowing in the grief of failed lusts and activities. We need God; fortunately, He’s always there, ready to help us out of our sins through Jesus.
The Bible Says…
Ephesians 2:1-2 has this, “And you were dead in your offences and sins, in which you previously walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.”
Let’s take the verses apart for better understanding. Verse one states that we were dead through offenses and sins. Practicing the sin-filled life means we are dead in our spirit. Man has a living physical body; within is a living spirit body. We can die physically, and we can die spiritually. As we live in and practice sin, we die spiritually. What does that mean? It means we are separated from God, His love, His kindness and grace, His salvation, and eternal life. We are not His children while we live sinfully.
The body may be living, but the spirit within us is dead. That’s a permanent death until we repent and turn to God for real life.
Verse one also states that we are dead because of offense against God. That’s not difficult to understand. No doubt we’ve all been offended by someone. We don’t like it. It hurts and stings our hearts and minds. On a cosmic stand, imagine how God feels when one of his seven billion offspring sins.
To sum up, sin causes spiritual death, and spiritual death means burning eternally in a pit designed for the devil and his hoard. That is, unless we repent.
According to the Course of this World
You know this scene: a young girl approaches Mom and says, “Hey, Mom, everyone is jumping off a cliff, and I want to, as well. Can I?” What do you think Mom says about that?
The point is that we can’t do things because others are doing them. You’re probably not a murderer, but there are murderers in our society. Do you want to murder, too? Of course not. This world does many things that offend God. You can see the misery the world is in right now. Misery is more than just a slight pain. It’s an antagonizing pain. Yet we want to live in what appears to be fun but instead brings deathly pain. That’s the power of lust and sin.
For example, poison may look enticing until we consume it. Then we wish we’d never touched the stuff. See Proverbs 23:29-35. Yet, this is the way of the world. It’s the course of the world and the way of the devil.
Matthew, the fourth chapter, has the devil offering seemingly good things to Jesus, but in the end, it would have brought about the death of every man and woman had He acted on the temptations. The devil offered, but Jesus always said no because He knew the truth. Instead, He would honor God and receive glory, not accepting the devil’s “gifts” and die miserably.
The Prince of the Power of the Air
The devil, my friends, is working in everyone who practices sin. A prince has the authority to act, the power to do, and the ability to cause. No doubt the devil is powerful. After all, he also holds death in his hands and taunts every human with it. Jesus, though, overcame death, thus stealing the devil’s ability to wreak havoc on those saved from his devastating plans. Nevertheless, the devil prowls your neighborhood, looking to destroy you, so that he diminishes his hunger.
Conclusion
As much as within us, do not follow the prince of the power of the air. Be free from death by following Jesus as our faithful Lord. The body may end up in a morgue and eventually be buried in the ground. When the body dies, so goes our spirit. A dead spirit resides in hell with the devil and his angels, and all such as have lived sinful lives.
Choose to live rather than jump off the cliff into hell with all the others.
Garland Van Dyke
garland.churchofchrist@gmail.com