But God being rich in mercy...(Part 1)

Over the next few postings I am going to examine part of Ephesians chapter 2. This section of scripture lays out a basic understanding of man's spiritual condition.

Ephesians 2:1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly 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.

Paul starts out this section of scripture by explaining who we were apart from the grace of God. It will become clear as we work through this scripture that all men are sinners completely separate from God, even unable to respond to Him.

The description here says apart from God we are spiritually dead. Now dead men are completely incapable of responding to an external command. They are complete incapable of initiating an internal response. There is no life. In fact the only thing a dead man can do is continue to rot more.

Left in our sinful condition, separated from Christ, we like a corpse rot more and more. Sin works its way in our flesh to destroy us more and more. Man will never improve and can less corrupt in his flesh. There is no hope for improvement of his condition only expectation of things getting worse. It is because of our own sin that we are spiritually dead.

Romans 8:6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 8and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

In the flesh, our depraved nature separated from God, we are totally unable to please God, respond to Him, or obey Him. This is essential to our understanding of the nature of our salvation. It is wholly of God.

The only difference between unsaved men is the extent of their rottenness. Man apart from Divine intervention will never seek after God. We exercise our freewill apart from any outside compulsion. And that freewill is to feed our lust, to rage against a Holy God, and to want nothing to do with Him as we head straight for HELL.

I will leave you with the same thought I started with. But God being rich in mercy... it is in this that true saving faith is found.