Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) Ephesians 2:1-5 NLT
As awful as other kinds of death are, there is no death that compares to the tragedy of spiritual death. Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus because, even though He knew He was going to bring him to life again, death was never God’s plan for humans. Death in any form is heartbreaking. The death of dreams, relationships, of physical life – all are miserable and bring agony. But nothing compares to the finality and fearsomeness of spiritual death.
That’s where we once were. We recognize sickness in people, and often humans prescribe a self-improvement program to fix it. But being dead in sin is far more than sickness. It is helplessness, hopelessness, incapacity to even respond. We are totally unable to engineer a self-improvement program, any more than a corpse could bring himself to life. We need a total resurrection, one that comes from power outside ourselves. And that’s the good news of the gospel. Because of His immense love and mercy, God has done for us what we could never do for ourselves. When He raised Jesus from the dead, He gave us new life as well when we receive Hiis unmatched grace and trust Jesus for salvation.
When we become alive in Christ, we have an entirely new identity. We are not just improved versions of our old selves – we are made entirely new. We are no longer slaves; we are sons and daughters of God. We were once ruled by our passions and wrong desires, directed by our enemy Satan. But now we have the power to say NO. Because we are fully alive, sin no longer can dominate us.
The worst death we can possibly experience is spiritual death. If our physical life ends while we are spiritually dead, the result is tragic. But because when we were dead in our sins Christ died and then was resurrected for us, God’s grace makes the best life imaginable here and forever.
- “When you put your faith and trust in Christ for salvation, he puts death behind you and all that is ahead of you is life!” (Erwin McManus). That is your incredible gift. Thank Him and take full advantage of all that Christ has given you.