Ephesians 2:1-3 – Dead in Trespasses and Sins (Part Two)

The following notes are from the Sunday morning sermon at Pioneer Bible Church on June 26, 2022.

Last week we saw three points:

Spiritual death is the past reality for believers in Jesus Christ
Spiritual death is the present reality for everyone who is not trusting in Jesus Christ
Spiritual death is the absence of God’s life

This week we will see the following three points:

1. Spiritual death is the reality of human nature apart from Christ

“you were dead in trespasses and sins”
“by nature children of wrath”
Psalm 51:5 – “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.”

“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned”— (Romans 5:12; see also Genesis 2:16-17, 3:8)
“Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.” (Romans 5:18 ESV)

“following the course of this world”
“following the prince of the power of the air”
“spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience”
Colossians 1:13-14 – “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
Unsaved humanity’s relationship to Satan is described as a parent-child relationship in Scripture:
- Matthew 13:38 – “The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one…”
- 1 John 3:10 says that we can distinguish who is a child of God and who is a child of the devil by what they do – righteousness versus unrighteousness. This is not because works save. Instead, the nature is the driving force behind the action.
- John 8:44 – “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires.”