Ephesians 2:1-22

Some questions out of chapter 2 verse 1: What have we been quickened from? What was it that kept us all dead in trespasses and sins? How were we quickened? The answers to all these questions and more are found in chapter one and in many of Paul's letters. Friends, this verse is not talking about we being quickened from doing bad into doing what is good? If that were to be the case then Jesus failed. It was for freedom that Jesus was sent to set us free. Free from moral law, sacrificial laws, ceremonial and all of the works of the law.

God has quickened us all to life in Christ Jesus. We've been quickened from the death grip of the law. It was the given law of Moses that kept us in bondage and sin. It was Christ who quickened everyone from the dead since it was through the sin of one man (Adam) that made the entire human race to be found guilty of sin before God. Romans 5. Verse 2 is not talking about the world we presently live in. The entire verse is making reference to the law of Moses. There was a time when we were all servants and slaves to the law. The world that Paul was referring to was none other than the law.

The prince of the air is the law of Moses, the which we were all under and judged under. The children of disobedience was any Jew or Gentile that were trusting in the law but failed to keep to the entire law. We were all ruled, controlled, judged and punished by the power that the law had over us. Thank God that Jesus set us all free from that world that was ruled by the power of the prince of the air. We are no longer children of disobedience. We are now children of righteousness in Christ Jesus. If you see yourself as a child of disobedience, it is simply because you are basing your relationship with God on the dead works of the law.

You haven't realized that you have been totally quickened from every single sin that the law ever held against you. We are either serving under the power of the prince of the air, the law and the world that surrounds it, or we are acknowledging that Jesus has delivered us all from the power that the law had over us so that we no longer be seen as children of disobedience. Unless we train our heart and mind to once and for all accept that is "Christ, Minus Law, Minus What We Do," we will always see ourselves as children of disobedience and slaves of sin. It was the law that worked within us feelings of unworthiness.

This is more of a reason why we need to stay focus on the liberty and freedom that came through the Gospel of God's grace. If our minds continue to feast on the law, and grace at the same time, then we will never see ourselves as being completely dead to the law. Notice that in this chapter, like in chapter one Paul uses past tense phrases. "Wherein Times Past." "We Walked" "Had our conversation in times past." "Were by nature." "He loved us." "When we were dead is sins." "Hath raised us up." Once we embrace these truths, and we renew our minds to the fact that God is no longer dealing with us according to the past, the seeds of freedom in Christ begin to take root.

Why? Simply because Jesus took care at the cross every single sinful desire of the flesh that was produced by the law in us. Verse 3 is not talking about having our conversation in sexual filthy, lustful talk. The fulfilling the desires of the flesh and mind is not making reference to some sexual immoral porno act and what have you. We were by nature the children of wrath because the law only produced wrath. It never produced love. There was wrath between God and man before Jesus nailed the law to the cross. We lusted after our own righteousness because we were all attempting to be pleasing to God through the works of the law.

We became perverts because we all sought to be justified before God through the works of the law. We all became a big turn off in the eyes of God by attempting to be pleasing to Him by our own righteousness. We lusted and desire to be pleasing to God through our performance and God got sick of the hypocrisy, lies, and our filthy rags of self-righteous works. Our attempt to be pleasing to God through the law became a stench in God's nostrils. God could not see nothing good about us, and in turn it made us all children of wrath and disobedience just like everyone else. "None righteous under the law, no not one."

Then as we come to verse 4 we begin to see the unconditional love and mercy of God. God couldn't stand seeing any longer the condition of His creation. So He decided to do something about it. God knew that no one could keep it all together, and the punishment of death was too heavy of a price for man to pay on his own. So God decided to crucify the law to a tree in the body of His own Son, and the entire human race and all of their sins died in the body of Christ, and when Christ rose from the dead, then entire human race rose with Him in newness of life.

Friends, if God is still dealing with anyone according to their obedience or disobedience, then that would mean that we are all still under the law of sin and death, Jesus died in vain and His obedience means nothing. Romans chapter 5. Thank God that it was Jesus obedience, and not ours that made us right with God. If God were to be relating to man through their obedience and disobedience, not only will this Gospel be of works, but the Evangelical Church would still be liable and accountable for their sins.

Disobedience is denying the finished work of the cross, and not believing that Jesus quickened the entire human race from their trespasses and sins. Disobedience is when men like the "3 Amigos" went back to trusting in the law of Moses. If there be anyone in disobedience today, if would have to be said that is none other than Evangelical Christianity and their preachers because they don't believe nor accept that the entire human race's sins were all destroyed in the body of Christ. To related to God through obedience or disobedience is to completely deny the finished work of the Christ.

To be continued...

Grace N Peace

Eddie Narvaez