April 24th | At One Time You Were Dead Because of Your Sins

A SERIES OF DEVOTIONS BASED ON PAUL’S LETTER TO THE EPHESIANS 

 AT ONE TIME YOUR WERE DEAD BECAUSE OF YOUR SINS

Ephesians 2:1-2 “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.”  

Verb tenses are very important to the meaning of a sentence or even a paragraph. Today’s devotional verses are in the past tense. The past tense expresses a state of being that previously existed. The message or point of Ephesians 2:1-2 is that at one time in your past life you were a sinner. You were living in these sins. The consequences of them for you was in God’s sight you were dead. Not dead physically, but spiritually. You were God’s enemy. Your sins separated you from God and made it impossible for you to live in His presence. 

“You were dead in your sins” (past tense) says that you are no longer dead. Romans 5:6-11 explains how God changed the verb tense for you: “ . . . at just the right time, when (you) were still powerless, Christ died for (you.) Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for (you) in this: While (you) were still (a)sinner, Christ died for (you.) Since (you) have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall (you) be saved from God’s wrath through Him! For if, while (you) were God’s enemy, (you) were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall (you) be saved through His life! Not only is this so, but (you) also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom (you) have now received reconciliation.” 

You were dead because of your sins but you are no longer dead. You are, by God’s grace, through His gift to you of faith in Jesus, forgiven of all of your sins. The record of them is totally erased, expunged, removed from the ledger of your life. In God’s sight, through your faith in Jesus, you are righteous and holy. You are alive in Christ! 

Prayer: Jesus, thanks be to You that you died the death I should have died for my sins so that through your death and resurrection you have paid in full the wages for my sins. Thanks be to You! Amen. 

O Christ, our hope, our hearts’ desire, Creation’s mighty Lord,  Redeemer of the fallen world, By holy love outpoured: 

How vast Your mercy to accept The burden of our sin   And bow Your head in cruel death To make us clean within. 

But now the bonds of death are burst, The ransom has been paid;  You now ascend the Father’s throne In robes of light arrayed. 

O let Your mighty love prevail To purge us of our pride  That we may stand before Your throne By mercy purified. 

Christ Jesus, be our present joy, Our future great reward;  Our only glory, ma it be To glory in the Lord! 

All praise to You, ascended Lord; All glory ever be  To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost Through all eternity!  (LSB 553)