No Longer Dead, but Alive!
Scripture Reading — Ephesians 2:1-10
You were dead in your transgressions and sins … when you followed the ways of this world …
Ephesians 2:1-2
Nothing is more basic and universal to humanity than the desire to live. But we don’t want merely to exist. We want a life that is long in years and rich in quality.
No wonder! We are told in Genesis that God created human beings in his own image and likeness (Genesis 1:27). Since God is the source of true life, people created in his image are naturally inclined toward desiring life.
The alternative to life is death, and we go to great lengths to avoid it. In North America, we spend billions on health care to stay well and fit. But Paul understood that there’s another kind of death that’s just as real as physical death but not as obvious. When the apostle Paul writes, “You were dead in your transgressions and sins,” he is referring to spiritual death.
In the Bible, spiritual death is caused by people’s separation from, and rejection of, fellowship with God, their Creator. Because every person is created in God’s image, we all share a desire for life. Because every person is trapped in rebellion against God, we all are alienated from the God of life. Spiritual death is universal.
But that’s not the end of the story.
The book of Ephesians introduces us to the answer to death in all its forms. This is good news! Hearing and embracing the good-news message of Jesus means life for all who believe.
Thank you, dear God, for creating life and giving us new life in Christ. Help us to embrace your intent for our own lives and to live in fellowship with you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
About the author — Peter Borgdorff
Dr. Peter Borgdorff has been a pastor and administrator in the Christian Reformed Church for 40 years, most recently serving as executive director till his retirement in 2006. He and his wife, Janet, have five children and 14 grandchildren.
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