1-3: - Former condition - separated
4-7: - Rich in Mercy
8-10: - New condition - saved by grace
11-13: - Gentiles especially separated
14-16: - One from Two
17-18: - He preached peace
19-22: - No longer foreigners
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Eph. 2:1-3 - Your 'Normal' Condition
1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,
2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.
3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.
Vs. 1 - "And you were dead in your trespasses and sins" - Paul is setting the scene: telling us of our position when not in Christ, versus being in Christ. As he finished the previous chapter, Paul tells of Christ’s position - greater than all and above, seated at the right hand of God. There is none other like Him, now or ever! He is alive in heaven.
On the the other hand, we are dead! Dead in our transgression and sin - not because of our sinning, [We sin because we are sinners.] (See: Rom 5:16-19; Col 2:13; 1 Cor 15:21-22)
“Sins and trespasses” - (i.e., transgressions) were our way of life, before Christ filled us.
Vs. 2 - “ in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.” - This is where you are without Christ in your life.
“Formerly walked” - our way of life, attitude, as a non-believer.
“According to the course of this world...” - (See: Rom 13:13; Col 2:8, 3:5-6; Gal 5:19-21; Jam 3:14-16; 1 Pet 2:1, 4:3; 2 Cor 4:4) The natural order of this physical world is corrupted (Jer 17:9) by sin. Until we are made a new creature in Christ, we too walk and act as the natural man. (See: 2 Cor 5:17)
“According to the prince of the power of the air” - See: John 12:31, 14:30, 16:11, 17:15; 2 Cor 4:5; 1 John 2:13, 4:4, 5:18-19; Matt 5:37, 13:19; 2 Thes 3:3. —-
Here we see another name for Satan, the “evil one”, “ruler of the world”. He has been defeated in Christ - in effect, Satan is free on bail, awaiting final sentencing. Satan is confined to this universe, which is to be judged by Christ.
“Sons of disobedience” - The evil one has control of some people. These people disobey God. Paul is further defining the source of the evil in this world. The same prince of the air is the spirit who leads people to sin (2 Cor 4:4). Just as we who believe in Jesus are “sons of righteousness” or “saints of the light”, those who follow Satan are sons of disobedience.
Vs. 3 - "Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”
“Among them” - The sons of disobedience as defined above.
“We all formerly lived” - See: 1 Cor 6:11; Col 3:7; 1 Pet 4:3; Rom 3:23 - Before Christ Jesus became Lord in our lives, we were unsaved sinners - no matter how good we tried to be.
“Lust of flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and mind” - See: Rom 1:18-32; Ga; 5:16-21; Col 1:21; 2 Pet 2:12-19 - a fairly complete listing of the problems of the world.
“By nature, children of wrath” - See: Eph 5:6; Col 3:6. Not only children of disobedience, but destined to suffer the wrath of God.
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