“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:1-10 ESV)

Before any of us became believers in and followers of Jesus Christ we were dead in the trespasses and sins in which we once walked when we were still under the control of Satan and of the flesh. We were separate from God and unable in our own flesh to be acceptable to God and to share in his holiness and righteousness. We were doomed to destruction, without hope, and with no way out of our slavery (bondage, addiction) to sin.

But, by God-provided, and God-gifted, and God-persuaded faith in Jesus Christ, which is not of our own doing (not of the will nor of the flesh of man), we were crucified with Christ in death to sin, and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin, but as slaves to God and to his righteousness. So sin is to no longer have mastery over our lives. For if we obey sin, it leads to death, not to life everlasting.

Hebrews 12:1-2; Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Romans 6:1-23; Luke 9:23-26; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Peter 2:24; Acts 26:18; Matthew 7:21-23; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10

For what does it say here? “You WERE dead in the trespasses and sins in which you ONCE WALKED” (past tense, not in the present). So as those who have been saved from our sins, delivered out of our bondage (slavery) to sin, and who have been given new lives in Christ Jesus to be lived for his glory and purposes in holy living, and in walks of obedience to his commands, we should no longer live as those who are addicted to sin.

We once followed the course of this world, but that is now history. We once lived in the passions of our flesh, but no more. We once walked in sin, but Jesus delivered us from our bondage to sin. We once carried out the desires of our flesh and minds, and so we were once children of wrath, like everyone else. But if we have died with Christ to sin, and we are now walking in obedience to his commands in holy living, all of that should be in our past.

Now this is not saying that we are now perfect in every way or that we will never fail again (see 1 John 2:1-2), but that we who believe in Jesus Christ, if our faith is genuine, should no longer be those who are living according to our flesh to obey its sinful desires. We should now be living for the Lord Jesus to please him in all that we are and say and do, and for his glory and purposes. For we should now be his possession to do his will, not ours.

For Jesus Christ, who knew no sin, became sin for us on that cross that we might die to sin and now live to righteousness, by his grace, in his power. He died that we might now live for him and no longer for self. And he shed his blood for us on that cross to buy us back for God (to redeem us) out of our lives of slavery to sin so that we will now serve him with our lives, and honor him with our bodies, and walk in his righteousness and holiness.

2 Corinthians 5:15,21; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 1 Peter 2:24; Romans 6:1-23

For the grace of God, which is bringing us salvation, is training us to renounce (say “No!” to) ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for our Lord’s return. And the faith to believe in Jesus, which comes from God, is persuaded of God as to his holiness and righteousness, and of our sinfulness, and of our need to turn from our sins and to now walk in obedience to our Lord’s commands.

Titus 2:11-14; Romans 1:18-32; Acts 26:18; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30

And, although not one of us can be saved by of our own fleshly works, we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. For Jesus Christ gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works, which are the works that God ordained and requires of us that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:10; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Corinthians 15:58; 2 Corinthians 9:8; Galatians 5:6; Philippians 2:12-13; Colossians 1:9-14; 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12; 2 Timothy 2:21; John 15:1-11; Titus 3:8; James 2:17

As the Deer

By Martin J. Nystrom
Based off Psalm 42:1

As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after You
You alone are my heart’s desire
And I long to worship You

You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart’s desire
And I long to worship You

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