And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 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— 3 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. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 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
C. The Categories of Death
1. Physical death
a. Its definition: the temporary separation of the body (material) and the soul (immaterial)
b. Its reality: Gen. 2:17, Gen. 3:19, Gen. 5:1-5, Gen 35:18, Matt. 10:28
2. Spiritual death
a. Its definition: the separation of the individual soul from the life of God
b. Its reality: Gen. 2:17, Eph. 2:1, 5, Col. 2:13, Luke 15:24, 31-32
c. Its descriptions: Ephesians 2:1-3
– A natural walk separated from God: Eph. 2:1-2a, Rom. 3:10-18, Eph. 2:2&3, John 8:44, Eph. 2:18-19, 1 John 2:6
– A worldly walk guided by pursuits and pleasures of this world: Eph. 2:2b, 1 John 2:15
– A blinded walk in bondage to the devil: Eph. 2:2c, John 14:30, 2 Cor. 4:4
– A disobedient walk of willful defiance and rebellion: Eph. 2:2d, Rom. 1:32
– A sensual walk driven by the flesh: Eph. 2:3, Gal. 5:19-21
d. Its deadness
– Dead to the Divine Excellences in our God: Eph. 2:4, Eph. 2:5-6, Eph. 2:7
– Dead to the authoritative relationships we have with our God
– Dead to the familial relationships we have with our God