Mount Whitney in California is the highest spot in the continental United States (14,495 feet). As you gaze from what can seem to be the top of the world, only eighty miles to the southeast is Death Valley, the lowest spot in the United States at 280 feet below sea level and the hottest place in the country with a record 134 degrees in the shade! What a contrast! One place is the top of the world, the other the bot¬tom. One place is perpetually cool, the other relentlessly hot. From Mt. Whitney you look down on all of life. From Death Valley you can only look up to the rest of the world.
Paul draws a similar contrast for us in our passage for today. In these verses, Paul takes us from the lowest depths of despair to the highest reaches of joy, and tells us that the difference between being a Christian and not being a Christian is the difference between eternal life and eternal death.
1. The depths of death - vs. 1-3
Paul begins with a description of the state of spiritual death that people are in without Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
A. The fact of spiritual death - v. 1
All who are without Christ (the source of all life) are spiritually dead. Which means, of course, that they are ineffective when it comes to ever being able to attain a right relationship with God: for dead people can’t do anything!
The nineteenth century philosopher, Jeremy Bentham, said in his will that when he died his entire estate was to be given to the University College Hospital in London on the condition that his body be preserved and placed in attendance at all the hospital’s board meetings. And that’s exactly what was done. His body sits in a chair, dressed in early nineteenth century gentleman’s wear. Every year to this day Bentham is wheeled up to the board table and the chairman says, “Jeremy Bentham, present but not voting.” Jeremy Bentham will never raise his hand in response, he will never submit a motion - because he has been dead for nearly a hun¬dred and sixty years.
The fact is, dead people can’t do anything, and that is what Paul is talking to us about - the spiritual state of those apart from Christ.
Spiritual death, spiritual inability to properly relate to God, being totally unable to do anything with respect to pleasing God or to earn His favor - that is the state of all who will not come to God as He says they must - through faith in Christ.
Far from the city of Jerusalem, Israeli postal workers sort through huge piles of undeliverable mail. Included among these dead letters are many addressed to God. Some have been forwarded to foreign postal workers who think someone in Israel might know what to do with them. Eventually, all of these petitions to God end up at a recycling plant in central Israel.
Unless one’s approach to God is through faith in Christ and acceptance of His sacrifice for our sins at Calvary, they are sure to have the same fate as those dead letters in Israel. Apart from Christ, all are spiritually dead.
B. The forces behind spiritual death - vs. 2-3a
Paul mentions three enemies of those who aren’t right with God - the world, the flesh, and the Devil.
1) The world - v. 2a
The world refers to the system of selfish thought that is predominate in our culture. It is the enemy around us.
2) The flesh - v. 3a
The flesh refers to our selfish, sinful nature. It is the enemy within us.
3) The Devil - v. 2b
The Devil is the selfish spirit - the fallen angel who orchestrates the work of evil in the world around us. “The ruler of the kingdom of the air,” is the enemy above us.
They all work together to deceive people into thinking that everything is O.K. and that they don’t need to consider the claims of Christ. A person can live for himself, think for himself, and die unto himself, never needing to give consideration to the spiritual realities explained in the Bible.
There was once a man who thought he was physically dead, but he was very much alive. The persuasion of his wife, family, doctors, and friends had no effect upon his crazy idea that he was actually dead. The doctor, almost to the point of desperation, hit upon a idea. The man came to the doctor’s office. Sitting across the table from the doctor, the physician asked, “Do you believe that dead men bleed?” The man who thought he was dead considered the question only for a moment and replied, “No, I don’t believe that dead men bleed.”
Whereupon the doctor grabbed the “dead man’s” finger and jabbed it with a needle. With wonder, the patient watched the blood as it formed at the tip of the finger and dripped on the desk. Then he exclaimed, “Well, what do you know, dead men do bleed!”
Something more tragic than being physically alive and thinking you’re dead is being spiritually dead and thinking yourself spiritually alive. The world, the flesh, and the Devil work together to deceive unbelievers in to thinking that they are O.K. when they are not.
Several years ago, the Texas State News Network reported about a man in California who beat his wife to death, then committed suicide by having a head on collision with another car on the freeway, in which the other driver was also killed. The man left a taped message for his children in which he said that he hoped they would remember him as “a good person.”
How could a man who had perpetrated such crimes even dare to think of himself as being “good?” He had been deceived by the world, the flesh, and the Devil. And though the average unbeliever has not committed crimes of this magnitude, they have, nevertheless, committed sin, which is a violation of God’s law. Yet many have been deceived into thinking they are alright when they are not, they are spiritually dead.
C. The fate of the spiritually dead - v. 3b
Those who refuse to come into a right relationship with God will know only God’s wrath. But notice that they know God’s wrath by their own choice - “by nature.” In other words, the natural result of choosing to ignore the need to approach God on His terms is that you will know only His wrath and condemnation instead of His love and blessing!
“Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each one according to his ways,” declares the Sovereign LORD. “Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!” - Ezekiel 18:30-32 (NIV)
“God is patient, because he wants everyone to turn from sin and no one to be lost.” - 2 Peter 3:9b (CEV)
“I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins.” - John 8:24 (NIV)
Who does Jesus claim to be? “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me.’” - John 14:6 (Amplified)
When we accept Christ as God’s way of salvation, then, and only then, do we pass from death to life! “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” - John 5:24 (NIV)
Picture yourself after a long, hot day in the yard. You have run the mower, edged the lawn, trimmed up the yard with your weed eater, planted a few new flowers, and absorbed a lot more sun than you had planned. At the door you are greeted with a cordial proposition, “Would you like some chilled dihydrogen oxide or a glass of cold water?” Without hesitation you would probably ask for the water. The truth is, they’re both the same thing, H20. What makes them seem different is our perception.
How do you perceive God? A lot of people perceive God as unfamiliar and undesirable, just like dihydrogen oxide. Our job is to make sure they understand He is really Living Water.
2. The heights of life - vs. 4-7
In describing the new life that one has through faith in Christ, Paul explains . . .
A. The greatness of God’s provision - vs. 4-6
The House banking scandal broke in early 1992 when it was revealed that the United States House of Representatives allowed members to overdraft their House checking accounts, but were not being penalized by the House Bank. Congressional records showed that 296 of the 440 members and delegates were overdrawn. During the 39 month period that was investigated, 200 representatives had overdrawn their accounts by more than a month’s salary at least once. The investigation revealed that sixty-six of the worse offenders wrote about 20,000 bad checks with a face value of $10,846,856. This incident became known as “Rubbergate.” The whole scandal revolved around the issue of insufficient funds.
When our Savior died on the cross, his last word was tetelestai. It’s root meaning is that of completion. In the marketplace it could be used as a receipt that one had “paid in full.” Jesus communicated volumes with His last word. He not only “completed” all that The Father had assigned Him, but He “paid in full” our debt of sin. Although Congress may write bad checks, God’s payment for salvation will never be returned because of “insufficient funds.”
Jesus died for us, conquered the grave for us, and is seated in the place of eternal victory for us. But note also, that Jesus not only did these things for us, but god declares that we did these things with Him! God has declared that what is true of Christ is true of us! God, who is above the confines of time and space, declares that we are already seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. What basis for victory is ours!
We can live in victory on earth below, because of what is true of us in heaven above.
I can have victory over my sinful nature here below because I have been raised to new life in heaven above!
I can have victory over the pressures of this world here below because I have been raised to new life in heaven above!
I can have victory over the Devil here below because I have been raised to new life in heaven above!
God has provided us who have come to Him through faith in Christ, an identification with Jesus, which is our assurance of victory.
In secular warfare, two types of victory are mentioned: tactical victory and strategic victory. Tactical victory refers to the individual victories (conquering hills, cities, roads, etc.) that make the overall victory (the strategic victory) possible.
Likewise, in spiritual warfare, there is tactical victory and strategic victory. However, in spiritual warfare, it is the strategic victory (the overall victory won through the cross & resurrection by Christ) that makes our individual victories possible.
Because we are identified with Christ and His victory won through His death, resurrection, and ascension, we can walk in daily victory over the world, the flesh, and the Devil.
B. The glory of God’s purpose - v. 7
God’s purpose in providing us life and victory through Christ is two-fold:
1) He wants to shower His grace upon us.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” - Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
“And my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:19 (Amplified)
Notice, God doesn’t meet our need according to our need, but according to His riches!
2) He wants to show His greatness through us.
Steve Jobs is a whiz at making computers but there was a time when he needed some help in marketing his incredible little “magic boxes.” He was in need of an expert who could help him take his Apple Computers into the ring against IBM. John Sculley became the target of Steve Jobs attention. Sculley, at age 38, had been Pepsi-Cola’s youngest president.
He was the master mind behind the “Pepsi Generation” campaign that brought Coke from the number one position for the first time in history. Steve Jobs knew it would take a lot to get Sculley. He wined and dined him and made numerous offers with money he didn’t even have, all to no avail. Sculley was content with his present and secure success. Finally, in desperation, Steve Jobs threw out a question of exasperation, “Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water or do you want a chance to change the world? It was that single, piercing question which leveraged the greatest weight in John Sculley’s decision to leave his security at Pepsi and go to Apple for an opportunity to “change the world.”
Christians, more than computers, have the “real” opportunity to change the world. Let’s not miss our purpose by remaining content to simply sell “sugared water.”
May we embrace the life we have in Christ and display that life to those who are dead in sin, so that they might pass from death to life!
(Show Video - "Be The Church")
