Ephesians chapter 2. And we are doing a study, as was mentioned a few moments ago, on the born-again identity. And so we are going verse by verse. And what an encouragement this has been to my soul to be able to go through this. And so we're looking at Ephesians chapter 2. I want you to note verse number 1. I'm going to read the first three verses of this particular chapter of Ephesians. The Bible says, And you have he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins, wherein in time past he walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others." Now you say, Pastor, that's almost a discouraging passage. Can we get to verses 4 through 6? Come back next week, and we'll give you the encouraging good news. You ever have somebody come to you and say, I've got bad news and good news? Today you're going to get some of the bad news. Lord willing, we'll end up with a good note here, and we'll encourage you, but next week, We'll have the great, great news of God who makes all the difference. But this morning, I want to go ahead and just take this moment and preach on this subject from this passage, life before Jesus, life before Jesus. Let's pray together. Thank you, Father, for this time that you have allotted for us to be here. May you help us to understand your word. May it be that if there's one here today that is without Jesus Christ, that today would be their day of salvation. They would open their heart and receive Jesus Christ as personal Savior. For all those that are here today and know for a certainty that they're born again, may they be encouraged to know how their life has been made changed because of Jesus. Thank you again in Jesus' name. Amen. A couple weeks ago, when we met together, we concluded chapter one, and we were introduced to the blessings of God that are ours as born-again Christians. And really, because of those blessings, we come down to verse 3 to 14, and we look here at how Paul is teaching the believers to pray, but he's also teaching them what to pray for. Now in chapter number two, God is going to begin to show us the practical aspects of his blessing. And if we were to take the first 10 verses of chapter number two, we have really a beautiful outline of how God pours his blessings upon us and makes us new creatures in Christ. The verses that I just read, verses 1 through 3, could be this part of the outline. It is the past of the believer. Verses 4 through 6 is the present condition of the believer. Verse number 7, we find the future of the believer is referenced. And verses 8 through 10 spells out for us how all of that has happened. But today I want to take verses 1 through 3, and I want to review for you and I, who are believers, the way that life was before we met Jesus Christ. You know, for a long time here, there have been television shows referred to as makeover shows. It began with people who wanted a makeover of themselves. Maybe their hair, the way their looks were, their dress. And boy, those that love to watch those shows, love to watch the transformation of those people. What they were before, maybe the drabby clothes that they wore, how they put things together, the way they did their hair, and the after picture, the after effect picture was phenomenal. Life before, if you will, life after. And today I want to share with you what life was like if you've forgotten, and I hope you haven't, what life was like before you met Jesus Christ. Three things I want to share with you. First of all, from verse number one, notice the condition of those without Christ. The condition of those without Christ. Now there's a very interesting word that is used in verse number one. It is the word dead. The Bible says, and you, now he's talking to believers. If you're here today without Jesus Christ, I want you to take a hold of this. If you're uncertain about whether you'll go to heaven, if you're uncertain about whether you've accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, I want you to see how life describes you right now. But for those that are born again, which I hope are the majority, I want you to see how life was before you met Jesus Christ. The Bible says we were dead in trespasses and sins. Now, we think of that word dead and we just give it a simple definition and we just say, well, dead is just meaning lifeless. Well, you are right to a certain point. But death, understand, is not annihilation where a person just completely ceases to exist. I think the great preacher, Laman Strauss, once defined death very well. He said, it is the separation of a person from the purpose or use for which he was intended. When God made man in Genesis, he breathed into him the breath of life. He didn't want just a lifeless body. He wanted life in that body. And when death takes place, that body that was created no longer is fulfilling the purpose for which it was created for. Now, death in the Bible, there are three different definitions of death, or three different descriptions of death. If we take the simple definition of death, and that is this, it is a separation. Let's apply it to three different types of death that we see in the Bible. First of all, we see, and we're familiar with, physical death. The Bible says in Hebrews 9.27, And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. You see, physical death is this. It is the soul, the inanimate part of a person that is separated from the body. I have had the opportunity on a couple of occasions to be in the room when someone has taken their last breath. It is quite a feeling to be in that room when that happens. You sense a presence leaving. Now what happens? The body of the person that you knew is still there. I know many times today in funerals and memorial services, people don't like open caskets, but if there was an open casket at a service, you see the person that you knew, but there's something different about them. That part of them who made them who they were. Oh sure, you recognize them by how tall they were, the looks, their eyes, their hair color, their body build, but that was their body. What made them who they were, their personality, their likes and dislikes, their temperament, that was the inanimate part, the spirit of man. And when physical death takes place, here's what happens. There is a separation of the soul from the body. Now that's physical death. But there's a second type of death, and that is spiritual death. That is a separation of a person's spirit from God. Now they may be alive physically, but they are dead spiritually. Listen to this in 1 John 5, verse 12. He that hath the Son, that's Jesus Christ, hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. Let's go all the way back to the book of Genesis for just a moment, and let's think about when God placed Adam and Eve in the garden. Here it is, God placed Adam and Eve in the garden and said, look, you can have of any tree in the garden, but there's one tree I don't want you to eat of. In fact, the day that you eat thereof, you shall surely what? Die. Now here's what's interesting. Eve took of that. We always think it's an apple, don't we? The Bible doesn't say. But Eve took of that fruit and partook of it and gave it to Adam and he partook of it. But do you realize that that day they did not die physically? In fact, I don't know how much longer they lived after that, but they lived for a number of years and had children and finally physically died. Now the question I have to ask myself is, when God said, the day you eat thereof, you shall surely die, was God lying? No, 1 Timothy chapter 1 verse 2 tells us God cannot lie. So what was God referring to? He was not referring to a physical death. He was referring to a spiritual death. Now the physical death would come, but it would be a spiritual death because what happened? All of a sudden Adam and Eve noticed something different about themselves. They weren't clothed. They had been fellowshipping with God and what did they do? They hid themselves from God. So because of their disobedience, sin, that separated them from God. And my friend, I want to just tell you here today that for all of those in this world that are without Jesus Christ, that is, that Jesus is not their Savior, they're not born again in the Lord Jesus Christ, those people are spiritually dead. Before you were saved, you were spiritually dead. You were separated from God. Now, I hear people all the time talking, well, I talk to God and I've got a relationship with God and me and God are buddies and various things. My friend, understand this. If a person is without Christ, they are spiritually dead. There is no fellowship. But the sadder point is the third type of death that the Bible talks about and that is given to us in 2 Thessalonians 1.9 where it talks about eternal death. The Bible says, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power. You see, it's one thing for you and I to physically die where our soul is separated from our body. It's a worse thing to be spiritually dead, but it is the very worst thing to be eternally dying. Because those who die in their flesh and never accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior will die a death that the Bible talks about where they'll be separated from God forever and ever. And my friend, I want to just tell you something here today, that when you look in the Bible, that you and I are going to live somewhere forever. We're either going to be in heaven with God forever, that's life. Or we're going to be in hell, the lake of fire, without God, that's death, and that is forever. And so it's sad for those that are on this earth who are separated from God spiritually, but oh, that's why we're to get the gospel out there. That's why we're to share the good news with people so they can be saved. Now, all of that is said to bring you back to verse number one. You have the quickened who were dead. What death are we talking about? It's not physical death. It's not eternal death. It is the spiritual death. You see, you and I, before we met Jesus Christ, were separated from God, a spiritual death. Isaiah 59 too, but your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear. All right, preacher, I get it. I'm dead. Before I was saved, I was dead. If I'm here without Jesus Christ, I'm dead. So now the question is, how dead are we talking? Kind of an odd question, isn't it? The Bible says that you are the quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins. Now, why doesn't He just tell us in sin? Because the word trespass is a very interesting word. It literally means a falling aside from the truth. In fact, if you look at Romans chapter 5, verses 15 to 18, the word offenses in that passage of scripture is the same as trespasses. And so those who are in sin, now sin means to miss the mark. I'm trying to live my way, I'm trying to do what I want to do, but I keep missing the mark of God's glory, what he's established as a perfect standard. But also, I'm not just living in sin, I'm living in trespasses there. I'm dead in trespasses, and that is, I'm falling aside from the truth. I am doing things the way that I want to do it, and I'm falling aside from Him. I'm dead in trespasses and sins. But then notice this, verse number two. He's describing people who are without Christ as children of disobedience, and verse number three, as children of wrath. This is a reference to Satan's family, those that are in Satan's family. And when I see these words, children of, there's two different words that are used here, it refers here to those who are sinners by choice, that's children of disobedience, and sinners by nature, children of wrath, that is sinners by nature, by nature. Now mankind commits sin, because he is sinful. A man is not a liar just because he lies. He lies because he's a liar. You see, we are children of disobedience. We choose to do wrong. And people say, well, yes, I'm just a sinner. But I want to tell you something. We are sinners because it is a part of our nature. And when I look at verse number one, I really come across a word that describes how people are before Christ. It is the word depraved. The word depraved. Now, the depravity of man, that is that they're dead in trespasses and in sins, notice this, it is something that is common to all people. Romans 3.23, how many people have sinned? All. The Bible says also in the book of Ecclesiastes 7.20, for there is not a just man upon earth that doeth good and sinneth not. Two other places in the Bible talk about the universal problem that mankind has, and that is we are all sinners. There's not a person in here that can say, I'm perfect. There's only one person that's come on this earth that has lived a perfect life. That is the very Son of God, Jesus Christ, who took upon himself human flesh. That's it. But you and I, I'm looking right now across this room at a group of sinners. Some pretty bad. Some okay. Some think they're okay. But guess what? We're all sinners. We've all done things against God. We're all children of disobedience. We're all children of wrath. But I want you to notice that that depravity is not just common to all, it's complete. It affects every part of our being. Now, I don't have time to look at it today, but if you were to go to Romans 3, we all know verse 23, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. But do you realize your epitaph is written in Romans 3? You ever thought about what you want written on your tombstone? I know it's an odd question at church. But maybe some of you thought about it. You know, I like to put on here, I'm a good husband, I'm a good wife, I've been a good this and various things. But I want you to know what the Bible says for those that are without Christ. The Bible says about their mouth and their speaking, it's an open sepulcher. It talks about the mind and the mouth and the actions and everything it describes, it describes that we are depraved in sin. People like to talk about how good they are. People like to say, well, you know, I give to such and such fun. I go to church every so often. I do this, I'm a good neighbor. But the Bible says that all of those without Jesus Christ have an epitaph of them that every part of their being is affected by sin. We are depraved. You see, today I want you to understand, man is not simply diseased. I'm tired of people talking about, well, that little thing over there, that's just a disease that I have. I want to just tell you something. Alcoholism is not a disease. It is a sin choice. This behavior over here, this particular moral behavior, well, he just likes those type of people. That's just kind of, that's because he's diseased. He's a little sick and very sick. No, he's not sick. He is sinful. He's depraved. That's why he's acting that way. So man is not just diseased. Man is not just degraded. The Bible says he is dead. He's dead in trespasses and sins. And so therefore, if we are dead, can I say, we don't need resuscitation. We need a resurrection. And that's why the Bible says, and you who are saved hath he quickened. He's resurrected. I love it, John Phillips put it so well in his commentary. It is amazing what modern medicine can do for a patient. Doctors can remodel disfigured faces, transplant kidneys, implant lenses, bypass arteries, as long as the patient is alive. But once the person is dead, doctors can do nothing more than pull a sheet over the body and transfer the corpse to the morgue. That's what the Bible describes of those that are without Christ. They're in sin. And can I tell you, this is why world religions and cults today have got it all wrong. Because they're not recognizing what Ephesians 2.1 says about those that are without Christ. They're dead. Yes, there's enough to where when they sense the grace of God, they can respond to it. But I want to tell you something, there is nothing in man that they can offer to God to say, well, God, you know what? I may be dead in this way, but I can be good here. My friend, you can't do anything to earn salvation. So the Bible gives to us, number one, the condition of those without Christ. But number two, I want you to notice this, the control of those without Christ. The control of those without Christ. Now there are three forces that are working against people who are without Christ. The world, the flesh, and the devil. Now those are the three that we face as a believer. You know the struggles that we all have as believers today if you're saved? The world, the flesh, and the devil. But for those that are unsaved, those three forces are pushing against them. We see in verses 2 to 3, first of all, the world. Now what do we mean by when we talk about the world? Well, the Bible gives a few different ideas of the world in different verses. We can talk about the world that God created, but that's not what's referred to here. We can talk about the people of the world, like John 3.16, God so loved the world, but that's not what's talked about here. I believe when we look at verse number 2 and we see this phrase, the course of this world helps us define what the word world means. You see, the word course means an age or a period in which certain things happen or a certain attitude prevails. And I must say to you today that the age that we live in, this world that we find ourself in, is no friend of grace. It's no friend of God. You see, the Bible tells those that are Christians that if you love the world, you're at what? Enmity with God. And I want to say to you today that what's working against those who are without Christ, and oftentimes keeping them from accepting Christ, is the attitude of this world. Do you sense what's going on around us today? Hollywood. How about if I just bring that up? Now, it used to be on television shows, they would subtly bring in their thoughts. It's out in the open now. You can't watch a sitcom. In fact, I just recommend you don't watch them. It's hard to watch a movie without seeing something that the world is slipping in of their attitude that is anti-God. You can't read a newspaper. You can't watch a news show. You can't see a movie. You can't go around anywhere in this world without being pervaded by the spirit of this anti-God philosophy. That's the world that we live in. In fact, the Bible, when it talks about this age or the world that we live in, it talks about how it actually makes mention of the fact that many times when the word world is used, it is talking about the evil world. John chapter 7 verse 7, the world cannot hate you, but me it hateth, because I testify that the works thereof are evil. John 17 verse 14, I have given them thy word. The world hath hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. And I want to just tell you something today, that when we look at the world today, there seems to be such a prevailing mood and tenor of material gain. What's everything about the mood of this world? It's putting stock and things here. Now I understand about living in a home, and I understand about making money, and I understand about having some things, but my friend, what's the prevailing attitude of this world is, put all your marbles right here. That's where the world is going. The prevailing mood of this world is not just the material goods, but it's in making man the king of all things. Let's forget God. Let's not talk about God. We don't want Him talked about in our public schools. We don't want to refer to in our universities and colleges. We don't want to refer to God. We want man to be king. We want man to be worshipped. But another prevailing attitude is of immorality. Wow. This world is heavily characterized by immoral behavior. Now my friend, I want to just tell you something today. If you today are not married and you're living with someone and you're having relations that you ought not to have, can I say to God, it is sin? Now you say, preacher, you ought not to talk like that. You might run some people off. You know what? I'd rather gain favor with an audience of one before God than an audience of a whole people. I'd rather have an audience of God because it's important. That people live, right, but the prevailing attitude of this world, why people aren't getting saved, why they're rejecting is because they're being bombarded by the world. But another influence is the devil. And we have a lot of different titles of the devil, but notice in verse number two, he's referred to as the prince of the power of the air. So it refers to his power, he's a prince. Oh, Jesus referred to him as such. John 12, 31, now is the judgment of this world. Now shall the prince of the world be cast out. Matthew 9, 34, but the Pharisees said he casteth out devils through the prince of devils. But I want you to know he's the prince of the power of the air. This is the spiritual realm. I hope you understand something today that whether you're a believer or you're unsaved today, that there is a great spiritual battle for your life. As a Christian, the devil may not be able to take away the salvation that you've gained, but he sure wants to make this earth a hell on earth for you. He wants you to be miserable. He wants you to pick up some of the things of this world. He wants you to go ahead and dabble in some of the things of this world so you aren't useful for God. But the prince of the power of the air is fighting for the souls and keeping people away. What do you think is happening here when someone is invited to church and they say, no, I don't want to go to church? I think it's the Prince of the Power of the Air, the one that's over all these demons. That Prince of the Power of the Air, Satan says, hey, go over to that one right now and distract him from going to church Sunday morning. Hey, distract him. Hey, he's getting ready to watch an evangelist on television. Distract him. Get something else. Have a phone call come through. The Prince of the Power of the Air is doing all he can to keep people from being saved, but then notice here, it is the flesh. The Bible says in verse number three, among whom also we had our conversation. Now the word conversation to King James here refers to our lifestyle, our manner of life. And he talks about lust and desires. The lust refers to a strong desire. Now it doesn't always refer to that which is evil, but here it does. And the word desire is a reference to the will. So can I say today that the world is gonna try to bombard you to not trust Christ? The devil, the prince of the power of the air is gonna try to bombard you to not trust Christ, but our own flesh wants to go our own way, our will, our desires. And I'll tell you, those are the forces that are fighting against the unsaved. The world dominates from without, the flesh from within, and the devil from beyond. If an unsaved person does not succumb to the temptation of Satan, he will to the influences of the world. If he doesn't give in to the influences of the world, he'll cave in to his own sinful desires. Those are the three forces, the control of those without Christ. But lastly, would you notice, the consequence of those without Christ. The consequence. I referenced this earlier in the message, but there are two different phrases used of unsaved people. Children of disobedience and children of wrath. Can I say today, and if you were to look at our constitution, our church constitution, our doctrinal statement, I believe it says this, that we are sinners by choice, by nature. Because we're children of disobedience, disobedience has the idea of we've chosen. Out of our will, we've decided we wanted to go a different way, but we're also children of wrath. It refers to our nature and the fact we've been born this way. Does it not amaze you that you don't have to teach a child to disobey? Does it not amaze you that you don't have to teach a youngster to go ahead and lie? I got a big kick out of our missions revival that we had. We had three young couples in. Now we've had a couple of other babies that have been coming in and various things, but it's been very sparse. Little Chloe Perry has been the queen of the nursery of Calvary Baptist. But woe and behold, when three or so other little babies come in and take over. I got fun just kind of watching. I wasn't in a nursery, but we had a dinner on Tuesday night with the missionaries and with a few of our leadership. And we sat there at the dinner and we watched these babies interact. And boy, it was fun to watch. It was fun. Because all of those toys were Chloe's toys. You ever heard of the property laws of a toddler? If I like it, it's mine. If it's in my hand, it's mine. If I can take it from you, it's mine. If I had it a little while ago, it's mine. If it's mine, it must never appear to be yours in any way. If I'm doing or building something, all the pieces are mine. If it looks just like mine, it's mine. And lastly, if I saw it first, it's mine. Oh, I'm sorry. Here's the last one. If it's broken, it's yours. Those are the laws of a toddler. But I want to tell you something. The Bible is true and accurate when it says we are children of disobedience because we choose to do wrong but we are children of wrath. We're born that way. This is why someone just cannot merely decide they're going to live perfectly the rest of their life and think they're gonna go to heaven because they cannot undo who they are. They're a child of wrath and they need to be forgiven of their sins. And I believe you and I must understand that the unsaved person is condemned already according to John chapter 3 verse 18. Would you listen to this verse for just a moment? John chapter 3 verse number 18, the Bible says, he that believeth on him is not condemned. How many of you would say here today by a hearty amen, preacher, I've believed in Jesus Christ, I'm born again. The Bible says you're not condemned. So you have life, you're not condemned to hell. But notice this, the Bible says, but he that believeth not is condemned already. Think about that. They are condemned right now. And may I say that as I close here today, that as I shared this message, for me, this was a very powerful illustration and a reminder of what life was like before I got saved. You know, before that day, at 18 years old, when I bowed my head and I trusted Jesus as my Savior, I was a child of disobedience. I was a child of wrath. I was dead in my trespasses and sins. I was destined to go to hell for all eternity. But God made the difference in my life. And that day that I got saved, God changed me. And we're going to see some of that in the next verses as we have the next couple weeks. But I want to just share with you that are here today that are not certain about whether you have eternal life or not. You see, just because you're sitting in church doesn't mean you're going to heaven. Just because you've received some membership certificate doesn't mean you're going to heaven. Just because you've given money to the church doesn't mean you're going to heaven. The only people that are going to go to heaven are those that have, by faith, received the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. Has there been a time when you have repented of your sins, you have acknowledged that your sin will take you to hell, that Jesus Christ died in your place, and you received the free gift of eternal life? If you've received that free gift of eternal life, you are a child of God. But as many as received Him, to them gave He the power, that is the right, the authority to become the sons of God. But if you're not certain about that today, the Bible says you're condemned right now. What does that mean? If you walked out in an armed force and you keeled over and had a heart attack and you died, you go straight to hell. You say, preacher, we don't like to talk about hell. We don't like to talk about that stuff. My friend, I just want to tell you something. I'm not here to scare you today. I'm just here to share with you the facts. There is a heaven to be gained. There is a hell to be shunned. If you're here without Jesus Christ, you're in the best place you can be. And that is, right now, you can ask Jesus to be your Savior and be one of those who are now not condemned. D.L. Moody one time had visited a prison called The Tombs, and he went to preach to some of the inmates there. When he had finished speaking, he began to talk with a number of the men in their cells and he asked each prisoner this question, what brought you here? Again, over and over were the replies like this, I don't deserve to be here. I was framed. I was falsely accused. I was given an unfair trial. Not one inmate would admit that he was guilty. But finally, Moody had found one that was in his cell. His face was buried in his hands. He was weeping. And Moody went over to him. He said, what's wrong with you, my friend? The prisoner responded, my sins are more than I can bear. Relieved to find at least one man who would recognize his need and his guilt before God, the evangelist exclaimed, thank God for that. And Moody had the joy of pointing that person to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. My friend, if you're here today without Christ, you will not come to Christ unless you acknowledge what verses 1-3 talk about. That you're dead in your trespasses and sins. See, I want it to be marked down right now. I'm not a preacher that believes in this easy-believe-ism stuff. Now, I believe that it's easy to believe, that a person can easily be saved. But I don't go out and just say, hey, pray this little prayer and you can be saved. Hey, just have a little faith in Jesus Christ and you can go to heaven. My friend, in order for a person to be found, to be saved, they have to first recognize they're lost. They have to recognize their need. They're sinners before God. If you're here today and you need Jesus Christ, why don't you open your heart to Him?