And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. (Ephesians 2:1-3)
Confronting the Reality of Being Children of Wrath
Death is the consequence of sin. God warned Adam and Eve that they would surely die if they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Ezekiel 18 says the soul who sins shall die, and James 1 notes death lies at the end of temptation and sin. Paul reminds us that before we found redemption in Jesus Christ, we were dead in trespasses and sins. Before Christ’s blood forgives us, we do not serve God but walk according to the course of this world and its pleasures rather than eternity.
Understanding Why We Were Children of Wrath
We once walked according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience. Satan is the prince of this world, and those outside of Christ are subject to his influence. Before we became Christians, we conducted ourselves in the lusts of the flesh, serving our own desires rather than God. This lifestyle left us in a state where we were, by nature, children of wrath. To be a child of something means to share its characteristics, imitating disobedience.
From Wrath to Riches
Outside of Jesus, we were children of wrath because walking according to the world earned us God’s judgment and condemnation. Jesus even accused those who did not believe in Him of being of their father, the devil, because they imitated his lying nature. However, in Jesus Christ, God lifts us out of this mucky mire. He showers us with all the riches of heaven, raising us to a position we could never deserve or earn. This transformation takes us from being subjects of wrath to heirs of spiritual glory.
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