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.
We must never lose sight of either of these truths (man’s
depravity and God’s grace). If we
neglect God's saving grace and become obsessed with the depravity of the human
soul we will fall into despair and cynicism. If we focus on grace and forget
the condition from which we have been and are being delivered we stand in danger
of naivety and presumption.
Note well the relationship between 2:1-10 and the preceding
context. It would seem that Paul is resuming in 2:1 the theme that he had
broken off in 1:20.
He prayed that the Spirit would reveal to us the surpassing
greatness of God's power toward those who believe, a power exemplified and
expressed in the resurrection of Jesus from physical death. That very power,
that self-same divine energy, is no less exemplified and expressed in the
resurrection of (God’s people) from spiritual death! Indeed, even as Christ was
made alive (1:20) and exalted and seated at the right hand of God (1:20), so
also…have (his people) been made alive (2:5) and exalted and seated with Christ
in the heavenlies (2:6)! In sum,
Christ's destiny has become ours.
Even as there are unmistakable parallels between Christ's
destiny (1:19-23) and ours (2:1-7), so also there are unmistakable contrasts
between our previous condition outside of Christ and our current state in him.
Whereas once we were dead (2:1) we have now been made alive (2:5). Whereas we
once followed the ways of the world and were subject to Satan's rule (2:2) we
are now seated with Christ in the heavenlies (2:6). Whereas we were once under
God's wrath (2:3) we are now the objects of his mercy, grace, love, and
kindness (2:4-7).
