How to Benefit From the Former Life

Recapping God's Power in Chapter 1

Last week, we wrapped up the concept of how the power of God benefits us. The Apostle Paul focused on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We examined God's omnipotence—the fact that God can do whatever He desires, with nothing hindering Him.

We see the power of God in creation, in the universe's superstructures of galaxies moving in vast systems. It's mind-blowing. But Paul emphasizes that God is powerful enough to raise Jesus from the dead. If God can do that, there's nothing in your life He cannot work out or fix.

Chapter 1 highlights every blessing God bestows, all concerned with your salvation, holiness, and living as God outlines. These blessings show us being purchased out of slavery to sin, ransomed by Jesus into right relationship with God. We saw how horrible sin's slavery is and the blessedness of being in Christ, recipient of God's power.

Your Former Life: Dead in Trespasses and Sins

And you were dead in the 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 that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—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.

Ephesians 2:1-3

Paul applies God's resurrection power directly to us. God raised Jesus from the dead, and now He hits us with the reality of our former life before Christ. You were not just enslaved to sin—you were dead in your trespasses and sins.

You might think, "I was alive before Christ—I was breathing, making decisions." But Paul speaks of spiritual deadness, not physical. The Greek word nekros means corpses. You were spiritual corpses, decomposing, blind to the spiritual realm, walking in darkness.

Understanding Trespasses and Sins

A trespass is an offense, violating God's standards—like ignoring a "no trespassing" sign. In Eden, God gave freedom within boundaries: eat from any tree except one. The restriction wasn't the tree itself, but disobeying God's command, which brought death.

The greatest place to be is submitting to God's absolute freedom over your life, like Jesus in Gethsemane: "Not my will, but yours be done." A spiritually dead person cannot submit this way—they won't, don't want to, can't.

Sin means missing the mark, failing to glorify God, as in

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Romans 3:23

Walking According to the Course of This World

Your former life was spiritual uselessness—the real walking dead. You walked according to the course of this world, under the prince of the power of the air (Satan), working in sons of disobedience. This is satanic influence: sin itself is the deepest satanism.

But I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden.

Revelation 2:24

Sexual sin, for example, is learning the deep things of Satan. You were children of wrath, under God's wrath—like the worst place in history.

Benefits of Remembering the Former Life

This is your former life. Burn this image in your mind: saved from spiritual deadness, Satan's dominion, God's wrath. How futile to return, like burying yourself alive in sin after God raised you.

Like Israel freed from Egyptian slavery—plagues, Red Sea parted, pillars of fire and cloud—yet complaining, longing for Egypt. Don't look back to sin. God was what made Eden great; now the Holy Spirit dwells with you.

Examining this former life motivates:

• Praise for "But God" in verse 4—He intervened.
• Preaching the gospel to the walking dead under Satan and wrath.
• Hope for the current life: nothing now is as bad as spiritual deadness.
• Hope for the future: it gets better as we become like Christ, submitting "Your will be done."