The Chosen One's: Ruins
Sermon Series: The Chosen One's: How Shall We Now Live
Sermon Title: The Chosen One's: Ruins
Sermon Text: Ephesians 2:1-3
Sermon Purpose: To call the hearer to commit to the past tense status of their old nature outside Christ.
Sermon Proposition: There are 3 past tense truths of life before faith in Jesus Christ.
1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 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, 3 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 (NKJV)
I. Believers were in bondage to a sinful position. v.1
A. The pre-Christian position is separation from God. v.1a (Genesis 2:15-17; Romans 5:12-18)
B. The pre-Christian position is sinful acts, attitudes, and activities before God. v.1b (Colossians 1:21, 2:13, 3:5-11; Ephesian 4:17-22)
II. Belivers were in bondage to supernatural powers. v.2
A. The pre-Christian's passion was the agenda of this world system. v.2a (Galatians 1:3-4; Romans 12:1-2; Colossians 3:1-2)
B. The pre-Christian's prince was the leadership of this world system. v.2b (Romans 9:34; Matthew 12:24; John 12:31; 2 Corinthians 4:4)
C. The pre-Christian's power was the spirit of this world system. v.2c (Galatians 1:6-9: 3:1)
III. Believers were in bondage to secular practices. v.3
A. The pre-Christians's inner inclination was towards sin. v.3a
B. The pre-Christians's inner inclination was towards self. v.3b (Galatians 5:16, 20, 24; Romans 8:8; 1 Peter 4:3)
C. The pre-Christians's inner inclination towards sentencing. v.3c (John 3:18)