DEAD

Ephesians 2:1-3 (KJV)

And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

Wherein in time past ye 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 lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Graphic I created….

The pinnacle, highlight of the text - “you hath He quickened”

Consider what you were before quickened:

• • You were Dead in trespasses and sins
• • You walked according to the course of this world
• • You walked according to the prince of the power of the air
• • (he is) the spirit that now worth in the children of disobedience
• • Your conversation (lifestyle) was in the lusts of your flesh
• • You fulfilled the desires of your flesh and of your mind
• • You were by nature the children of wrath
• • You were just like the others

It was you that he quickened. Praise the Lord

I want to focus on the phrase “dead in trespasses and sins.”

I. THREE TYPES OF DEATH IN THE BIBLE

The word death simply means separation. 

The Bible never speaks of death as 

• • non-existence, 
• • unconsciousness, or 
• • annihilation 

It is always represented as the separation of two things:

Revelation 20:5

But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

A. Physical death

Whenever we think of death what we picture is physical death 

22 times in the Bible, Old Testament and New Testament you will find the phrase, "And he died"

Dozens and perhaps hundreds of other times the Bible details the deaths of people:

• • Abraham and Sarah
• • Isaac and Rebecca 
• • Jacob and Rachel
• • Moses, Aaron Miriam
• • David
• • The kings of Israel and Judah
• • Elisha
• • Other prophets 

The Bible says "And as it is appointed unto man once to die but after this the judgment. "

• • Physical death separates a person from this present world and
• • Physical death separates a person’s spirit and soul from his body 

But it does not end their existence. 

Physical death is probably the most feared thing on this planet but it should not be. 

• • The sting of death has been removed by Christ.
• • The purpose of death is meant to limit and eventually end the destruction of sin

B. The second death

Revelation 20:14

And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

A person does not have to fear physical death but he ought to fear the second death. 

Those who die physically without having their sins forgiven go into hell and, in the end, death and hell are cast into the lake of fire. 

The Bible calls this the second death. 

Revelation 21:8

But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Revelation 2:11

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

Revelation 20:6

Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

C. Spiritual death

The Biblical term is "dead in trespasses and sins"

Other verses teach this same idea

1 Timothy 5:6

But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth.

Ephesians 5:14

Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

We are talking about people who are alive but dead. 

This death happened in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve ate the fruit God told them they could not eat. 

You remember that don't you?

Genesis 2:16-17

And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

If we strictly apply our own definition of death to the passage we have a problem don't we?

They ate the fruit but they did not die - at least right away. 

Though Adam was not the first man to die, he is the first one that the Bible says,

Genesis 5:5

And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.

Adam did not die physically the day he ate the fruit. 

But something did happen that very day

Genesis 3:22-24

And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

The day they ate that fruit there was a separation between them and God (there was also a separation between Adam and Eve)

To be dead in trespasses and sins means to be separated from God. 

Isaiah 59:2

But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

II. WHAT “DEAD IN TRESPASSES AND SINS" DOES NOT MEAN?

Dead in trespasses and sins does not mean you cannot know you are dead or that you cannot want to have fellowship with God. 

Just as we can misunderstand what God meant in the Garden some have misunderstood what it means to be spiritually dead. 

Some would say that dead means so: 

• • Dead we can never know we are dead
• • Dead means so dead we cannot want to be alive
• • Dead means so dead we can never ask God to save us

Oftentimes they will use the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead as a type. 

• • Lazarus didn't ask Jesus to raise him he couldn't 
• • Lazarus didn't roll away the stone
• • Lazarus didn't even walk out of the tomb he was bound in grave clothes. 

Jesus did all of that without Lazarus' input at all. 

They would say that is a picture of salvation. That Jesus comes to us that Jesus calls to us that Jesus makes the way for us and that Jesus does it all without us knowing or even caring. (We only care after we are alive)

Here is the thing; nowhere does the Bible say that the raising of Lazarus is a picture of salvation. The resurrection of Lazarus was intended to bring glory to Christ so that we might believe on Him 

There is a gospel account that speaks of someone that was lost being found. 

Luke 15:24

For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry

• • The father accounted that his son was dead but when he came back he was alive again
• • He was lost, but when he came back he was found

The prodigal son is a perfect picture what the unsaved person does with the gifts God gives him

• • The father never gives up on him
• • The father never stops loving him
• • The father never stops looking for him to come home 

The father was anxious to welcome him home once the son

Humbled himself and asked his father to receive him.

• • Christ died so that all could be saved
• • God desires that all would be saved
• • And so Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved

One last thing and I will be done

III. IT’S BETTER TO BE,

Dead but alive than it is to be alive but dead

To be dead in trespasses and sins is to be alive but dead. 

But when you get saved the Bible says that we should 

Romans 6:11

Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Paul wrote

Galatians 2:20

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

I wonder, are you alive but dead in trespasses and sins?

Or are you dead to sin but alive unto God. 

There is no question whom God saves. 

James 4:6

But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

The grace to be saved is given to the humble.