1  And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2  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: 3  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.

Sin’s Curse Against Us

Paul writes to the church in Ephesus, Macedonia and to the church in Athens, Texas and tells us we were a mess in the past because we were cursed by the effects and power of sin.

In vs. 1 He reminds us, We were dead. Spiritual dead in trespasses and sins.

In vs. 2 We were disobedient. walking according to the way of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, Satan himself, controlled our path, and we were by nature, by the manner of our birth and inclination, children of disobedience.

Vs. 3 We were depraved, because our lifestyle in the past was to fulfill the desires of the flesh and our mind.

Also in vs. 3, We were doomed, because all these things meant we were children of wrath. Appointed to the judgment and wrath of God who judges all.

Dead Men Walking

Sin’s curse had made us dead men walking. In God’s sight we were not alive but dead, disobedient, depraved and doomed by His judgment to a devil’s hell.

Scripture: Matthew 8:22 - But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.

2 Corinthians 5:14 - For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:

By the standard of God’s law and under God’s wrath, we were all dead, though we were might be walking, talking and breathing physically, spiritually we were dead and it there in the spirit that it matters.

Jesus said in the bread of life discourse, John 6:63, “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”

Illustration: Dead Men Walking

In the past when a convicted man, on death row is being led out to the execution chamber, the guards would call out, “Dead Man Walking. Dead Man Walking Here.” Here is a man living, breathing, dreaming but it is not really living because he was convicted of his crimes and from the time he was put on Death Row, he was just a dead man walking, over everything hangs the judgment of death. No matter how alive he may seem, in reality, he is a dead man walking toward his doom.

Spiritually speaking, that is us. We are all on death row, we are all dead men walking. We may seem alive, we may dream and hope and care but it doesn’t matter because hanging over us all is the sentence of eternal death. What do the dreams of a dead man account for? What do his hopes matter? He is doomed for all eternity and there is no hope for the dead.

And yet because of Christ there is hope, even for the dead.