Ephesians 2:1-10 Our Spiritual Position In Christ

As I read these verses, the movie Avatar came to mind as I thought about how the person himself was living in a laboratory on the alien world where he was connected to his avatar, which was living in the jungle on that alien world.  My commentary said chapter one spoke of our spiritual possession in Christ and now we hear of our spiritual position in Christ.  It urges us to see four specific works:

Sin's work AGAINST us:  Spiritually, the condition of the unsaved person is he is dead.  "Just as a person physically dead does not respond to physical stimuli, so a person spiritually dead is unable to respond to spiritual things."  Our spiritual faculties cannot function until God gives them life.  He is disobedient -- "The beginning of man's spiritual death is disobedience to the will of God ... The world, the devil, and the flesh are three forces that encourage man in his disobedience ... By the flesh Paul does not mean the body, because of itself the body is not sinful.  The flesh refers to that fallen nature that we were born with, that wants to control the body and the mind and make us disobey God."  He is depraved -- "The lost sinner lives to please the desires of the flesh and the wishes of the mind.  His actions are sinful because his appetite is sinful ... He is incapable of doing anything to merit salvation or meet the high standards of God's holiness."  He is doomed -- "The unsaved person is condemned already.  The sentence has been passed, but God in His mercy is staying the execution of the sinner."  

God's work FOR us:  He loved us, quickened us (made us alive even when we were dead in sin), He exalted us and He keeps us.

God's work IN us:  "through His Holy Spirit.  Christ finished His work of redemption on the cross but He arose from the dead and returned to heaven.  There He carries on His unfinished work of perfecting His church ... equipping us for our walk and our work here on earth."

God's work THROUGH us:  "We are not saved by good works, but saved unto good works ... We are not save by faith plus good works, but by a faith that works ... we demonstrate our faith by our works ... The works Paul wrote about here have two special characteristics.  First, they are good works ... They are also prepared works -- Good works which God hath before ordained (prepared) that we should walk in them."  We have God's plan to fulfill in our lives.

My commentary suggested taking a personal inventory to determine which of these four works we are now experiencing.  "As a Christian, you have been raised and seated on the throne.  Practice your position in Christ!  He has worked for you; now let Him work in you and through you, that He might give you an exciting, creative life to the glory of God."

What wonderful word pictures today, Father!  Thank You for helping me to more clearly see my spiritual position in Christ, and what effect that should have on my life in this body.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford