RAISED INTO HEAVENLY REALMS

And you He made alive, who were dead in 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 who now works in the sons of disobedience, 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. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:1-7, NKJV)

Devotion 7 of 16

WE WERE CHILDREN OF WRATH

    ". . . and [we] were by nature children of wrath, just like others."  Expanding the idea of "by nature," the New Living Translation reads, "We were born with an evil nature, and we were under God's anger just like everyone else."

      The literal meaning of "by nature" is "growth by germination, or expansion; natural production" (Strongs). The idea is that apart from Christ, both Jew and Gentile are part of condemned generation. No seeming goodness or productivity by that generation can change this condition, How well the Lord presented the case in this word from Jeremiah. "Can Ethiopians change their skin or leopards their spots? Then also you can do good who are accustomed to do evil" (Jer 13:23).  It is no wonder that David wrote, "The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies" (Psa 58:3). This condition is precisely what necessitates the new birth (John 3:3-8).

      It may be countered that these expressions apply to only a segment of the human race -- "the wicked." It surely does apply to them, but not ONLY to the ones perceived by men to be "wicked." In an extensive argument on this very matter, the Spirit shows that both Jew and Gentile--the whole world--are under the condemnation of God (Rom 1:19-3:20). The particular point developed in that section of Scripture is that everyone needs the righteousness of God that is announced in the Gospel (Rom 1:16-17; 3:21).

      We were children destined for Divine wrath "by nature"--that is, from the moment of our entrance into the world. Although we did not personally commit sin when we entered, we came into the world with a sinful nature. This was the aftermath of Adam's transgression, which bent the human race away from God. As it is written, "through the offense of one many be dead . . . for the judgment was by one to condemnation . . . Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation . . . For if by one man's offense death reigned by one . . . For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners . . . " (Rom 5:15-19). The matter is simply too plain to be successfully contested.

      Not only was the indignation of God our just deserts, we were living with it hovering over our heads. In us the word of Jesus was fulfilled, "the wrath of God abides on him" (John 3:36).  Truly, we were "children of wrath, even as others." Only the Lord Jesus could "deliver us from the wrath to come" (1 Thess 1;10). Thank God, He did!

    I have taken the time to briefly delineate our condition prior to being in Christ in order to show the greatness of what the Lord has done.  

PRAYER POINT: Father, I thank You for sending Your only begotten Son to deliver me from the wrath to come.

-- Tomorrow: THE GRAND DISJUNCTIVE --