Ephesians 2:1-2
"As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient."
Paul, "an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God," wrote a letter to the believers in Ephesus (Ephesians 1:1). Ephesus was a city in Asia (located in modern day Turkey), and it was the central hub of major shipping trade routes. Previously, Paul had set up desciples in Ephesus, "so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia [could hear] the word of the Lord" (Acts 19:10). Paul is writing this letter to these same desciples, stating that he is overjoyed with what these believers in Ephesus are preaching. He states he has "not stopped giving thanks for [the Ephesians], remembering [them] in [his] prayers" (Ephesians 1:16). This letter is not written to non-believers, but it was a letter of thanksgiving and encouragement to those who know the truth, what the truth is and why they need to preach it to the whole world. As this letter was written to encourage and remind Christians in the past, so too can it encourage and remind Christians in the future.
We, as Christians, need reminders of what the truth is, so that preachers, like Paul, can offer great prayers and thanksgiving for us when we speak the word of the Lord. We have to be sure, though, of what is the truth and how the truth shapes our faith. R.C. Sproul, former founder and chairman of Ligonier Ministries (he is resting in peace), wrote that there are "three main levels of faith...notitia...assensus and fiducia" (22). Notitia is the content/facts (the data) of our faith (the key points of our faith). Assensus is the proclaimation of our faith (what we profess to believe about Jesus Christ, His death and ressurection). Fiducia is the firm trust we have in our faith (the genuineness of our reliance on the Gospel). When I was young I heard all of this in simpler terms (as simple as ABC). I heard that in order for us to have saving faith, we must admit that we have sinned, believe that Jesus forgives us and confess Him as our Lord and we will be saved (Does anyone else remember this Sunday school song?). Our faith must have all three of the above if it is to be something worthy of thanksgiving, and it starts with us knowing what the facts are of our faith.
When we read Ephesians 2:1 it reminds us of the notitia/the facts of our faith, and why need to be saved. The fact of the matter is that before we were saved by Christ, we were dead! Our sin killed us, and worse than that we loved sinning. We "followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air," who is satan (Ephesians 2:2). None of us were exempt from this, because "all of us also lived among [the dead] at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of [God's] wrath" (Ephesians 2:3). We were born sinners and we were dead, for what we did in acordance with the the world's beliefs, our fleshly desires and our following of the devil. The desires of our sinful hearts killed us, and we were already dead. There's no way we could get deader than we were; no greater sin to commit that would have made us more dead. We were dead in our sins, no matter what they were, and there was nothing we could do to make ourselves alive again. We were dead! What can a dead person do?
"It's amazing how complicated
people make that, in order to fit
their theological systems.
For some people that means sick.
For some people that means
you were terminally ill.
Really really really ill.
For some it means
that you were sinking
in the ocean and about to drown,
but my Bible says you were...
dead."
- Voddie Baucham on Ephesians 2:1
These are the facts that make up the notitia of our saving faith, but our faith is not shaped by the facts alone. Next week, we'll look at another verse from Scripture that addresses the assensus of our saving faith (what do we profess about Jesus, the Gospel and salvation). Until then, remember that the people you meet on the street who do not have saving faith...they are (like you used to be) dead. There is only one way they can live again. Only God, "who is rich in mercy, [can make] us [all] alive with Christ" (Ephesians 2:4-5). Who He brings to life will never die again.
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