(text and audio)
Title: The Myth of Self-Determination
Intro:
There is so much to unpack in these verses, but the language itself is not difficult. Paul here is speaking directly and plainly about the differences of the state of the believer and non-believer. And in so doing, Paul dispels some myths that most of us, especially as Americans, and even as American Christians, still tend to believe about fate and destiny and control.
(read/pray)
At the beginning of chapter 2, Paul turns his attention from what God has done through his son, and how that effects the world, to what God has done through Jesus, and how that effects us.
“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins…”
Because of the effects of sin, humans are dead in two senses:
- Their fate is death. “For the wages of sin is death…” (Rom. 6:23)
- Their life is slavery to sin. The lost are, quite literally, the walking dead. (Ephesians 2:2)
“…in which you once walked according to the course of this world…”
The lost are the sad default position of the human race. Since the fall of Adam, the inheritance of sin flows through each and every human being. We do not become sinners once we sin, we are sinners from conception. When we sin, we are just being our natural selves.
With that in mind, what should our attitude be toward sinners?
- Empathy/Compassion (*More on this in a moment…)
- Patience (Knowing we “once walked according to the course of this world” also.)
- Willingness to engage
What should our attitude NOT be?
- Judgementalism. (*Notice I did not say “Judgement”)
- Anger/Frustration
- Disengagement
“course of this world”
Any other alternate phrasings in your English translations?
A note on this phrase: It is important to understand that a course is a path that leads to something. It is going somewhere, it is guided by something, it is directional. The world lives the lie that they control their own fate, that they are masters of their own destiny. Scripture tells us something very different. Scripture tells us not only is that not true, not only are they on the course of the world, but also we are on this course and captain of the ship is:
“the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience”
And WHY should we have empathy?
(What’s the number one reason?)
“…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.”
Show of hands: how many of you were led to Christ by a person or a group of people? Anyone find Christ through study, or an event?
In short, the number one reason we need such compassion for the lost, is that we were the lost, and if someone had not been obedient to share the Gospel with us, we would still be lost!
It amazes me how selfish Christians can be with a gift that we did nothing to earn. We don’t own it, but boy, do we act like we do!
But let us not forget the point of this passage:
We have been freed from such a fate!
We ONCE walked this path, but are now on a new course, a new boat with a new captain, towards a NEW DESTINATION. (AMEN!!!)
We ONCE were dead in our sins, but now have been MADE ALIVE.
Recap:
Paul tells us:
- Sinners are on a course toward destruction.
- There is NOTHING they can do to alter their course.
- Through Christ, we have been set on a new course.
- We are no longer slaves to sin, we now have the ability to NOT sin.
- We used to be THEM, therefore, we MUST have empathy and patience with them as they “Work our their salvation with fear and trembling.” (Phil 2:12)