August 20, 2006
Rev. Terry D. Campbell

Beyond The Living Dead
Ephesians 2:1-10 (NCV)

“In the past you were spiritually dead because of your sins and the things you did against God. ²Yes, in the past you lived the way the world lives, following the ruler of the evil powers that are above the earth. That same spirit is now working in those who refuse to obey God. ³In the past all of us lived like them, trying to please our sinful selves and doing all the things our bodies and minds wanted. We should have suffered God's anger because of the way we were. We were the same as all other people. ⁴But God's mercy is great, and he loved us very much. ⁵Though we were spiritually dead because of the things we did against God, he gave us new life with Christ. You have been saved by God's grace. ⁶And he raised us up with Christ and gave us a seat with him in the heavens. He did this for those in Christ Jesus ⁷so that for all future time he could show the very great riches of his grace by being kind to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸I mean that you have been saved by grace through believing. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God. ⁹It was not the result of your own efforts, so you cannot brag about it. ¹⁰God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing.”

What is the state of people who have heard about Christ, but have not yet said yes to Him? At funeral callings I sometimes hear people saying, "I just know that Aunt Minnie is in heaven because she was such a good woman." Is that true? It is important for us to look at what the Bible says about this issue. Whether we like what is said or even agree with what it says, we need to know because God has promised us that this is HIS word on the issue.

I. Before we have Jesus we are spiritually dead toward God.

God says that before we have Jesus in our hearts, we are like zombies toward God-the living dead, the walking dead. All people who reject Christ are spiritually dead.

Ironically, the thing we think will save us is the thing which condemns us to life apart from God and heaven. Our problem is self-effort and self-will versus God calling the shots in our lives. The story of Adam and Eve is really a story about self-leadership versus God-leadership. The fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil really symbolizes self-will and a self-oriented perspective. Up until then, Adam and Eve had trusted God to lead them and tell them right and wrong.

"³In the past all of us lived like them, trying to please our sinful selves and doing all the things our bodies and minds wanted." "I'll do it myself. I don't need God. I replace God in my life and become my own God." Life is wrapped up in ME. When Adam and Eve ate the forbidden tree's fruit, they put "self" on the throne of their lives! When "self" occupies the leadership seat, then God can't or won't. (Clip of music-"It's all about me")

So, sin separates us from God. The middle of sin is "I". Self-will vs. God-will.

Think of it this way. Light and dark can't exist in the same place at the same time. In fact, only light truly exists-you can't turn on darkness. You can only turn on light.

The standard of heaven is not better than or good enough. The standard of heaven is God-holy God-Light. No sin-NOTHING TAINTED with sin can be in God's presence. That is why perfection is the standard of heaven, not better than so and so or pretty good. Perfection. SINLESS! So you and I have a problem. We can't get rid of our sin, or self, nature.

II. The resurrected Jesus makes the difference!
"⁴But God's mercy is great, and he loved us very much. ⁵Though we were spiritually dead because of the things we did against God, he gave us new life with Christ. You have been saved by God's grace." (Show picture of man operating on himself.)

What too many people don't understand is that you and I can't really heal our selfish nature by good works. And we can't erase our past selfishness. Our self-centered, self-serving nature is so much a part of us, to break it's hold on us, we would need to die and get a new life-be born once again but with a new nature.

This is where Jesus comes in! He died for us and if we will accept His divine gift of His living Spirit, we are re-born and given a new living energy-a new position before God and a new ability to live with God in charge of my life..

Our talking about people needing a new "heart" is an appropriate analogy. We must die to self and be reborn to God. My dad had bypass surgery at around age 72. I remember one of the things we talked about was the fact that he would allow them to INTENTIONALLY stop his heart-that had been beating non-stop for 72 years-and then try to re-start it. Quite a step of faith! The key for us is that doing this kind of bypass surgery, you can't do it on yourself. Someone else must work on you to stop your heart and then start it again. (Show picture of Sinner by birth, Saved by Grace button)

So it is with getting a new heart from God. You can't do it yourself. The heart you need to get is so different, and the change is so radical that only God, the Great Physician can do it on us.

You must be born again! You must accept Jesus into your life as your Savior and Lord so you can come alive to God and all that God offers. Like it or not, agree with it or not-this God's word.

III. Who is on the throne in your life?

When you accept Jesus you receive the Spirit of God and become a new creation-born again in the power and mercy of God. You ask, "But I became a Christians and I still have many problems with sin."

Your old self-nature doesn't completely go away until we get to heaven. So with the coming of your new nature, you will create a tug-of-war within you. As a Christian I can relate to the apostle Paul's words in Romans 7:21-25-"So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. ²²For in my inner being I delight in God's law; ²³but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. ²⁴What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? ²⁵Thanks be to God-through Jesus Christ our Lord!"

God's transforming grace power in you by the Spirit of Jesus will give you power to drive back the desires of your zombie self and enable you to be and live changed through and through-if you focus on Him!

Which are you listening to God? Are you focusing on and doing things that will feed and strengthen the influence of the Spirit of Jesus in you? Or are you letting self edge closer to your throne?

What will you do now?

Who is on the throne of your heart? If it is not God, you are separated from God. You are choosing to be your own god rather than allowing God to be your God. Our Lord Jesus has given us in Himself the tools with which to overcome selfishness and to adopt a life of Godliness. If you haven't already, please move beyond being one of the living dead. Christian-develop the grace God has given you to keep your old nature controlled and Jesus to be seen on the throne of your heart! Amen.