A physically dead person cannot think, will, or act in any way with his body. A spiritually dead person can be spiritually active; but he cannot think, will, or in any way act in a way pleasing in God's sight.
The apostle Paul reveals this, and our God says it through him in Ephesians 2:2 where we read, "Wherein in times past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience." Take note of the fact that Satan is presented as doing spiritual things, but his spiritual death caused works of disobedience. He is that prince of the power of the air. Spiritual death brings forth works of hatred against God. It means that he works that which calls for everlasting punishment in God's wrath.
Spiritual death, therefore, means that all men came into this world absolutely incapable of walking in any way that pleases God. They will go against everything that is spiritually good. They will refuse one hundred per cent to do what God demands that man should do, as far as the spiritual nature of that work is concerned.
The ungodly crucified God's Son, because God wanted Him to die for our sins, but also because they hated God and His Son. They did what the prince of the power of the air delights in seeing them do.
Be thankful then if God granted you the ability to have a godly walk, a walk in love to Him. It shows that He caused you to be born again with the spiritual life His Son earned for us. Return once again to verse 5. We were quickened with Christ, and that means we received a spiritual life like His ¾ one that loves God.
Remember that, just as you received physical life entirely apart from your will, so also was spiritual birth given to you only because God eternally decreed to bestow it.
Read: Psalm 14
Meditations on the Heidelberg Catechism
Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
II Kings 20:1-21
II Kings 21:1-26
II Kings 22:1-2
Acts 21:18-36
Psalm 150:1-6
Proverbs 18:9-10
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Quote for Reflection:
“The Spirit of the godly rusts away, unless they are well exercised by tribulations.” Luther
“A sanctified person, like a silver bell, the harder he is smitten, the better he sounds.” Swinnock
Additional Info
- Date: 2-July
