"And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time 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: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus."
In this quote, Paul reassures the Ephesian believers of their salvation by grace through faith, stating that; "God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus."
The outstanding point of today's lesson is that every living accountable soul, just as were the Ephesians before they accepted Jesus, is eternally lost and condemned until that soul realizes its sinful condition apart from God and subsequently accepts the cleansing baptism that comes from wholly immersing ones spiritual "inner" man/woman, by faith, into the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the remission of ALL sin through Him.
I used the term "baptism" to describe the position of those of us whom have been saved by the grace of God and have been securely placed "in Christ Jesus" and have been "quickened together with Christ". The baptism I refer to herein is a baptism of the spirit and has nothing to do with a ritual use of water. Water does not cleanse a lost soul of its sin However, the immersion of oneself by faith into the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ cleanses one of ALL sin and guarantees that one eternal life.~
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