You were born physically alive and with a soul, but the deepest diagnosis is spiritual death: an inward separation from the life of God that makes people follow the course of the world and the spirit at work in disobedience; recognizing the diagnosis is the first step toward true remedy, because a wrong diagnosis leads to a wrong remedy and only knowing the truth of your condition prepares you to receive life. [30:33]
Ephesians 2:1–3 (ESV)
1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
Reflection: This afternoon, identify one habitual choice from the past week that reflects “walking the course of this world.” Confess it to God right now, then send a message to one trusted believer asking them to pray and call you this week to check in about it.
Because of God's great love and rich mercy, the only remedy for spiritual death is new life in Christ: by grace God makes the dead alive with Christ, meeting the demands of justice at the cross and restoring the governing force—His Spirit—so people can be transformed from the inside out and live with purpose and hope. [47:43]
Ephesians 2:4–5 (ESV)
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
Reflection: Write down one area of life you’ve been trying to fix without Jesus (work, relationships, habits). Today, pray a short prayer inviting Christ to make you alive there, then take one concrete step that demonstrates trust in that new life (e.g., call someone to reconcile, stop a destructive habit for 24 hours, or begin a daily five-minute Scripture habit).
When Jesus promises a Counselor, he means the Holy Spirit who indwells believers: the Spirit of truth who the world cannot receive but who lives with you and in you, enabling obedience, guiding understanding, and restoring the governing force so your life is directed by God rather than by busyness or cultural noise. [28:33]
John 14:15–17 (ESV)
15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you."
Reflection: For the next hour, whenever a stressful or reactive thought arises, pause and say briefly, “Holy Spirit, guide me.” Note one prompt where you follow that prompt instead of your first impulse; act on that prompt before the hour ends.
The gospel shows that the old self was crucified with Christ so that the body of sin might be done away with and believers would no longer be enslaved to sin; this is not merely moralizing, but a real exchange—death to the old way and resurrection into the Spirit’s rule—calling for practical steps to live as people who have been set free. [50:04]
Romans 6:6 (ESV)
6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.
Reflection: Identify one recurring temptation or habit that feeds your “old self.” Today, take a decisive first step to remove the immediate opportunity for that temptation (delete an app, avoid a location, give an account to a friend), then tell one Christian who will hold you accountable for 7 days.
Human beings are unique in that God has set eternity in their hearts—a built-in longing and capacity to reach beyond the created order for meaning and purpose; that ache is evidence of the need for the governing force of God’s Spirit and an invitation to stop the frantic busyness and wait on the Lord for shalom. [34:58]
Ecclesiastes 3:11 (ESV)
11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.
Reflection: Tonight, set aside 15 minutes to journal the one question about purpose or eternity that nags you most. Pray and read Ecclesiastes 3:11, then, if you’re unsure how to take the next step toward God, reach out to a pastor or trusted believer tomorrow and ask for a 20-minute conversation.
We live in an age that prizes information, but people are hungry for demonstration. That’s why serving our community tangibly matters—love must be seen. From there, I challenged us to resist the tyranny of busyness and recover the countercultural practice of waiting on God. Waiting is not passive; it is the posture of trust where shalom, clarity, and courage are formed. Our lives were designed to flow not from frantic activity, but from fellowship with our Creator.
I asked: what is your governing force? Everyone is guided by something—culture, desire, fear, or God. Jesus promised the Counselor, the Spirit of truth, to live in us and govern us from the inside out. But why do we need him? Scripture’s diagnosis is unflinching: we are spiritually dead in sin. Not dead in body, not absent a personality, but dead in the deepest place—our spirit, the capacity to know God. Plants are governed by seasons; animals by instinct; humans were made to be governed by God’s Spirit. Lose the seasons and plants perish; lose instinct and animals cannot find their way home; lose God and humanity unravels. Sin isn’t the cause of our problem; it’s the symptom of our separation.
This is why wrath exists—not as a flaw in God, but as love’s refusal to be indifferent to what destroys us. At the cross, Jesus met that wrath head on as our substitute, not to make a sentimental point but to make a saving exchange. He bore what we deserved so we could receive what he alone possesses—life. By grace, God makes us alive with Christ and restores our governing force: the Holy Spirit dwelling within. This is more than forgiveness—this is resurrection life reinstalled, new desires awakened, and a new way to be human. He who has the Son has life. If you’ve been far from God, the door is open: move from death to life, from aimlessness to Spirit-led purpose, and join in demonstrating the love of Jesus to a watching world.
- Ephesians 2:1–5 — And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath—like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved. - John 14:15–17 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you."
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