RAISED INTO HEAVENLY REALMS

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also 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. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:1-7, NKJV)

Devotion 6 of 16

WE WERE CHARACTERIZED BY DISOBEDIENCE

    " . . . the spirit who now works in THE SONS OF DISOBEDIENCE, among whom also we ALL once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind. . . " That is an exceedingly strong statement: "sons of disobedience." It is used two other times in Scripture: Ephesians 5:6 and Colossians 3:6. The word "disobedience" is a mode of life held up by two pillars: unbelief and stubbornness. It is found because of a lack of faith, as well as an insistence on ones own way.

      Here "disobedience" is pictured as a corrupt mother, giving birth to children in whom "the prince of the power of the air" works. Some see this as meaning "disobedient children." However, that is too weak. It is not that we were children who disobeyed. Rather, we were children in whom disobedience ruled. As it is written, "For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, DISOBEDIENT, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another" (Tit 3:3).

      It is as though one act of disobedience opened a flood gate of disobedience that inundated the world. Thus it is written, "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners" (Rom 5:19). David affirmed the magnitude this situation in a much disputed verse. "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me" (Psa 51:5). The popular NIV reads, "Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me."  The NRSV reads, "Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me." Every version reads essentially the same. There really is no question about what the passage says. It is my understanding that David was stating the truth of our text in another way. "Children of disobedience" are children born into an environment characterized by disobedience, and possessing a nature prone to be disobedient.

      Satan is not a metaphor, but a "spirit." He is a personality with character and an agenda. He is intensely active, always working. We were among those in whom he worked, called "sons of disobedience."  This is a term denoting obstinance toward God, driven by unbelief, and evidenced by insubordination and lawbreaking.

    The locus of our lives was the desires of our own sinful nature--the "desires of the flesh and of the mind." We had no heart for God, and our minds were nailed to the earth like Sisera's head (Judges 5:26). That was our condition by nature. That is how Jesus found us. Our text says "we ALL" were so characterized -- and there are no exceptions.

PRAYER POINT: Father, through Jesus Christ, I thank You for delivering me from a live of disobedience.

-- Tomorrow: WE WERE CHILDREN OF WRATH --