"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)." EPHESIANS 2:4-5
WHAT A FEARFUL DISCOVERY do these words give of what was once the condition of all true believers? "We were dead in sins." The apostle classes himself with the Ephesian believers in the humbling confession. The most living and burning saint, who now tunes his harp before the throne of the Lamb, was once a dead soul. This is the true condition of all unconverted men at this moment; they are dead in sins. Even our highly-favoured country is like the valley which Ezekiel saw full of bones: "And he caused me to pass by them round about; and, behold, there were very many in the open valley, and, lo, they were very dry" (Ezekiel 37:2). The understanding of a natural man is dead: "He is wise to do evil, but to do good he has no knowledge" (Jeremiah 4:22). "There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God" (Romans 3:1 1). The mind is often clear and penetrating on earthly things, but it is dark and dead in heavenly things. The heart is dead. True, it is alive toward worldly friends, and worldly objects. In pursuit of their lusts "they have made ready their heart like an oven, while they lie in wait". But set the loveliest of all beings before them, the precious corner-stone, the desire of all nations, the pearl of great price; and their heart is not affected, it melts not, it moves not, it loves not; it is dead. The conscience is dead. They feel wrongs done against themselves or against their neighbours, but they do not feel wrongs done against God, or against Christ, or against the Holy Spirit: "Unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled" (Titus 1: 1 5). In some the death of the conscience is total, so that they are past feeling, "having their conscience seared as with a hot iron". How many sweaters can pour out their oaths, without once imagining that they are striking at the throne of God. How many can put away the gospel message, without feeling that they are making God a liar. How many can come unconverted to the Lord's table, without once thinking that they are crucifying Christ afresh, and putting Him to an open shame. In such cases their "consciences are seared as with a hot iron".
Turn we now to consider the blessed change that has been wrought in the heart of every believer: "He hath quickened us together with Christ." It was a solemn scene when Jesus stood beside the rocky sepulchre of Lazarus. It was a little way from the village of Bethany, embosomed in its fig and almond trees. Martha and Mary stood weeping, and many Jewish friends beside them. They had rolled away the stone from the mouth of the cave, and as the Saviour looked into the dark silent tomb He cried, "Lazarus come forth. And he that was dead came forth bound hand and foot with grave clothes, and his face bound about with a napkin." This was giving life to the dead. A still more marvellous scene, compared to which this is but as the drop before the thunder shower, shall yet take place upon this earth. "The hour is coming in which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth, they that have done good unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation." When the voice of Christ is heard, then from every lonely church yard, from the deep caverns of the sea, and from silent battlefields, the myriads of sleeping dead shall rise and come forth. It will be a day of joy to some, and of woe to others, joy and woe unspeakable. But more wonderful, even than this, is the quickening of the soul in conversion. It is spoken of in these words, "The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live" (John 5:25). In every part of the world where the Spirit accompanies the preaching of the gospel, this secret, silent resurrection of dead souls is going on every day, little noticed by men, though well known in heaven, and in hell. When the Spirit comes He gives life to the dead conscience; He makes it accuse and condemn the sinner, so that He feels lost and undone. He gives life to the understanding, anointing the eyes wth eyesalve, so that the sinner sees the way of pardon provided by God. He gives life to the heart, melting it, and persuading the sinner to cleave to Jesus; and so He "quickens us together with Christ". The Spirit thus raises the soul out of its grave, looses his grave clothes, namely, worldly lusts and attachments, and lets him go free. "What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us." If He quickens my soul, then no power can keep it dead. Truly, the guilt, indwelling sin, temptations, and spiritual enemies of my soul often confound me. But I pray to know "the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe" (Ephesians 1:19).
But what is it in the bosom of God that moves Him to quicken a dead soul? The answer is to be found here: "God who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, (by grace ye are saved)." The free rich grace of God is the fountain from which the quickening Spirit flows. When God came to save Paul he found him dead in sins. There was nothing in the heart of Paul to draw God to visit his soul. But He came because He was rich in mercy, and out of the great love wherewith He loved him, by grace He saved him. There is nothing lovely or attractive about the dead, especially if they have been long dead. The coldness, the want of motion, the paleness, the want of animation, is dreadful. The corruption is abominable. And so Abram says, over the remains of his beloved Sarah, "Give me a possession of a burying-place, that I may bury my dead out of my sight" (Genesis 23:4). So there is nothing amiable to the eye of a holy God in a dead soul. The coldness, the insensibility, the corruption is loathsome, in His pure sight. And yet He came to the dead soul of Paul, and gave it life. And every soul that now rejoices in the love of God can say, I was polluted in mine own blood, when He passed by and said unto me, Live; yea, he said unto me, when I was in my blood, Live, Ezekiel 16:6.
There is good news for those who feel themselves loathsome as the putrid dead. You may be quickened, for such were all believers once. Good news for those who feel helpless as the dead. The Lord can quicken such. And He is rich in mercy; "He willeth all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth". He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. In Him compassions flow. He is ready to forgive. One poor soul who had long been tempest-tossed under the conviction of a life time of sins, was brought to full peace in Christ by meditating on the first verse of the fifty-first Psalm: "According unto the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions." She said, "I will just put the multitude of His tender mercies over against the multitude of my sins". And so she found rest for her soul. Surely this soul, and all who have been thus saved by free sovereign grace, will have cause to join in Rowland Hill's favourite hymn: