Eph 2 1-8 Quickened CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO

You were dead in trespasses and sins.  Now you are quickened, you are alive in Christ.  But you don’t really begin to live until your old man dies.  Many Christians are like a butterfly still stuck in its cocoon.  The quicker you die the quicker you begin to live.  Unless you die you will not:

Live in Christ’s righteousness – Gal 2:20 [16-21] – your righteousness is not in keeping rules and laws.  Your righteousness is in the life of Christ. To live in Christ’s righteousness and not your own, let the old man die with Christ.

Walk in newness of life – Rom 6:1-12 – walking in newness of life means that the old man is dead.  When he is dead, you can live without serving sin.

Submit yourself in service – 1 Pet 2:24 [13-24] – serving others in submission means that you are not serving yourself.  If the old man is still around, he is going to demand that someone serve him.  When you are quickened you begin to serve as Christ, when the old man dies.  Joseph is a perfect example in the Old Testament and Jesus at the cross is a perfect New Testament example.

Set your affection on things above – Col 3:1-3 – you can’t very well seek those things which are above if you are trying to live for the things that are below [Col 2:20-22]. When you are quickened and the old man dies, your new man will love those things above and have no affection for the things on the earth.

Bring forth much fruit – Jn 12:24 – Jesus died to bring forth fruit.  So, when we are quickened, we must die to bring forth fruit.  It is the spiritual fruit of the word of God, the Spirit of God and the gospel of God.  And the old man can bear none of it.

Conclusion: if you want to be free from a righteousness that is based on keeping rules; if you want to walk away from that old life of sin; if you want to be able to follow in the example of Christ when your service is grievous; if you want to set your affection on things above; if you want to bring forth fruit unto God, then be quickened reckon yourself to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.