But. But God. My present condition in Christ is not one of death but of deliverance. I’ve been delivered from death and destruction. Eph. 2:4-7 shows us our present condition of being alive by grace while awaiting glory. These verses declare that the dead don’t have to stay dead. The depraved don’t have to stay depraved. The defiled will one day put on incorruption. Hallelujah, what a savior! All of the incredible truths of our present condition are also a result of birth. The new birth. Being born again, adopted by God through the work of Christ the Son and witness of the Holy Spirit we have everlasting life. I am more than a fixer upper. I am brand new. Back from the dead.
First, Eph. 2:4-5 declares to us the cause of our present condition. It says, “4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)” My present condition is not because of any of my own works, goodness, or righteousness. It is not from anything that I earned or deserved. It is not because I fixed myself up or turned over a new leaf. I didn’t get a new coat of paint. I was given life. God is the source of my life and the subject of my salvation. My present condition of being in Christ points to His word, work, and will for, in, and through me. It tells me less about my character and more about the character and compassion of Christ. These two verses give us three causes of our present condition.
One, my present condition is caused by His mercy. The mercy of God motivates Him to withhold His wrath stored up against me. His mercy moves Him with compassion over my past condition and it is by His mercy that I’ve been given life (Titus 3:1-7). God doesn’t just have some merciful pity for the condition of sinners, He is rich with mercy and compassion. It is God’s mercy that moves Him to save sinners and it is the infinite mercy of God that motivates the believer to praise Him. Read Psalm 103 to get a beautiful picture of what this means in our life. Two, my present condition is caused by His love. I only have life because of His love for me. He is the source and substance of all life and love. God loves to give life (John 3:16). God’s love motivates and moves Him for our good and His glory. The love of God is expressed in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:8 tells us, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” He hasn’t just said He loves us; He has showed His love. The believer is dependent upon His mercy and love. The Father’s love planned our salvation (Eph. 1:3-6). The Son’s love purchased our salvation (Eph. 1:7-12). The Holy Spirit’s love proves our salvation (Eph. 1:13-14). God’s love is expressed in Christ and is experienced by all who are in Him. The final cause of our present condition is God’s grace. It has been said in an acronym of grace that it is “God’s riches at Christ’s expense.” It is the grace of God that is the expression of His mercy and love. Our present condition hinges on His grace. He graciously gives mercy when I deserve justice. He graciously gives love when I deserve wrath. Grace provides our wealth in Christ and gives power to our walk in Christ. We are nothing and have nothing outside of the grace of God. Grace delivered me from who I was and is developing me into who I have become in Christ. Grace rescued me from my past, is renewing me in my present and will resurrect me in the future. The mercy, love and grace of God has gloriously given us our present condition, both our wealth and walk. All that I am and have are by His grace for my good and His glory. When we see God as the cause of our present saved condition it takes away our pride and boasting. It causes our hearts to humbly lift up our eyes to the cross of Christ and throne of grace where all of our wealth in Christ comes from. Seeing God alone as the cause of my salvation glorifies Him alone. This allows me to see my salvation as the greatest miracle that ever has been. It wasn’t me fixing me up. He did the demolition and rebuild. I am not what I was. I’m no longer dead, I’m alive. I’m not what I will be but He’s taking care of that little-by- little and day-by-day within me. Only when I see my present condition as a work of His mercy, love, and grace for, in, and through me can I begin to live to the praise of His glory as Ephesians 1 called me to do. All of my wealth is in His mercy, love, and grace. Therefore, all of my present walk in Christ is dependent upon His continual mercy, love, and grace for me in Christ.
Now, let’s look at the details of our present condition. Eph. 2:5-7 says, “5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” Our present condition, like our past condition deals with our spirit, soul, and body. His mercy, love, and grace has regenerated my spirit, is renewing my soul and will redeem my body in glory. Our salvation deals with our whole being, but like our past condition it is rooted inward.
The present condition of the saved begins in our spirit. Eph. 2:5 shows that God regenerated my spirit. This also points us back to Eph. 2:1. We were dead, but we are now alive in Christ. We were dead men walking. Now we are alive and walking in newness of life. Salvation came to me when I had a dead spirit, depraved soul, and defiled body. When Jesus died on the cross as our sufficient substitutionary sacrifice for sins, He shared in our death so that we can share in His life. His death is my death and His life is my life (Gal. 2:20, Col. 3:1-4). He drank my guilt so that I can drink of grace. He was pronounced guilty so that I can be set free. He died so that I might live. He went into the grave so that I could come out of it. He put on my sin-stained garments so that I can be clothed in His righteousness. Many argue about if regeneration happened before or after faith. This is a fruitless argument. Salvation is a divine action of God’s grace and a decisive action of man’s faith. It is best to see that regeneration (being “quickened” V.1,5 – being made alive or given life) and conversion coincide. There is no regeneration without repentance and faith in Christ alone. What this means for us in our present condition is that He gave life to our dead spirit so that we would by grace through faith apply what is made available in Christ. It is the life that He gives to our spirit that gives true life to our soul and body. Without this “quickening” we have no life and would remain unbelieving and disobedient. This present condition of having a regenerated spirit means that I am reconciled or reconnected to the life of God. I am now in eternal union with Christ and through Christ. I am God’s child. This is the new birth. Paul writes about this in descriptive detail in 2 Cor. 5:14-17 and Ro. 6:3-10. These two passages help us to understand this new life that has invaded our old dead spirit and breathed life into us when there was only death.
Our present condition begins to move outward. God has regenerated my spirit and now is renewing my soul. Sanctification is the process of being renewed in the inner man so that we would yield our soul to the word, work, and will of God. Eph. 2:5-6 shows a glimpse of this work within me. My union with Christ enables my daily communion with Christ. The more I walk with Christ the more I walk like Christ. We are now becoming who we became in Him. Our Christian walk is an already and not yet experience as Paul will continue to develop. My present reality is that my soul (thinker, feeler, chooser or mind, emotions, and will) are being renewed. God is presently renewing me from the inside out. Now, my present condition is that I am a citizen of heaven, seated in heavenly places in the eyes of God; but I am not home yet. I am still presently passing through this temporary life with all of its struggles under the curse of the Fall of man. However, He has regenerated me, is renewing me, and will one day redeem me wholly when He calls me out of this place of corruption. The daily renewal of my soul is also a promised reward. If you will, God is now fixing me up to one day take me up all the way. I’m already there but just not yet. This renewing of my soul allows me to think, feel, and choose rightly. I’m no longer bound by sin or held hostage to it. I’ve been set free to freely serve the Lord in gladness. Also, the renewal of my soul not only allows me to communion with Christ because of my union with Him, but also to commune with all believers because of our union together with and in Christ. Praise God that the struggles we have with ourselves and other believers will one day be over. We are seated together and will sit together in humility, love, and awe of God’s mercy, love, and grace throughout eternity.
Our present condition as well is that I know that He will redeem my body. My body or outer man is still not delivered from the curse. I have to wear glasses now. I have to eat right and go to the gym. I have to take vitamins. There are constant reminders that I am not in Heaven yet. 1 Cor. 15:51-58 shows me the wonderful news that one day this corrupted and corruptible body will be delivered and will put on incorruption. One day the curse will be lifted and gone forever. Eph. 2:7 tells us that the riches of His grace will be seen in us through Christ throughout the eternal ages. We will be trophies of grace and much more than a fixed-up house. We will be masterpieces of His majesty. My present condition is that I am both deteriorating outwardly but one day will be delivered. I have hope, trust, and confidence that He will redeem this body. From the inside-out then the outside-in we will be on display for the eternal glory of God. Christ will be eternally praised for His work to save us, spirit, soul, and body.
There is not one part of you that God doesn’t want to save. There is not one part of you that God can’t make new. There isn’t one unregenerate unbelieving rebel that God doesn’t want to save. Salvation is all by His mercy, love, and grace that is in Christ Jesus. He doesn’t just want to have you be a fixer upper. He wants to demolish your dead spirit, depraved soul, and defiled body. God wants to remake you by regenerating your spirit, renewing your soul, and one day redeeming you body from the curse. How could we continue to walk as if we are poor when we see the riches of His mercy, love, and grace in our present condition? Why do we walk as if we haven’t been given life? Why do we walk as if He isn’t renewing us from the inside out? Today, you are either dead or alive. There is no in-between. Sadly, many today are self-deceived into believing that they are just a fixer upper and with a little help from God they’ll be good as new. No my friends, we need to be made alive. You either have a dead spirit, depraved soul, and defiled body or you have a regenerated spirit, soul being renewed, and a body that will be redeemed. Are you still a spiritual zombie? Do you have life? If you are dead, please know that you don’t have to stay dead. Come out of that grave and lay aside that guilt. The mercy, love and grace of God is available. Repent and trust Christ alone for your salvation and experience what it means to truly live. If you’ve been given the eternal wealth of the life of God then walk in your life as one who has everlasting life. Our everlasting life is both in quality and quantity. Don’t live in your past condition if your present condition is one of life! Don’t go back to your guilt or the grave that had a hold on you. Walk today in your present condition of being made alive in Christ.
Grow with me as we study the believer’s wealth and walk in Christ.
Grow deeper.
Grow higher. Grow wider.
Grow With Pastor Joe 
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