Ephesians 2.1-10.
Gotta confess: I grew up Christian. I said
Oh yeah, I had my
So when Paul wrote about the Ephesians’ pre-Christian lifestyle, I understand what he’s talking about; I know plenty of pagans who live this way. My trouble is I don’t have a shared experience with them, so I don’t relate as well as someone who did have those experiences.
But y’know, that’s one of the great things about Christian diversity: Plenty of us have. And it’s those former pagans who can speak best to current pagans, and point ’em to Jesus. (Although I should point out I strive
And I do have the experience of being a lousy Christian, yet God didn’t give up on me and straightened me out. So there’s that.
But for ex-pagan Christians, this is more what they experienced:
Ephesians 2.1-3 KWL - 1 You who were dead in your missteps and the sins 2 you previously walked in,
- following this world’s age, following the head air-power—the spirit now working on apathy’s children.
- 3 We all used to walk backwards like that in our bodily desires, doing the will of our body and minds.
- We were natural, raging children, same as everyone else.
- 4 God, being rich in mercy, loves us out of his great love. 5 Us, being dead in our missteps.
- God makes us all alive in Christ: You’re saved by his grace.
Previously following our desires, our culture (“the world’s age”), and various idols (“the head air-power”), we were as good as dead, ’cause sin kills.