"... you were dead in your offenses and sins, in which you previously walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all previously lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our wrongdoings, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus..." Eph 2:1-6
The apostle Paul says here that they were dead, walking within their sins, being of the world, in the past tense, but these same ones became alive through Christ Jesus, through what took place on that cross, in the present tense! Oh, grasp this beloved, grasp this costly life that has been granted to us through Christ! Those in Christ Jesus are no longer chained down with sin, no longer blinded by Satan, no longer living in the lusts of their flesh, no longer "indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind..." No, they were brought forth from death into glorious life by the very life of Christ Jesus, living within them! They were brought forth from the darkness into the light of the glorious gospel, through the water, the blood of Christ, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit! They were no longer what they once were; they became new living creations through Christ's life-giving Spirit! They were crucified with Christ, in the past tense, they were then gloriously set free from their old nature, old desires, old sin, old heart, old spirit, and old way of thinking. Christ really sets the captives free! Throw away that gospel of death being preached and instead enter into true relationship with Christ Jesus!
It is men under the old covenant that teach and preach primarily throughout the land at this time. These old covenant preachers bring other men and women to say to themselves and others that they are still but sinners in Christ Jesus! They allow men and women to say concerning their hearts, that they are deceitful, that their spirits desire sin, that they see no good thing coming from within them. Yes, I will agree those under the old way are only being honest when they say such things. They are still dead in their sin; their grave clothes have not yet been taken off and replaced by Christ's glorious life. However, you who are still under such an old covenant teaching, I warn this is a teaching of death! Christ has paved a better way for you, by taking to the cross for even your own sins, your old way of life. Through Jesus, we are biblically, and I attest experientially, ushered into a new covenant given to all who will believe what Christ and His beloved apostles and even prophets have brought forth to us through the very Word of God which is Christ within the hope of glory!
Brethren a gospel that leaves you in your sins, that leaves you as you are, is not the gospel of Christ Jesus! It is not the same Gospel the apostles preached through the Spirit, instead it is another gospel of continual dying to the ten commandments year after year with no inward life. Many institutional churches preach such a dead gospel, being dead themselves. "Woe is me" is the cry of such a one claiming Christ but following the outward law, through their own fleshly strength! Let us go back to the cross, brethren, that Christ and the apostles taught: the cross Christ died on and was resurrected three days later in glory. Let us by faith lay claim to all Christ bought for us with His own blood there on Calvary. Enough with a gospel that only covers sins, as they continually flow, due to the source not being crucified by faith in Christ's finished work already accomplished on that old cross. Enough of the excuses of the leaders who have not been born again yet, seeking to excuse their sins, and laying deceptive balm over yours as they themselves are still deceived! There is abundant life through Jesus Christ to all born through Him.
Through Christ, we’ve been ushered into much more than just forgiveness of our sins! Those who through repentance and faith come to Christ receive new life: His very life in exchange for their old sin filled life! Yes, it is the very gospel itself which claims we have been brought into new life through Christ Jesus, all who are truly in Christ Jesus, that is. It is not some new teaching I present to you today, but the only true one! "You must be born again,” echos through my spirit daily to proclaim to others through the Holy Spirit who lives within me! Christ doesn’t just cover your sins beloved, He pulls them away at their root, cleanses you, puts a new heart in you, a new spirit in you, and puts His Holy Spirit within you, and you become a new creation! Through that old cross you have been crucified with Him, if in fact, He lives within you.
Oh, if only the churches would get out of this cemetery gospel that doesn’t change a person inwardly, and instead step out of their grave clothes into real life through Christ Jesus! There would be a different type of message waking up many still in grave cloths. It’s the very basics of the gospel that has been fumbled, the very life of Christ that He died to bring forth within His blood bought ones. Christ doesn’t leave people in their sins, bad preaching and teaching does. But how can these old covenant preachers speak on what they themselves do not know nor understand in real life-giving experience? Being dead themselves, they speak only continual death to others. Walk out of this old covenant of death they’ve buried you in and into the new covenant. Let Christ take off your grave clothes and through repentance and faith in His mighty works on your behalf enter into newness of life, His life! (John 3, Ezekiel 36:26-28, Romans 8, 2 Corinthians 5:16”“17, Colossians 1:27-29, Ephesians 4:22, Galatians 2:20, Romans 7:6, Hebrews 9:15, Ephesians 2, Romans 5:1-17)
Conclusion
"Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you””unless indeed you fail the test?" (2 Cor 13:5)