Colossians 2 13
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ.
Paul directs us to consider the dead, for that is what we were.
So what is distinctive about dead people?
Dead people -
- Have no opinions
- Make no contributions
- Initiate nothing
- Offer no assistance
- Cannot make choices
You can probably see where we are going here.
There are two ways that Paul defines our death -
- In your sins
- In the uncircumcision of your sinful nature
You are dead, says Paul, because of what you do and because of who you are. The only room for maneuver is to ask the question, which came first?
Does my sin make me a sinner or do I sin because I am a sinner? Does it matter?
Biblically you sin because you are a sinner.
Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Psalm 51 v 5
It does matter because if I am a sinner due to accumulation of all my actual sins I have some room to argue may case. I’ve not done so many as the next man! My sins are not as bad as hers!
But I don’t because I’m dead.
Paul ends this verse with the glorious gracious truth.
GOD MADE ME ALIVE WITH CHRIST.
Glory