03.25.08

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. - Ephesians 2:1-10.

Zack Dunlap is feeling “pretty good,” which is really good for someone who the doctors pronounced dead on November 19, 2007! He was involved in accident with an all-terrain vehicle two days earlier which gave him severe head injuries. His father says that prior to his son being pronounced dead that there was no activity or blood flow indicated on the brain scan. However, while family members were gathered to say their goodbyes Zack was able to move his foot and hand. Perhaps it was in response to hearing doctors say he was dead and that soon his organs would be taken for transplant into others. Zack is 21-years-old and is still recovering but he is far from being dead. (Zack appeared on NBC’s Today show yesterday. The story has also been reported by the AP and has appeared in a multitude of Internet websites.)

Zack’s story is frightening and it is horrifying! You have to wonder if anything like that has happened to anyone else but not with the same outcome? In a spiritual sense, however, we have all been pronounced dead. What you say? Yes, we are as the apostle Paul says in Ephesians 2 “dead in trespasses and sins.”

Zack’s family says that they feel blessed to have him alive and back with them. This indicates that there was a spiritual component to the change of condition from death to life. Indeed they are blessed. Blessed that for unknown reasons God intervened and brought this young man back to life.

There is only one way that our spiritual condition can change from that of deadness to that of life. It is only through the intervention of God that we can be brought to life. The apostle Paul speaking to those who are alive says, “And you He made alive….” Who made them alive? “God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us…made us alive together with Christ…made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus…in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” God through Jesus made them alive. Why did God do that? “…because of His great love with which He loved us…that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”

What did it cost for Zack to be brought to life? Nothing. It was simply an act of God. What does it cost us to be brought from being “dead in trespasses and sins” to being “alive together with Christ?” What do we have to do to have life? “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Does the recipient of a gift have to pay anything for it? No, a gift is free of cost to the recipient or it would not be a gift.

What do we have to do to receive the gift of life? Jesus says in John 5:24, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” Jesus says in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” To pass “from death into life” we must believe upon Jesus Christ - believe that He has paid the price for the gift of eternal life which He freely gives to us. What was the price? The price was His blood which He shed on the cross for our sins.

When do you pass “from death to life?” You pass “from death to life” when you believe. Have you believed upon Jesus Christ receiving Him as your Savior? He has paid the price you just have to receive the gift. Will you take it?