Ephesians 2:3-4

"Among these we as well as you once lived and conducted ourselves in the passions of our flesh [our behavior governed by our corrupt and sensual nature], obeying the impulses of the flesh and the thoughts of the mind [our cravings dictated by our senses and our dark imaginings]. We were then by nature children of [God's] wrath and heirs of [His] indignation, like the rest of mankind" Ephesians 2:3.

As Paul described the way we were "governed" in the first part of this verse, I was led to the book of James where he gives us a simple and very real picture of the sin process. In chapter 1, verse 14 and 15, he says...

"But every person is tempted when he is drawn away, enticed and baited by his own evil desire (lust, passions). Then the evil desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully matured, brings forth death."

If I might break this down, it is amazing to see and really makes sense of what we "all" deal with.

(1) But every person is tempted! "Every person"! When?

(2) when he is drawn away, enticed and baited! It's, "the setting of a trap". How?

(3) by his own evil desire, lust, and passions! Our own... Then what?

(4) Then the evil desire, when it has conceived... Thought about, dwell upon, worked out a way, seek after, etc. Look out, because then, it!

(5) gives birth to sin! There it is... the mechanics of sin... Oh, and sin?

(6) when it is fully matured, brings forth death.

Meditate about this, my friends... it will help with understanding verse 3. I love how God used "James" to show us this, by the way. Amazing! We better move on.

4. "But God--so rich is He in His mercy! Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us"

You see, this is where Paul was leading us to... God's Love... Amen? We serve a merciful God, this is true... But why? Why is God so... "Because of... and in order to... "satisfy" the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us". There it is my friends... it's what this Word is about! It's behind, in, under, and all around His Word. It's why you're here... It's what lead us... It's what is changing us into His image. Wow.

Let's pick up with Ephesians verse 2:5 next time.

I love you.