The concept of being “dead in trespasses and sins” comes from Ephesians 2:1 which says “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins.” This is a profound spiritual truth that describes the state of unsaved people apart from the grace of God in Christ.
To be “dead in trespasses and sins” conveys several important ideas:
1. It means we are unable to respond to God in our natural state
Spiritually dead people cannot please God or obey Him because sin has corrupted their nature (Romans 8:7-8). Just as a physically dead person cannot respond to stimuli, a spiritually dead person cannot respond positively to God in their current condition.
2. It means we are separated from God
Sin brings separation from God who is holy and cannot tolerate sin (Isaiah 59:2). When Adam and Eve sinned, they died spiritually and were banished from God’s presence (Genesis 3). This spiritual separation is what it means to be “dead” – cut off from the Source of life.
3. It means we are under condemnation already
Those who are spiritually dead are already under the condemnation of God for their sin (John 3:18). Unless we are made alive in Christ, we remain under God’s righteous wrath against sin.
4. It means we are enslaved to sin
Sin is a power that enslaves us and from which we cannot free ourselves (Romans 6:17). Just as a dead person cannot raise himself to life, we cannot rescue ourselves from bondage to sin.
5. It means we cannot earn salvation
A dead person can do nothing to merit being brought back to life physically. Neither can a spiritually dead person do anything to earn or merit eternal life and salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9). Salvation is entirely a work of God’s grace.
6. It means we need new life from God
The only remedy for this dead spiritual state is for God to make us alive together with Christ (Ephesians 2:4-5). We need to be born again by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit (John 3:3-8).
God graciously chooses and calls people out of spiritual death and saves them by His grace. The Good News is that spiritually dead people can be made alive! This happens when a person repents of sin and trusts in Jesus Christ, receiving the gift of eternal life (John 5:24).
The state of being “dead in trespasses and sins” underscores our helpless condition apart from the saving grace of God. It highlights our dependance on God’s mercy and confirms salvation is entirely His work in us, not something we earn or merit. Recognizing we were once dead but now made alive in Christ fuels worship and gratitude to God.
7 Key Bible Verses on Being Dead in Trespasses and Sins
Here are some key Bible verses that reveal the meaning of being dead in trespasses and sins:
Ephesians 2:1 – “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins.”
Ephesians 2:5 – “Even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved.”
Colossians 2:13 – “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses.”
1 John 3:14 – “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.”
John 5:24 – “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”
Romans 6:13 – “Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.”
Ephesians 2:4-5 – “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved.”
8 Aspects of Being Made Alive in Christ
The flip side of being dead in sin is being made alive in Christ by God’s grace. Here are 8 key aspects of this new resurrected life:
- We receive a new heart that can respond to God (Ezekiel 36:26).
- We are united with Christ in His death and resurrection (Romans 6:4-5).
- We have a new spiritual life that is eternal (John 5:24).
- We are indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9-11).
- We have become new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).
- We are set free from bondage to sin (Romans 6:17-18).
- We are declared righteous before God (Romans 5:1).
- We are reconciled and brought near to God (Ephesians 2:13).
This spiritual resurrection to new life is a work of God’s grace in which we are passive recipients. The regenerating work of the Holy Spirit makes us alive together with Christ as a gift of God’s great mercy and love.
9 Powerful Gospel Truths from Ephesians 2:1-10
Ephesians 2:1-10 contains perhaps the clearest explanation of the gospel in the Bible. Here are 9 powerful truths from this passage:
- We were dead in sin and objects of God’s wrath (v1-3)
- God made us alive by His great mercy and love (v4-5)
- He raised us up together with Christ (v6)
- This was an act of pure grace not based on works (v8-9)
- We are God’s workmanship created for good works (v10)
- Christ’s death reconciled us to God (v13)
- The law’s requirements were fulfilled by Christ (v15)
- We have access to the Father by the Spirit (v18)
- We are members of God’s household (v19)
This powerful passage highlights our desperate condition, God’s gracious salvation, and the fruits of new life in Christ. The gospel message shines clearly in these verses.
10 Contrasts Between Spiritual Death and Spiritual Life
Here are 10 key contrasts between the state of spiritual death and the new resurrected life in Christ:
- Dead vs Alive
- Condemned vs Justified
- Enslaved vs Free
- Blind vs Seeing
- Darkness vs Light
- Separated vs Reconciled
- Lost vs Found
- Hopeless vs Hope
- Despair vs Joy
- Hellbound vs Heavenbound
Recognizing these distinctions motivates us to share the gospel so others can be rescued from spiritual death into new life in Christ.
11 Bible Stories That Illustrate Being Made Alive in Christ
Here are 11 Bible stories that provide vivid illustrations of sinners being resurrected from spiritual death to new life by God’s grace:
- The Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32)
- Zacchaeus the Tax Collector (Luke 19:1-10)
- The Thief on the Cross (Luke 23:39-43)
- The Sinful Woman (Luke 7:36-50)
- The Demon-Possessed Man (Mark 5:1-20)
- The Woman at the Well (John 4:1-42)
- The Philippian Jailer (Acts 16:25-34)
- Saul’s Conversion (Acts 9:1-19)
- Lydia’s Conversion (Acts 16:13-15)
- The Lame Beggar (Acts 3:1-10)
- The Ethiopian Eunuch (Acts 8:26-40)
In each story, we see dramatic examples of people who were dead in sin being transformed by the power of the gospel into new creations in Christ.
12 Contrasts Between the Old Self and the New Self
When we are saved, we put off the old self and put on the new self. Here are 12 key contrasts between our old and new natures:
- Dead vs Alive
- Enslaved vs Free
- Darkness vs Light
- Hard Heart vs Soft Heart
- Rebellious vs Obedient
- Unbelief vs Faith
- Loveless vs Loving
- Lawless vs Righteous
- Wicked vs Holy
- Godless vs Godly
- Sinful Nature vs New Creation
- Condemned vs Redeemed
This radical change of spiritual identity should lead us to live accordingly in light of who we are now in Christ.
13 New Covenant Blessings of Being Made Alive
The New Covenant promises incredible blessings to those who are in Christ. Here are 13 blessings that now belong to believers who have been made spiritually alive:
- Forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 8:12)
- Indwelling of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19)
- Circumcised hearts (Romans 2:29)
- Justification (Romans 5:1)
- Adoption as God’s children (Galatians 4:5)
- Eternal life (John 3:16)
- Access to God (Hebrews 10:19-22)
- Partakers of Christ’s divine nature (2 Peter 1:4)
- Sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13)
- Made righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21)
- Heavenly inheritance (1 Peter 1:3-5)
- Victorious life (1 Corinthians 15:57)
- Authority in Christ (Luke 10:19)
How amazing it is to be transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God’s beloved Son! (Colossians 1:13).
14 Actions to Take in Light of New Life in Christ
Since we have been resurrected from spiritual death, here are 14 actions we should take to walk in our new life and identity in Christ:
- Reckon yourself dead to sin and alive to God (Romans 6:11)
- Set your mind on things above (Colossians 3:2)
- Walk by the Spirit to avoid sinful desires (Galatians 5:16)
- Present your body as an instrument of righteousness (Romans 6:13)
- Love God and others from the heart (1 John 4:7-8)
- Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
- Make disciples and spread the gospel (Matthew 28:19-20)
- Use gifts to serve the church (1 Peter 4:10)
- Bear good fruit for God’s glory (Colossians 1:10)
- Overcome the world by faith (1 John 5:4-5)
- Renew your mind with God’s truth (Romans 12:2)
- Forgive others as Christ forgave you (Colossians 3:13)
- Love and serve your spouse (Ephesians 5:25,33)
- Raise children in the discipline of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4)
Living by the power of the resurrected Christ is key to thriving in new life as Christians.
15 Exhortations for Churches on Living in New Life
The New Testament contains many exhortations for churches and believers on living in light of their new resurrected life. Here are 15 key appeals:
- Consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God (Romans 6:11)
- Clothe yourselves with Christ (Romans 13:14)
- Do not present your members to sin (Romans 6:13)
- Put off the old self, put on the new self (Ephesians 4:22-24)
- Walk by the Spirit to avoid sinful desires (Galatians 5:16)
- Let Christ’s peace rule in your hearts (Colossians 3:15)
- Set your minds on things above (Colossians 3:2)
- Put away falsehoods, speak truth (Ephesians 4:25)
- Be kind, tenderhearted, forgiving (Ephesians 4:32)
- Love one another earnestly (1 Peter 1:22)
- Strive for holiness without which no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14)
- Forgive others as Christ forgave you (Colossians 3:13)
- Bear fruit in keeping with repentance (Matthew 3:8)
- Be steadfast, immovable, abounding in the Lord’s work (1 Corinthians 15:58)
- Fight the good fight of faith, take hold of eternal life (1 Timothy 6:12)
We must strive together as local churches to walk in a manner worthy of our calling in Christ (Ephesians 4:1).
Conclusion
Being “dead in trespasses and sins” is a sobering reality of the human condition apart from Christ. By God’s grace, believers are made alive together with Christ and transferred from death to life. This new resurrected life radically changes our identity and status before God. It also necessitates that we walk in holiness and obedience by the power of the Spirit. Local churches have the privilege and duty to equip saints to thrive in the new life freely given by Jesus. As those resurrected from the dead, may we live fully unto Christ our King.