Five Eternal Gifts from God - Grace 8
The result of fallen mans bondage to the world, the devil and the flesh is he/she is an object of God’s wrath and judgment. Paul indicates this in Ephesians 2:3 saying, “And were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” (Ephesians 2:3, ESV)
By nature means the sum of our innate properties and powers by which one person differs from others. It is our distinctive and native peculiarities along with our natural characteristics or attributes. It refers to the natural strength, ferocity, and intractability of beast-like creatures.
The word “children” means we were the offspring of God’s wrath. God’s wrath refers to anger exhibited in punishment and for the punishment itself. It is punishment inflicted by a magistrate or judge. All sinners are guilty before God. All of fallen mankind is in this condition. It is the condition of being a sinner dead in one’s trespasses and sins.
This is what Paul also writes in Romans 5:9-11. “Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” (Romans 5:9-11, ESV)
Colossians 1:19-22 says, “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,(Colossians 1:19-22, ESV)
Peter explains it this way in 2 Peter 2:1-3. “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.” (2 Peter 2:1-3, ESV).
What hope is there for anyone in this fallen condition? What hope is there for you and me?