Ephesians 2:3
“All of us also lived among them at one time, fulfilling the cravings of our flesh and indulging its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature children of wrath.”
Our last entry in Ephesians focused on the sons of disobedience. Today's verse speaks of how we were them and lived among them. Jude 1:23 tells of how God snatched us out of the fire. Like zombies on a slow march toward destruction, we were in a lost state.
Today's verse speaks of what filled our thoughts, "fulfilling the cravings of our flesh and indulging its desires and thoughts". It almost seams like we were wild beasts pursuing prey. Jesus said, "whoever commits sin is the slave of sin", (John 8:34). We had no idea of this slavery and the cycle we were in.
Quite the contrary, we thought we were good. We were deceived and completely unaware. Romans 1:21 speaks of how we got there, "For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened." We didn't glorify God or fear Him. Therefore our thinking became warped.
God does it all. He keeps all the laws of nature working. Our next heartbeat is because of Him. He keeps our thoughts sharp. So, when we disrespect Him, we lose. If we don't recognize the truth about Him, it's as if we get some sort of dimensia that distorts us.
The end of today's verse says we were children of wrath. Wow. Like the troublemakers that our parents didn't want us to associate with, so we were bad. Their was a sword hanging above us by a thread. We were arrogant and lived in a risky manner. Proud of it, but unaware of our foolishness.
This passage says we were children of wrath. Meaning we weren't right with God and corrupting ourselves and others. We were living in a manner that was being punished and also heading towards judgement. The present punishment was referenced about the wrong thinking and poor judgement.
Our defenses put that out of our heads, so we could be happy, yet actually in a frightful state. His love would spare us repeatedly. He would enlighten us again, we would get scared and we would put it out of our minds once more. Back to our deluded state once more. Psalm 73:18, 19 speaks of the demise of the arrogant, "Surely You set them on slick ground; You cast them down into ruin. How suddenly they are laid waste, completely swept away by terrors!" In the big picture it happens in an instant.
Lord, thank You for Your mercy and patience. All of the chances you give. All of the times we mocked and turned away. You still patiently reached out. We were the children of wrath. You forgave seventy times seven to eventually save us. Thank You.