Ephesians

04
Jul
2026

What Baptism Has to Do with Ephesians 2:5-7

Baptism

Paul opened Ephesians 2 with a grim picture. We were dead. Not spiritual zombies who could not respond to God, but people walking a road that ended in judgment and death. We followed the flesh. Not a sinful physical body, and not an inherited corrupt nature, but a capacity for sin that every person carries and acts on by choice. We were “by nature children of wrath.” Not because we inherited guilt at birth, and not because we inherited a corrupt or sinful nature, but because a life spent chasing selfish desire naturally leads to wrath.

Then Paul writes two of the most important words in the whole letter: “But God” (v. 4). Mercy steps into our story and changes where it was headed. Verses 5 through 7 show us how.

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Posted by Eddie Lawrence in Baptism, Ephesians
07
Mar
2026

Are We Born Sinners or Do We Become Sinners? What ‘By Nature’ Really Means in Ephesians 2:3

By Nature

Most people reading Ephesians 2:3 don’t slow down at the phrase “by nature.” They don’t need to because it seems obvious enough.

We are, the thinking goes, born corrupt and sinful. It’s in our DNA, inherited from Adam, baked into us before we take our first breath. The phrase “by nature children of wrath” gets read as Paul’s confirmation of what Augustine called original sin: a corrupted human nature passed down through the generations like a genetic defect.

There’s just one problem. That’s not what Paul meant.

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Posted by Eddie Lawrence in Calvinism, Ephesians
06
Dec
2025

What Paul Really Means by “The Flesh”

When you hear the New Testament speak of “the flesh,” what comes to mind?

All of us also lived among them at one time, fulfilling the cravings of our flesh and indulging its desires and thoughts… (Eph. 2:3 BEREAN)1

For many Christians, we might conclude it refers to our physical bodies. We think Paul is warning us against physical desires and bodily appetites. We assume the path to holiness means suppressing our physical nature. As it turns out, that’s not what Paul means at all! Because of our assumptions about what the flesh is, many of us may be fighting the wrong enemy.

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Posted by Eddie Lawrence in Ephesians
29
Nov
2025

Spiritual Zombies? What Calvinism Gets Wrong in Ephesians 2:1

Zombies

Paul opens Ephesians 2 with a strong statement: “You were dead in your trespasses and sins.” Some readers jump straight to the idea of “spiritual death” (an unbiblical concept I explore in another article). Calvinists build an entire doctrine of total inability on this verse. By “total inability,” they mean that people are so corrupted by sin that they cannot believe in God, repent, or respond to the gospel unless God first gives them new spiritual life. So, they are totally unable to choose to follow God on their own; God must first give them the ability to turn to Him. 

Yet Paul was not talking about spiritual zombies who cannot respond to God. He was doing something far more grounded in the language and imagery of his world. Let’s slow down and follow Paul’s flow of thought.

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Posted by Eddie Lawrence in Calvinism, Ephesians, Original Sin
16
Nov
2025

87% of Christians Are Living Like Atheists (And It’s Making Them Miserable)

hope

My recent blog posts (here and here) highlighted George Barna’s research showing only 13% of born-again believers possess a fully biblical worldview. This presents a church in crisis. When only a fraction of born-again believers view the world through the Bible’s lens, we have a major problem. 

The survey data from 2023-2025 revealed that the number of Americans who experience anxiety, depression, and fear is on the rise. Federal government agencies state that 23% of American adults suffer from some sort of mental health problem. Barna’s research suggests that “individuals who lack a biblical worldview are more likely to struggle with these common mental health issues.”2 He concludes that some people (not all) receive a mental illness diagnosis when they actually suffer from lacking the assuredness a biblical identity and purpose provide.

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Posted by Eddie Lawrence in Biblical Worldview, Ephesians