Dead to God — Until Christ Makes Us Alive
1. Outside of Regeneration, All Humanity Is Spiritually Dead
Ephesians 2:1–5 (NIV)
“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins… But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.”
The Message
“You let the world tell you how to live… We all did it, all of us, doing what we felt like doing when we felt like doing it… Immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ.”
Outside of Christ, the human soul isn’t just weak or misguided — it is dead. No pulse, no perception, no spiritual life.
When God saves us, He doesn’t improve us — He resurrects us. He brings us from death to life first and only then gives us the ability to express faith. Faith isn’t the cause of new birth; it’s the fruit of it. We believe because He first made us alive.
2. The Only Mediator — The Work of Christ Opens Heaven’s Ear
1 Timothy 2:5 (NIV)
“For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.”
John 14:6 (NIV)
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Every human attempt to reach God apart from the cross fails because only the sacrificial work of Christ satisfies divine justice.
Godliness is only attainable through the sacrificial work of Christ and its acceptance. Anything else — however moral, devout, or impressive — is simply self-righteousness, which God Himself defines as “filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6).
The cross is not one path among many; it is the only bridge that spans the great divide between sinful man and a holy God.
3. Why Religious Devotion Without Christ Fails
It doesn’t matter whether one is Buddhist, Muslim, Roman Catholic, Mormon, Christadelphian, Seventh-Day Adventist, Jehovah’s Witness, or Humanist — if the finished work of Christ has not been accepted by faith, there is no regeneration, and therefore no access to the Father.
That isn’t bigotry; it’s biblical reality.
John 9:31 (NIV)
“We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will.”
Proverbs 15:29 (NIV)
“The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.”
Isaiah 59:1–2 (NIV)
“Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you so that he will not hear.”
Before regeneration, man prays to God — but is never responded to. He may cry, chant, meditate, or recite sacred words, but the heavens remain closed, because there is no covenant relationship, no mediator, and no righteousness credited to his account.
4. The Gospel — God’s Power That Opens the Ears of the Dead
Romans 1:16 (NIV)
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.”
The Message
“It’s news I’m most proud to proclaim—this extraordinary Message of God’s powerful plan to rescue everyone who trusts him.”
The Gospel doesn’t offer advice — it delivers resurrection power. It doesn’t improve people; it transforms them from death to life.
When the Gospel is proclaimed, the same power that raised Jesus from the tomb awakens the sinner’s heart. The spiritually deaf hear. The blind see. The dead live.
Faith is the evidence that resurrection has already taken place. The Gospel is God’s megaphone to the graveyard of humanity — and those who hear live again.
5. God’s Silence Before the Cross — and His Voice After It
It’s not that God is unaware of human prayers; He is omniscient. But He does not listen in covenantal mercy to anyone outside Christ.
Before the cross, heaven is silent. After the cross, heaven responds with grace.
Hebrews 10:19–22 (NIV)
“Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus… let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings.”
Only through the shed blood of Jesus can we enter the presence of God and be heard. Before regeneration, man speaks into the void; after regeneration, he speaks as a son to his Father.
6. The Hard Truth About World Religions
Modern culture calls this view intolerant; Scripture calls it truth. Every religion tries to reach up — but the Gospel alone declares that God reached down.
- Buddhism seeks enlightenment through human discipline.
- Islam seeks approval through submission and law.
- Roman Catholicism often adds human merit and sacrament to grace.
- Mormonism, Christadelphianism, Seventh-Day Adventism, and Jehovah’s Witnesses alter or reduce the person and divinity of Christ.
- Humanism removes God entirely and enthrones man as his own saviour.
Acts 4:12 (NIV)
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
There is no second mediator, no alternative gospel, and no acceptable substitute. Christ alone saves, because only Christ rose from the dead.
7. Born Again — The Door to Divine Dialogue
Romans 8:15 (NIV)
“The Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’”
Romans 8:26–27 (NIV)
“The Spirit helps us in our weakness… the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans… because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.”
The moment a soul is born again, everything changes. The Spirit of God takes up residence, the heart is made alive, and heaven’s silence breaks into conversation.
Before regeneration, man prays to God but hears nothing back. After regeneration, he prays with God — the Spirit Himself intercedes, aligning our words with heaven’s will.
8. The Call to Contemplate This Reality
If billions of people are praying and yet heaven remains silent, this truth should break our hearts, not inflate our pride. We must see evangelism not as argument but as rescue — proclaiming the only Name that can open deaf ears and raise dead hearts.
John 5:25 (NIV)
“A time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.”
The Gospel alone carries resurrection power. It’s not a philosophy; it’s a divine defibrillator that shocks the heart of humanity back to life.
9. Final Reflection
Outside Christ, prayer is a cry into silence. Inside Christ, it’s a conversation with the Father.
There’s no righteousness apart from Him, no hearing outside His blood, and no godliness without His Spirit. Religion reaches — but the Gospel resurrects.
A Personal Appeal:
If you’ve read these words and something within you feels stirred — that quiet sense that God might be speaking to you — don’t ignore it. The truth you’ve just read isn’t merely information; it’s an invitation. Jesus Christ didn’t come to start another religion. He came to bridge the impossible gap between a holy God and sinful humanity — to make a way for you to be known, forgiven, and heard by your Creator.
Perhaps you’ve prayed many times before, yet always wondered why heaven seemed silent. The Bible tells us that God longs to hear us, but it is only through Jesus Christ — His death, His resurrection, and our acceptance of Him — that the line of communication is opened. The moment you surrender your heart to Him, everything changes. You’re not turning to a system, but to a Saviour who loves you and gave Himself for you.
If you sense that longing in your spirit, take a moment right now — right where you are — and speak to Him from your heart. You can pray something as simple as this:
“Lord Jesus, I recognise that without You I am spiritually dead. I believe You died for my sins and rose again to give me new life. I turn from everything that has kept me from You and ask You to forgive me, cleanse me, and fill me with Your Spirit. Make me alive in You today, and teach me to walk as Your child.”
If you’ve prayed those words or if you’d like to know more about what it means to be born again and walk with God, we would love to hear from you. Please use the comments section below to reach out — or simply let us know that you’ve decided to follow Jesus. We will gladly respond, pray for you, and help guide you into the next steps of your journey of faith.
Remember, the same God who raised Christ from the dead can raise your heart from silence to song. His arms are open — and His invitation is for you.
Benediction:
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you now and always. Amen.