I recall hearing my late Granddad describe something or someone as being “deader ‘n four o’clock.” When I asked him what that meant, he pointed out that the deadest time of the day was four o’clock in the morning.
It’s before dawn. Midnight is long past and few people are up. If you’re up then in the summer, you might hear birds singing. But otherwise it’s truly the dead of the night.
Four o’clock in the afternoon is quiet, too, at least in nature. Of course, you wouldn’t notice if you’re stuck in rush hour traffic.
When it comes to a Christian’s state before receiving Christ, he or she was “deader ‘n four o’clock.” Scripture says each of us was dead in our sins.
Dead…Without life.
No chance some divine spark of free will would cause us to choose Christ. Our salvation and spiritual life is all of the Lord Himself.
Why?
Because it glorifies God to do it that way.
Mysterious, yes, but true.
Consider two Scripture passages.
Ephesians 2:1-7 – 1. And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
2. Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
3. Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
4. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5. Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
6. And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7. That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
John 3:5-8 – 5. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.