Being 'quickened' means God has made spiritually dead sinners alive together with Christ by His grace.
To be quickened is to be made alive. Les Feldick teaches that believers were dead in trespasses and sins, born spiritually dead under Adam, and God—because of His mercy—made them alive together with Christ. This is God's work, not a human achievement; it happens by grace through faith.
Ephesians 2:1 — This verse directly answers the question: God quickened (made alive) those who were dead in trespasses and sins.
Ephesians 2:5 — It repeats the truth that even when dead in sins, believers were quickened together with Christ by grace.
Ephesians 2:1 addresses believers directly: "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins." Verse 5 repeats the point: "Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)" This shows that being quickened is God's action toward those who were dead in sin. 1 Corinthians 15:45 speaks of Christ as "the last Adam" who is "a quickening spirit," using the same language of life-giving. Ephesians 2:3 explains the prior state: people were "by nature the children of wrath, even as others." Ephesians 2:8-9 makes clear the rescue is by grace through faith: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."
Les Feldick teaches that "quickened" simply means "made alive." In Ephesians 2, Paul writes to believers in the past tense: "you hath he quickened"—they were already made alive at some point in the past. The reason is that everyone is born spiritually dead because Adam, as the federal head of the human race, plunged the whole race into that condition. A spiritually dead person can do nothing: "how much faith can a dead man have? None. How much can a dead man do spiritually? Nothing." Les says, "We were under old Adam. And we couldn't help ourselves." God broke the power of old Adam by crucifying him and reckoning him dead, and then He "quickens us with resurrection power." The contrast in Ephesians 2:4—"But God"—is the flip side: God, not the sinner, acts in mercy. Les emphasizes that salvation cannot be by anything man can do; it has been accomplished by Christ's work on the cross, so God remains just in justifying those who believe. Quickening is by grace through faith, not by works.
God had to make us alive because we were dead in trespasses and sins. Les Feldick explains that everyone is born spiritually dead because Adam, as the federal head of the human race, plunged all of us into that state. A dead person cannot help himself or respond spiritually; as Les asks, "How much faith can a dead man have? None."
Les teaches that God did not leave believers in the tomb any more than He left Christ in the tomb. Because Christ was raised, God also quickens believers—He makes them alive with resurrection power. This is not merely a change of behavior; it is a resurrection to new life together with Christ.
No. Les Feldick stresses that salvation can be by nothing man can do; all was accomplished by Christ's work on the cross. The Scriptures say, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." Quickening is God's gracious work, not a reward for human effort.
God's work of the cross and His justice
Les stresses that salvation can be by nothing man can do; all was accomplished by Christ's work on the cross, and God remains just in justifying believers.
Crucified with Christ, quickened with resurrection power
Les explains that God crucified old Adam, reckoned us dead, and then quickened us—made us alive—with resurrection power, just as Christ was raised.
Quickening means life-giving
Les defines quickening as life-giving and ties it to 1 Corinthians 15:45's 'last Adam... a quickening spirit' and Ephesians 2:1.
Past tense experience; dead men can't act
Les notes Paul writes to believers as those already made alive in the past, and says dead people can do nothing spiritually.
Why we had to be made alive
Les asks why God had to make us alive, moving into Ephesians 2:1 and explaining the need for quickening.
Quickened together with Christ by grace
Les quotes Ephesians 2:5 and shows that Adam's headship left every child spiritually dead, making the new life God's gracious work.
But God—the flip side
Les highlights Ephesians 2:4's 'But God' as the turn from man's hopeless state to God's mercy, and stresses by grace through faith, not works.
Born spiritually dead through Adam
Les says every person is born spiritually dead because Adam as federal head of the human race plunged us into that state.
Ephesians 2:1: And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
This verse directly states that believers have been quickened after being dead in sin.
Ephesians 2:3: 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.
This verse describes the prior condition of those who were dead in sin.
Ephesians 2:5: Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
This verse repeats the key truth that God quickened us together with Christ while we were still dead in sins.
Ephesians 2:8-9: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
These verses show that salvation and quickening are by grace through faith, not by works.
1 Corinthians 15:45: And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
This verse describes Christ as the last Adam who is a quickening, or life-giving, spirit.
Quickened means made alive. Les Feldick points to Ephesians 2:1 and 1 Corinthians 15:45 to show that quickening is God's life-giving action toward those who were dead in sin.
Believers had to be quickened because they were dead in trespasses and sins. Every person is born spiritually dead through Adam, and a dead person cannot act or believe spiritually.
No. Les stresses that salvation cannot be by anything man can do; it was accomplished by Christ's work on the cross. It is by grace through faith, not by works, as Ephesians 2:8-9 says.
Watch the Teaching: Why Grace Always Wins Over Sin — Romans 5:15-20 Explained