[American Constitutionalist]

" Of course I don't think that. I used Ephesians 2:3 to show that God expects a response, a change in our behavior, in response to his spirit. "

Dead men don't talk or walk.

Ephesians 2

1. And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

A spiritually dead man or soul can not modify his behavior because in God's eyes he is already dead.

Isn't that what the holy spirit is saying here ?

And you hath he quickened ( that means ? made alive ) who were dead ( dead ? means ? dead ) in trespasses and sins.
Who also ? walked according to the ways and course of this world, i.e. the fallen human nature.

Total depravity.
And left to them selves ? would have been ?
by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

BUT GOD !

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.

It doesn't say anything about keeping the law or good works that brought us to God in Christ.... doesn't it ?

It says, But GOD ! who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
EVEN WHEN WE WERE DEAD IN SINS ( rotten, nasty, sinners, law breakers, going to the course of this world ) hath he quickened us together with Christ... he made us alive in Christ and reconciled back to God in Christ.

[DouglasKC]

It doesn't say anything about keeping the law or good works that brought us to God in Christ.... doesn't it ?

Not brought us there...but once there God does change us and that change is to turn from being disobedient to God to becoming obedient to God:

Eph 2:2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,

Paul is talking to Christians. He says they ONCE walkded according to the power of Satan. Satan influenced them and directed and guided their thoughts and energy.

Eph 2:3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

They once walked and conducted themselves as above. All of that is lawbreaking...the laws of God. Lust of the flesh and of the mind, wrath, etc. More are listed here:

1 Cr 6:9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites,
1Cr 6:10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
1Cr 6:11And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

Their lives, our lives, are brought into line with God's law because the spirit of God, our Lord Christ, lives through us as much as we let him. Christ will not lust, rob or kill so when our lives fit that pattern in though, action and spirit he has dominion in our lives.