Monday, March 11, 2013

Zombiefied Christians

Have you watched any of the recent shows on TV surrounding the rivetting, freakishly bizarre theme of a zombie apocalypse? One thing for sure, it is all-the-latest craze and shows like "The Walking Dead" are raking in the big bucks.

So, how about them zombies? Well, I believe they exist for real, probably somewhere in an abandoned warehouse close to where you live, and they're coming after you soon! (Okay ... just kidding!) But, now that I've got your attention, what analogies may we draw from zombies as compared to many Christians?

First of all, zombies are basically dead people whose bodies are still somehow animated, and they apparently have a voracious appetite for living flesh. Within the ranks of Christianity there are those "believers" who are spiritually dead though physically alive, as they persist in their sinful lifestyles and live in something of a zombiefied state. Sadly enough, they don't even seem to be aware of their tragic and deplorable spiritual condition. Moreover, they have a tendency to prey on other believers (figuratively that is) with an insatiable appetite of carnality and materialism, thus pulling unsuspecting others into their same zombie-like state.

The apostle Paul poses a startling rhetorical question and quickly answers it in Romans 6:1-2 (ESV), "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?" Faithful Christians cannot continue to live unrepentant, immoral lifestyle, as they did before baptism which ushered them into "newness of life" (vv. 3-4). To dwell in sin is to be analogous to the walking dead, only more troublesome and tragic. You see -- it means to forfeit eternal life! Unconfessed and rebellious sin has the effect of sucking the spiritual life right out of us and rendering us dead in our trespasses.

Second, in light of sin's deadly wages, we are completely reliant upon God's grace for salvation. Romans 6:23 (ESV) says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." However, the benefits of this grace are contingent upon a faithful and obedient response to the gospel of Christ. It is a gift that must be received in humble faith and obedience for it to be efficacious in accomplishing its intended purpose of salvation.

Third, in contrast to zombiefied Christians, Paul pleads with us in Romans 6:11-13 (ESV), "So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to live, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness." We have been given a new law (v. 14), the law of Christ, which is to be inscribed upon the tablets of our pliable hearts.

Fourth, even though the world tries to infect us with its deathly disease of sin and essentially transform us into spiritless zombies, we are revivified by the gift of the Holy Spirit which God freely gives to those who willingly surrender their lives to His perfect will (Acts 2:38). We can take great comfort and find hope in Paul's words (Romans 8:10, ESV) that exclaim, "But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness." Furthermore, Ephesians 2:4-5 (ESV) states, "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ -- by grace you have been saved." Wow -- what a great blessing that is!

If I boil all this down: My intent is to warn us all (myself included) against turning into a zombiefied, heartless, and spiritually hollow Christian. Instead, we are called in Scripture to be alive to God and His righteousness and be dead to the deadly secularism and worldliness that surrounds us. So, get ready for the zombie apocalypse and be ready to fight back . . . for your soul's sake and for the spiritual security of those you love!

Note: This article originally appeared on my former blogsite (www.ryanfraser.org).

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