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).

My First Blog Article

Well, greetings kind readers. I wish to extend a warm welcome to you as you check out my brand new blog. Thanks so much for taking the time and effort to do so. I recognize how busy you are and how many other voices out there are vying for your attention. This is hopefully the start of something worthwhile for both you and me. Please know I am humbled and honored to have your initial interest. It is my heartfelt prayer that I will earn your ongoing subscription to my blog.

The concept of blogging is actually quite new to me, so I am pretty nervous about it to be completely honest with you! I have been thinking for some time now about what my unique contribution might be through this online platform or medium for sharing concepts and ideas. On a personal level, it is important to me that I remain true to myself in this novel and exciting endeavor. What would be the point of writing about things that hold little importance in my own life? That would certainly constitute a waste a time and energy. While there are many specific types of conversations I could initiate, there are no doubt certain topics that are more worthy of my attention and your consideration than others. So what are the types of things that I am truly passionate about?

My particular interests lie in areas of Christian living, pastoral theology, practical biblical studies, ministry concerns, pastoral care and counseling, and marriage and family issues. As a preacher, counseling professor, pastoral counselor, husband and father, my interest undoubtedly gravitates to certain related areas. By the way, I also have a great appreciation for the outdoors and especially hiking and camping, which is something I am blessed to do on a regular basis with a number of great male, Christian friends.

So rather than limiting myself in this blog to only one or two topical areas or fields, I want to allow myself the luxury of having sufficient latitude to draw from a variety of thematic interests. However, at the heart of my musings will generally be ideas connected in some tangible way to God's heart and to matters of Christian faith, ministry, and service. As someone who was raised on the mission field in South Africa and who has spent the majority of his adult life in fulltime ministry, I have a deeply ingrained pastoral identity. It is unquestionably a big part of who I am. I find great fulfillment in helping people discover spiritual meaning in their lives and develop (or hone) skills for better serving their fellow human beings in the name of Jesus Christ.

I hope you will find something of spiritual and practical value in my ongoing blog entries that resonates with your own areas of interest, passion, and personal concern. At the bare minimum, I recognize the need for my offerings to remain relevant to our collective contemporary experiences as we strive to live out our faith in a post-modern world, one that is antithetical to Christian values. It is my prayer that you will choose to join me on this great adventure as a fellow sojourner. I also look forward to receiving your honest feedback and personal insights along the way as we strive to sharpen one another.

Let's commit to grow together in knowledge, compassion, and faithful dedication to Christ. Thanks for joining me for this important dialogue. I look very forward to our future conversations together!

Ryan N. Fraser, Ph.D.

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