THE WALKING DEAD
Many people today have fascination with the TV series called The Walking Dead. This article is not about the fictional TV series, or about the Hollywood movie “Zombie” types or ghoulish portrayals. This is about the real issue of the walking dead as revealed in the Bible. Actually the Bible refers to two types of “walking dead” and this article will deal with both. Since we are using the Bible as our basis of discussion it is obvious that we are speaking about a spiritual condition of the “walking dead”.
First we need to define “dead”; then we compare it with “life”. Being “dead” according to the dictionary means being without life; life having been expired. Actually there are two kinds of being dead. The kind we are most familiar with is physical death, as when the body dies.
James 2:26 - For as the body without the spirit is dead,…..
The Bible lets us know that there is also a spiritual death and this is what we are dealing with in this article. Physical death is when the soul and spirit are separated from the physical body. Spiritual death is when the soul and spirit are separated from God who is the life force and life source. This is also known as the second death for those who experience it for not accepting the life that God offers us.
Revelation 20:13-14 – they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Now consider what “life” is. Actually from the Bible we see there are three types of life according to the New Testament Greek translation and every person is born with type 1 and type 2; type 3 is acquired by a personal choice, thus not all people have the third form of life.
- Bios – which in simple terms refers to a biological organism having the ability to ambulate (move on its own), assimilate (to absorb food for energy and growth), and to evacuate waste and to reproduce.
- Psuche – which in simple human terms refers to individual identification that makes one person different from another. It can be called the soulish life and speaks of a person’s personality or individual persona.
- Zoe – this life is eternal, immortal and spiritual; it is life as God has it and gives to those who choose to accept what God has provided to redeem that lost form of life. It is not in those naturally born thus it is called the “born again” experience.
John 3:5-7 – 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. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
John 3:16 – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (zoe).
John 10:10 – The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life (zoe), and that they might have it more abundantly.
The thief, referring to Satan (the devil), is the destroyer of life and Jesus Christ is the restorer of life. This is very important to remember since Jesus is the only source of the Zoe life.
Now we can consider the first form of the “walking dead” as referred to in the Bible. This tells us that every person born of mankind has the bios and psuche form of life but is missing the zoe form of life. Therefore all of us are born without the God type of life. This means we are spiritually dead even though we are physically alive. We are the walking dead because we lack the spiritual life that God has! That life was lost in the Garden in Eden over six thousand years ago according to Genesis Chapter 3, when the first human being sinned against God.
Jesus came to restore that lost form of life as it is God’s desire that we not be spiritually dead but to be spiritually alive through Jesus Christ. It requires the zoe form of life in order to have fellowship with God and Christ. Scripture tells us that sin results in death, and a life of sin has doomed all of mankind to be the walking dead.
Jesus came that all of mankind might have life and be freed from the curse of death as a result of sin. Therefore, sinners are the WALKING DEAD!
Ephesians 2:1-5 – And you hath he quickened (made alive), who were dead in trespasses and sins; (from The Passion Translation - even though you were once like corpses, dead in your sins and offenses), 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: 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. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us (made us spiritually alive) together with Christ,
1 Timothy 5:6 – But she that liveth in (fleshly sinful) pleasure is dead while she liveth.
John 11:25 – Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life (zoe): he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.
Now about the other WALKING DEAD – it is those who are dead to sin but alive in Christ. These are those who have believed that Jesus Christ died for their sins and has forgiven them and now have the zoe life in them. They are now the walking dead to this world and dead to sin. They are walking in real and true life that God has purposed for all mankind.
Romans 6:11 & 13 – Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
Galatians 2:20 – I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Colossians 2:13 – And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
Colossians 3:1-3 – If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead (to sin), and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Are you among the walking dead IN sin or among the walking dead TO sin? The difference is the ZOE life of Christ in you! Once you have accepted that new zoe life of Jesus it is incumbent on you to nourish and grow in that life by becoming more and more intimate with the Lord Jesus Christ. This is done by knowing the Word of God (Bible) and spending time with the Lord in prayer. By doing this you continue to distance yourself from the sins of this world and the desires and lusts of the flesh. This is the process of growing up in spiritual maturity. Becoming more and more Christ-like in the way you live. This is pleasing to God the Father and has great reward when we get to be with Him for all eternity.
The future for those without the zoe life and who are the walking dead in sin is horrible:
Revelation 20:12-15 – And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
God in His love has made provision so that no one should experience the second death. But too many choose not to believe and accept what God has provided – they are the true WALKING DEAD!
John 14:6 – Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life (zoe): no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
