Things are often not what they seem. Get-rich-quick schemes are usually scams. A firefly is a beetle, not a fly. A prairie dog is a rodent, not a dog. India ink comes from Egypt and China. A peanut is a legume, not a nut. A koala bear is a marsupial, not a bear.2
The principle has a spiritual application. Many people are breathing, but not alive. Let me clarify. They are physically alive but spiritually dead.
Their outward appearance usually does not reveal whether they are dead or alive. But their values and behavior do. The Apostle Paul wrote, “But the widow who lives only for pleasure is spiritually dead even while she lives” (1 Timothy 5:6 NLT).
The Greek verb he used “conveys the idea of living in excessive luxury or indulgence, often with a connotation of moral laxity or self-indulgence. It implies a lifestyle characterized by excess and a lack of restraint, particularly in the context of wealth and pleasure.”1 That succinctly describes how spiritually dead people spend their earthly lives.
This spiritually dead but physically alive scenario began in the Garden of Eden. Eve told the serpent that God had said that she and Adam could not eat from the tree in the middle of the garden, or they would die (Genesis 3:3).
They disobeyed, ate from it, and died spiritually immediately, and physically many years later. The spiritually dead spend their lives bobbing for the apples of pleasure, possessions, and pride that never satisfy them (1 John 2:16).
They live for themselves, not for Jesus who died for them so they would live for Him (2 Corinthians 5:15). Their pursuit of worldly values is the spiritual DNA test that definitively demonstrates their deadness.
The Apostle Paul describes this spiritual deadness in Ephesians 2:1–5 NLT. “Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead.”
I received a message on Facebook from a man asking for money. I told him my website provides free spiritual resources for Christians. That is my ministry. He was mad that I didn’t send him money and told me he didn’t need what I offered. I was tempted to reply that he might not want it, but he needs it. I didn’t.
If we were put on trial for being Jesus’ followers, would there be enough evidence to convict us? If Paul secretly watched us for a month, would he pronounce us alive or dead? See additional free spiritual growth resources for Christians. #discipleshipresources #evangelismresources #christianleadershipresources
See free spiritual growth resources for Christians at https://www.christiangrowthresources.com.
God has empowered me to write “His Power for Your Weakness—260 Steps Toward Spiritual Strength.” It’s a free evangelistic, devotional, and discipleship eBook. Pastors have used it in Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia to lead more than 3,150 people to Christ and teach the basics of Christianity to 8,661 people. I invite you to check it out.
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