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There has long been a fascination with the idea of zombies, or the living dead. And you may wonder, “Where on earth is he going with this? What’s it got to do with Christianity?” But stay with me here. There is indeed a point to this topic, and the relevance will become clear shortly, I promise. The premise I’m about to lay out is complete conjecture on my part, so don’t go claiming that I said it was biblical fact. This will all make sense in a bit. Let’s start at the beginning…
In Genesis chapter one, we read of how God created everything. Genesis two gives a bit more detail of the Garden of Eden and the creation of man and woman. Verse 9 says:
And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Keep in mind, there are two specific trees mentioned here. It states that in the midst of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. We all know the story, of course. God told Adam and Eve they could eat fruit from of any of the trees in the garden EXCEPT that of the tree of knowledge. But they let the serpent deceive them into eating from it anyway, thus they disobeyed God and sin enter the world. Sin wrecked everything, and so God kicked them out of the garden, cutting off their access to all the blessings it had to offer. Genesis 3:22-24 says:
Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.
Have you ever pondered this: Why was God so adamant that Adam and Eve be cut off from the Tree of Life? The Bible tells us that “Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.” Our fleshly bodies are corruptible and perishable. So, is it possible then – and this is my own whacky theory – what if our physical existence – though corrupted by sin – had access to immortality? Might it still age and grow feeble due to the curse of sin, and yet, never die? Eventually, that existence would be horrific.
Imagine your natural body getting old, diseased, or irreparably damaged in an accident – but without the ability to die. At some point, dying would be preferable, but you can’t. Your body would decay and become an awful thing to behold, but continue to live in that horrifying existence. Though still alive, you would be as the living dead. Not a very pleasant thought, huh?
This was not God’s plan for you. It wasn’t His plan for mankind, and humans – corrupted by sin – were prevented from gaining access to the Tree of Life. His plan for us to live eternally would come to fruition through the Resurrection of Christ. In order to regain access to immortality, we must be redeemed through the blood of Jesus. God’s Word tells us plainly in Hebrews 9:22 that:
…without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
According to 1st Corinthians 15:54, the perishable must put on imperishable, and mortality must put on immortality. And this is only accomplished through Christ. In this way, we can live forever as God intended, with perfect and glorified bodies that will not only never die but never grow old or decay or get sick or suffer in any way. I gotta tell ya – I, for one, am looking forward to having no more aches and pains.
There is another way, however, that we become like the living dead. It’s not enough to know the truth of the Resurrection, but it should also change how we behave. That knowledge should compel us share it with other people! If we’re not doing this, not fulfilling the Great Commission as we’re instructed, then we’re not bearing fruit. If we aren’t producing any fruit and growing the kingdom of God, then we are as good as dead. If we are simply going through the motions and not actually living out our faith, we are like zombies – like the living dead – wandering aimlessly and without direction.
But we have been given direction! God has provided clear instructions for how we should live, and He gave us the example of the life of Christ. We should model our lives after His, loving our fellow man as He did – sacrificially and unconditionally. That’s not easy for us because our flesh has been corrupted by sin, but we are not merely beings of flesh – but also of spirit.
God breathed life into us, His own Spirit, so our spirits were once a part of Him. Our spirits long to be reunited with Him, and if we allow the spirit to overcome the flesh, we will become more like Jesus. Living a loving life like Christ is our calling, and in doing so, we will one day be rejoined with God the Father in Heaven. And THAT, my friends, is an amazing thought!
So, which is more preferable? To become as the living dead? Or to live by the example of Jesus and claim His Resurrection power, becoming alive in Christ? And we need to share this with everyone – that the choice is theirs to make. Forever damned, or forever glorified. An eternity of misery, or everlasting joy. Damnation, or salvation. And yes, now is a great time to choose. It’s the best time. And not choosing is actually not an option – that’s a default choice in itself to reject Jesus.
Sin is the curse that will corrupt your life if you let it. Sin wrecked all of mankind, so God made a way – through Jesus – to make all things new and to redeem us. But again, we’re all born into corrupted flesh – into sin itself. So our default destination is hell – an eternity of damnation, separated from God. He doesn’t send people to hell, but they choose it by rejecting His Son. We must intentionally CHOOSE to accept the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, believing on Him, and professing Him as Lord of our lives. Then, we’re saved.
How about you, my Christian friends? Are you bearing fruit? Are you witnessing? How often do you talk to nonbelievers about Jesus? Do you share the joys of what He has done for you? Are you telling others about the Good News of Christ? Let me encourage you – don’t be like the living dead. But instead, live daily in the resurrected life of Jesus! And let your light so shine among all those around you.
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presented by Great Commission Ministries 