The Walking Dead - Are you among them?

The walking dead I am speaking of, identify and blend in with Christians.  They look, speak and sound just like true Christians.  However they are still dead in their trespasses and sins.

Ephesians 2:1-10 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience -- 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of  mankind.  4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ -- by grace you have been saved -- 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith.  9 And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.  10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (English Standard Version)

There are some things from this passage of scripture that should be noted.  First, in verses 4 and 5, we find that God had mercy on us due to His great love, and that it was God that made us alive together with Christ.  Second, God saved us by His grace also in verse 5.  Third, in verse 6, God raised us up, seated us in heavenly places with Christ Jesus. Fourth, our salvation was a gift from God.  Fifth in verse 10, we are God's workmanship created for God's good works that He prepared.  If you are paying attention you will realize that the truly saved were saved because of God, not because of their own initiative.  Even the faith to be saved came from God as stated in verse 9.  The only action which involves us is whether we will actually walk in the good works that God has already prepared.  The parable of the talents found in Matthew 25:14-30 covers the issue of those good works.

To understand the salvation that the walking dead have we need to go back to the parable of the Sower and the Seed.

Matthew 13:3-9 - . . . A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears let him hear." (ESV)

Jesus then explains the parable to his disciples.

Matthew 13:18-23 Hear then the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart.  This is what was sown along the path. 20 As for what was sown on the rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the  word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it.  He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty." (ESV)

We have four types of ground or people in this parable and four reactions to the same stimulus - the word of God or the seed as it is referred to in this parable.  The wayside or path as it is referred to in the ESV is the place of no understanding.  According to Jesus the seed was actually sown into the heart of those on the wayside but they were unable to understand.  Why?  The footnote in my bible states that they had already rejected Jesus and therefore their minds were not divinely enlightened to understand the word.  This goes back to Romans.

Romans 1:19-20 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.  So they are without excuse.  (ESV) 

I doubt you will find the people who heard the seed on the path in church.  There God is either themselves, or an unknown, unnamed higher power.  They may believe there is no God or they may believe everything and everyone is God.  I imagine it is a mixed bag on the wayside.  But the seed has been snatched away. 

Next is the rocky ground.  Jesus actually shares some additional insight on the rocky ground in his explanation.  Those who have rocky ground received the word with joy of all things.  The footnote on this verse indicates that these are those who profess faith but do not possess Christ.  Their "belief" is merely an intellectual assent rather than the exercise of true faith in Jesus Christ, which transforms a person's life (this footnote is found in the Luke 8:13 rendition of this parable in the ESV Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible).  The rocky ground may be those who think to themselves, "well I don't want to go to Hell, so I will be a Christian."  Or those who look around and say, "I want to be in this group of people, they are nice and I can make some social and business connections."  They become Christian more for what they perceive to be the advantages of being a Christian are.  When the reality of what it truly means to be a Christian hits - well they're done.

Third, is the thorny ground.  The thorny ground are the truly walking dead.  If you notice Jesus doesn't say they "fall away," He says they prove unfruitful.  The cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches is their undoing.  But what do they look like?  They look like true Christians!  They can be the pastor, the Sunday school teacher, on the deacon board, the greeter at the door, the helper at the altar, in the band, in the choir!  Their motivation though is no longer the truth of God's Word but their own needs.  These fall into the pursuit of meeting those needs to the exclusion of what is true and needful.

Look around, Christianity is big business.  People are raking in huge sums of money in various Christian endeavors.  Look in your heart!  What is your goal as a Christian?  Is it to know Christ and Him crucified, to understand His Word and to grow in grace and knowledge towards your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?  Or is it to be seen practicing your religion, trying to start a ministry so you can make a name and maybe some money along the way for yourself.  Is God's Word the harness and reigns of you life, directing you in the way you should go?  Do you measure what you hear through God's Word to see if it is true and lines up with the parameters God has laid down for us?  When someone points out error in books you read, ministers you follow, churches you attend - do you get mad or defensive? or do you say, "I need to see if what they are saying is true," and then do your due diligence to see if it lines up with God's Word?  Then are you willing to disconnect from those things?  The way you answer those questions may indicate that you are an unfruitful seed sown among thorns.  Quick!  Transplant yourself into some good ground that has been tilled with the truth of God's Word that two-edged sword!

The fourth and final ground is the good ground.  It's what we all think we have.  Unfortunately, God's word tell us "Narrow is the way and few there are that find it" (Matthew 7:14),  Jesus instructed us to pray that we be found worthy to escape (Luke 21:36).  The seed was sown in four different places but only one place was good ground.  Ten virgins responded to the call to go out and meet the bridegroom but only half went into the wedding feast.  If the wise represent good ground and the foolish represent thorny ground then we see the percentages keep going down. 

I Timothy 4:1-5 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons 2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, 3 who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.  For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.

 The great departure from the faith is in full swing.  Millions of Christians are participating by clinging to devotionals dictated/channeled from demons such as "Jesus Calling" and "God Calling."  They are caught up in contemplative prayer and walking labyrinths which are both pagan in origin.  Others are caught up in the feel good prosperity gospel and listen to vacuous sermons on how to have a better life and how to get rich.  That is a lot of thorny ground!

I hope you aren't among the walking dead!  It's time to check your pulse at God's Word and see if your heart is beating in tune with His.