Prisoners use the term “dead man walking” when referring to inmates on the death row. Even though they are physically alive, their sentence is death. It could be argued that most of the people on the face of the earth are spiritually dead, even though they are physically walking. Generally speaking, this fact grieves each of us, since we would hope and pray that they would repent and turn their lives over to Jesus. An even more troubling thought, however, is that there could well be countless people who profess to be Christians who are spiritually dead men (and women and children) walking. Rev. Ed Wallen, President of Think Scripturally, a Christ-centered ministry of Bible Study Foundation, presents “Three Marks of the Walking Dead.” He encourages us to evaluate our lifestyle by Scripture so that we can determine whether we are spiritually dead, or are alive in Christ. Here are the three marks of the spiritually dead.
1. The dead are without life (Eph. 2:1). Another way of describing them is that they have no appetite for spiritual things. They have no appetite for the Word of God; no appetite for prayer; no appetite for worship; no appetite for fellowship with Christians; no appetite for witnessing and no appetite for work. They are without spiritual life; they are spiritually dead. They have no appetite for spiritual things.
2. The dead are without light (2 Cor. 4:1; Eph. 4:18). Put another way, they have no awareness. There is no awareness of their condition before God; no awareness of the judgment of God; no urgency in their thinking; and their lives are lived completely for the present. They are unaware of their lost, dead, and condemned condition before God; unaware of the future judgments of God and they do not have any desire to think seriously about such things.
3. The dead are without love (1 John 4:7-11). In other words they are not active in serving the Lord or others. Love is expressed in actions. If you have no desire to serve the Lord in obeying His word and in serving other who have needs, then you are without live and are spiritually dead. Do you love Christ?
So the three marks of a dead church member are: they are without life, light, and love; or in other words, – they have no spiritual appetite, awareness or activity. I ask again, are you spiritually dead or alive?
(BUDDY HANSON)