Not Quite Dead

For those who walk in the ways of the world, immersed in sin and self, there comes a time when it is too late to turn back. Their fate is sealed and their path leads only to the grave and eternal suffering. That time of course is when their life on earth is over, the deathbed. It may come as slow and stealthily as a long, healthy life. It may come as quick as the blink of an eye by accident or circumstance. But however it comes it seals the fate of the unbeliever and removes any chance for redemption.

We know from Scripture that there comes a day when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. I believe that will include everyone in Heaven, in Hell and everywhere in between. The difference though will be whether it is an exclamation of praise or a forlorn lament. For the faithful in Heaven, it will be the former. For those in Hell, the latter.

But before that moment of no return, there is ample opportunity for the unbeliever to repent, to turn back from the abyss and to join the ranks of the believers. My study verse today is

Psalm 88:10 (NIV)

¹⁰ Do you show your wonders to the dead?

Do those who are dead rise up and praise you? Selah

^[1] The Holy Bible : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984

I submit that there are two perspectives with which to frame this passage. The first is obvious and that is with reference to physical death. I believe the dead are aware of God's 'wonders' as illustrated by the story in Luke 16. Yet the physically dead do not rise up and praise God.

The second perspective is with reference to spiritual death. I do not mean that the soul is snuffed out but rather whether a person, while living, is receptive to the Word of God. I believe that God will continue to draw and offers glimpses of His 'wonders' to those who are not quite dead.

This belief is grounded in my own personal experience and my observations that God reveals himself to anyone whose spirit struggles against their carnal nature. To the person who, though a sinner seeks something more, God does not give up on them. To a staunch Christian, this person might be considered spiritually dead but to God, they are not quite dead.

If their spirit struggles against their flesh, if that which is in them that is of God pushes and groans against the oppressive weight of their carnal selves, there is yet hope that they may climb up out of the grave they are in and walk again.

In this manner, I would say that God does show his wonders to the dead and that one considered dead may rise up and praise Him.

That's why that moment of no return is so critical. There is a hard point in time where someone considered dead is actually dead and the opportunity lost. There is nothing I can do for those that have passed that point. But for those still on this side of that point, I can jump and shout and point. I can scream to them that "you're not quite dead... yet."

Zombie for Jesus,

Carl