Such people can be called walking dead or living dead.
They are moving forward but not making progress.
They marry, have careers, start families, have jobs, make money and live well, they may even seem to have it together but they ae still as good as dead.
A walking dead or a living dead is basically a walking corpse.
The closest thing to a walking dead or walking corpse is a zombie.
Zombies walk, move, and appear to be living but are actually dead or radically altered versions of who they are originally.
The Bible talks about a church assembly or community of people known as the church of Sardis "who have a reputation for being alive but were actually dead"
The church of Sardis were a group of people who were living dead people on the earth!
To the natural eye and mind they were a vibrant group or community of people.
They way God sees things and people is different from the way man sees things and people.
People saw vibrancy and life in the church of Sardis, God saw death there.
I believe there are places and people many don't see as full of life or vibrant while God see vibrancy and life there.
Jesus shares the story of the rich man and Lazarus, a popular Bible parable.
The rich man looked prosperous to the human eye- he fed well daily like a king, wore the best clothes, and had servants at his beck and call.
To the Creator he was a walking dead!
To the human eye he was doing well and thriving.
Lazarus who was poor, beggarly and homeless in front of the rich man's house would probably fit the description of a living dead to the human eye and mind, he was actually the one truly living!
The Creator has a different perception to humanity.
In another masterful story of Jesus, he shares a parable of The Rich Fool, which is about a man God had prospered so much.
His farm did well and he had a huge harvest which filled up his barn and he had excess harvests left over.
He decided to pull down his barn and build a bigger one to accommodate the size of his harvests. He planned to spend the years of his life eating, drinking and resting.
God frowned at this and declared his life would be taken from him that very night, and who would own all he had acquired?
The Creator called him a fool.
Nabal the husband of Abigail who later married king David was a living dead.
His wife described him as a fool, he was an ingrate, and he is described in the Bible as a harsh, evil and senseless man. It is interesting to note that his name means fool.
Abraham was a man called by God, he became a friend of the Lord!
And God made a covenant with Abraham that whoever curses Abraham would be cursed, whoever blesses Abraham would be blessed for God was Abraham's shield and exceedingly great reward.
Abraham was a dangerous man to come against!
Imagine hating such a man, you instantly become a walking dead.
Imagine working against such a man, believing he is an ordinary man like anyone else, instantly you'd find the angel of death working against you, your efforts against Abraham backfiring and you becoming a living dead!
Abimelech the ruler of a town called Gerar took the wife of Abraham and got warned in a dream by God to return the man's wife.
He was told in the dream he is as good as dead!
Abimelech was a living dead if he didn't return Sarah Abraham's wife!
Abimelech was favored and fortunate to be warned, he was about to become a living dead if he didn't return Sarah!
Abimelech, his wife and the women in his palace were struck with a form of infertility before he returned Sarah and they were healed after Sarah was returned.
Something similar happened with Isaac, Abraham's son with an Abimelech too.
Perhaps the son and successor of the Abimelech who took Abraham's wife Sarah.
Isaac had the Abrahamic covenant at work in his life, he was the covenant son of promise to his dad.
He and his wife were protected by God just like God had done with Abraham and Sarah.
A living dead is an individual God is against.
An individual grace is running out on, is a living dead.
Anyone God sees as a fool is a living dead.
Anyone who God resists is a living dead.
A wicked person is a living dead.
The scriptures tell us God is angry with the wicked everyday.
Selfish, self centered people who do not think of being blessings to others are as the walking dead.
Repentance takes us from death to life!
Repentance is the way to move from being a walking dead to a blessed living being.
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