Romans 8:9-11 New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
9 But your sinful nature does not control you. The Holy Spirit controls you. The Spirit of God lives in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Christ. 10 Christ lives in you. So your body is dead because of sin. But your spirit is alive because you have been made right with God. 11 The Spirit of the One Who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you. So the God who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your bodies, which are going to die. He will do this by the power of his Spirit, who lives in you.
When I read these verses, my first reaction is one of thankfulness. I am thankful to God, that when this mortal body dies, I will be raised to life and live eternally with God – just like He did with Jesus. That’s miraculous! Eternal Life! No more sorrow! No more pain! No more tears! No mourning! No fear of death!
But what about between now and when I die? Does eternal life start the day I die?
There are a lot of us who say that we believe in God, who say that we are Christian, who are sure that when we die that we will have eternal life – yet some of us are walking through this life suffering from “Zombie-itis!”
“Zombie-itis” is a horrible illness! People with “Zombie-itis” appear to have no joy. Their mouths turn downward. Their eyes are sad. Their shoulders tend to sag with the heaviness of life. They have “eternal life” but it appears that in the meantime, the Spirit of Life has left their body!
I confess – I suffer from “Zombie-itis” regularly. And sadly, it is contagious. My sadness and life-less-ness rub off onto my family and the people around me. I sometimes forget – that eternal life begins NOW – and I need to reflect that!
Jesus wants us to have “life to the full” --- beginning now! He doesn’t want His children to walk through life “breathless” like a bunch of Zombies! We are His!
“But your sinful nature does not control you. The Holy Spirit controls you. The Spirit of God lives in you.” The Message version says, “God Himself has taken up residence in our life.”
So enough of this “Zombie-itis!” For Heaven sake- we have the God of the Universe Himself living inside of us! And I don’t think He wants His precious children to go through life looking like they are dead! Shouldn’t we look different than the rest of the world? Shouldn’t we look like we are thrilled to be HIS? So, go take a look in the mirror – see if you are suffering from this horrible illness! If so, turn that frown around – pick up your shoulders – you are full of LIFE! He has breathed His very life into us! And that is an exciting thing!
The theme this week is "Can I Know God Personally?" Yes! And when we Know the God of the Universe personally we walk around this earth FULL of LIFE - no more "Zombie-itis!"
"Oh Father, forgive me for walking around looking dead! I want to reflect Your Truth each and every day – and stop waiting until I die to have Eternal Life! Eternal Life begins now! Thank You! Amen!"
-dawn