How Dead is Dead?

Help me out here.

You can’t be a little bit pregnant. You can’t be a little bit married. You can’t be a little bit lost. You can’t be a little bit deaf, mute or blind. I have heard somewhere, though, that you actually can be a little bit country, or a little bit rock-and-roll!

Why is it that some believe you can be a little bit dead?

What does it mean to be dead? Webster’s defines ‘dead’ as, no longer living; without life. The word Paul uses in Ephesians, Chapter Two, is ‘nekros’ from the primary word ‘nekus’ (corpse). Of the physical world, ‘nekros’ means one that has breathed his last/lifeless, deceased, destitute of life, inanimate. Is there any reason to think that the spiritual meaning of the word means any less?

What I have trouble understanding is this: if Paul’s intent was to draw a spiritual picture of unregenerate saints in Ephesians Two as merely sick (and in need of medicine or assistance) prior to salvation, then why did he say they were dead? What is the significance of using a word like ‘dead’ to metaphorically describe the spiritual state of the unsaved rather than descriptions like ‘unhealthy’, ‘diseased’, or ‘maimed’? I’ll tell you why I think Paul uses the term ‘dead’ instead of ’sick’ or ‘dying’ or ‘unhealthy’; it’s because our spiritual state prior to being born again is such that we are completely and totally helpless, and lack any power or ability to do anything to come to God. Not only are we void of any ability to come to God, but we are completely void of any desire to come to God! Prior to salvation, we are at enmity with God. Scripture calls us ‘natural’, and says, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” It also says that, “the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

Those who are in the flesh – the ones who are ‘natural’ rather than ’spiritual’ – are void of the Holy Spirit. And because of that, they are spiritually dead. That is why Paul describes a person prior to regeneration as being dead. And as such, look at what the creature does for his salvation in Paul’s analysis in Ephesians Two compared to what the Creator does in the salvation of the creature.

Let’s look first at the creature. He’s dead, so spiritually speaking, he’s not doing much except walking according to the flesh, and only the flesh (vv.1-3).

Now let’s look at the Creator. Because of His great love and mercy (v. 4), He does the following even when we were dead, mind you (v.5):

1. made us alive (v.5)
2. raised us up with Christ (v.6)
3. seated us with Christ in the heavenly places (v.6)
4. saved us by grace, through faith (all of which is a gift) (v.8)
5. we are His workmanship; created us in Christ Jesus for good works (v.10)
6. brought us (Gentiles) near by the blood of Christ (v.13)
7. made both groups into one (Jew and Gentile) (v.14)
8. abolished in His [Jesus'] flesh the enmity (v.15)
9. reconciled both Jew and Gentile to God (in one body) (v.16)
10. building the saints together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit (v.22)

I don’t know about you, but ‘dead’ is starting to really look dead now, especially when I read that all of this began even while I was still dead! How do I, as a dead corpse, move toward God, unless I am first made alive?!?!

Let’s also ponder the passivity of man in the following promises from God in Ezekiel 36:25-27:

I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

I once was deaf, but now I hear. I once was blind, but now I see. I once was dead, but now I am alive forevermore, because He has made me alive!

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. – Jude 24-25