Zombies Can Come Back to Life

                                    Leave Scarecrow and Rise Zombie

On May 27^th I already answered one very difficult theological paradox. I pointed to the metaphor of Jesus that helped untangle the quandary regarding what seems like polar opposites: Works Vs Rest. 

His call upon our lives, likened to being “fishers of men” offers the perfect solution to an argument that I’m sure Christians will continue to fight over Ad Infinitium. 
            (However, this is not the battlefield He has called us to—btw)

This time, I want to talk about Zombies and Scarecrows in hopes of answering another theological conundrum.  I hope this short explanation will help solve the riddle of that age old question that Christians have been fighting-over for the past two millennium.

We’ll do Zombies in a minute, but let’s begin with scarecrows. In the art of debate there is a tactic employed in emotionally charged arguments called the “straw man” fallacy.

What I do in employing the “straw man” logic is build a false premise that I attach to my opponent as though it represents his argument. Then having built up the straw man I blow it over (since it is made out of straw) thus seemingly beat my opponent by destroying the premise – i.e refuting the very thing (the false argument) I advanced on his behalf.

"Yeah - look at me. I'm Awesome!" 

Going a little further down the path of the “Works Righteousness” argument, often leads directly to the feet to the straw man. Here is the proposition that is offered up as this sacrificial being (our poor hypothetical Scarecrow) who we are so anxious to destroy: 

  

 “Can a Christian do anything to add to his salvation?”

This might have been a good question for the Church to wrestle with for the first fifteen or sixteen hundred years.

It certainly was a valid question at the time of The Reformation and was given much consideration by Luther, Calvin and the reformers. Protestant Christianity had been freed from the tyranny of the Catholic Church and liberated from the oppressive doctrine of works righteousness which happens to be the basic doctrine of Justification by faith alone—Sola Fida.  

Sola Fida is our battle cry taken directly from Ephesians 2:8 and 9 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast.”

The funny thing is, this straw man argument still lives on among Bible believing Christians.  LISTEN! It is employed mostly by those desperately seeking a way to rationalize laziness and apathy in their Christian walk that is void of any kind of works i.e. the evidence of faith.

  

“HAH! The Bible saith, ‘We’re saved by grace through faith alone’ So there!”

YET, TODAY–the proposition of “adding to one’s salvation” is pretty well universally understood. It was answered at The Reformation in the doctrine Justification that has now been taught for 500 years and understood by most believers. The straw man is dead and should remain dead. Why does it have life? Only because, if I chant this mantra and then proceed to blow it over, I can stare you in the eye—having victoriously defended myself as if there is nothing to DO after salvation.

ARISE THE ZOMBIE!

Read the next verse Christian (use whatever version you want) Ephesians 2:10, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Let me repeat these words of Scripture. We are created in Christ “to do good works.”

Does that nullify the previous two verses?  No. Sola Fida—wins. We are incapable of doing anything outside the atoning sacrifice of Jesus and His bloodshed on the cross for the attainment of salvation. It is a free gift and no amount of works can get us into heaven.

            Q. Can I add to my salvation?  
            A. Of course not!
How can anyone hope to add to the perfection of blood atonement of the Lamb of God.  It’s Done—BAM! A more fitting description is found in the words of Jesus on the Cross “IT IS FINISHED!” 

The writer of Hebrews declares it to be, “Once for all.”  HELLO?  WE GET IT! 

In the good ‘O King James, Paul says it this way, “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

¹³ Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

¹⁴ In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins” Col 1:12-14

John says this, “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.” Jn 4:24

Enter the Zombie!  We were once alive walking around this planet in our earth suits but the Bible describes us as being dead. By believing in Christ… we are TRANSLATED from the kingdom of darkness and have crossed over into life.

The Bible is describing us as though we were once Zombies—dead walking people.

It is Paul who writes for us in Ephesians 5:14-15

“Wake up, sleeper,
    rise from the dead,
    and Christ will shine on you.”

“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”

WAKE UP! Quit living like Zombies—that’s your past. You are a new creation. God, Himself, has given you life.

He has saved you.

He has redeemed you.

And He has deposited His Holy Spirit in you so that, now—this side of Justification—being made alive, you can respond to God in faithful obedience that produces the fruit of faith, evidenced by the WORK He has ordained for us to walk in.

"Talk all you want" James is trying to say… “Talk is Cheap – you can see the evidence of the new life given to me by grace through faith in the work it produces through me. 

RISE ZOMBIE – listen to the voice of God who puts the flesh and blood on dry bones. Walk in the newness of who you truly are in Christ… so that men may see the good deeds you do and Glorify our Father in heaven.

Maybe this is why the Prince of Preachers says, "Do something, Do something, Do something."   Charles Spurgeon