Review Parts 1 and 2. I am fully aware some will take issue with this title. They might argue if we are born-again in Christ, we cannot die spiritually. We know that is true, but sadly the world does not. It looks at too many Christians as if we were already dead as Jesus defined our lives if (1) we do not obey His commandments, (2) love people, and (3) bear fruit (make disciples). So, let’s allow the Holy Spirit to examine the following seven symptoms to see if, indeed, we give the appearance of dying spiritually!
Symptom #1 – Loss of Smell
There is a spiritual analogy to the loss of smell that was an ongoing problem between God and His people throughout the Old Testament. The Israelites became so disobedient, and their lifestyles decayed to the point, their sin no longer carried with it the foul stench it does to the nostrils of God.
“The righteous hate what is false, but the wicked make themselves a stench and bring shame on themselves.” Proverbs 13:5
CURE: Never lose “smell” of the fact that sin stinks in the nostrils of a holy God; thus so do the people who choose to live a lifestyle of sin.
“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us reveals the fragrance of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing: 2 Corinthians 2:1-15
Symptom #2 – Dry Eyes
Sin not only carries with it a foul stench, when true believers see it, in the world and our own hearts, it causes us to weep. When this is not our response, we have to ask the Holy Spirit to show us why and break our hard hearts. The following verses give testimony to this.
Weeping over the sins of a nation and our world. Weeping over our own sin.
“My eyes shed streams of tears, because people do not keep your law.” Psalm 119:136
(David) I am weary from groaning; all night I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. Psalm 6:6
Cure: “For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, without regret; but the sorrow of the world produces death.” 2 Corinthians 7:10
Symptom #3 – Loss of Hearing (Who and What are you listening to?)
The sinful lifestyles of the nation and world in which we live today have one common agenda, which makes sense because they belong to satan. They want to drown out all truth and make those who listen to and believe it look like fools and haters. Sadly too many “Christians” have been caught up in this and beginning to doubt, have walked away from Christ showing that in fact they were not truly born-again.
Refusing to Listen to God (God’s Word)
For this is a rebellious people, false sons, Sons who refuse to listen to the instruction of the LORD; Who say to the seers, “You must not see visions”; and to the prophets, “You must not prophesy the truth to us. Speak to us pleasant words. Isaiah 30: 9-10
Listening to the “theology” of the world=the dumbing down of America
“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires,” 2 Timothy 4:3
CURE: Jesus shared these words with His disciples about hearing and listening to TRUTH.
“This is the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and obey what is written in it, because the time is near.” Revelation 1:2-3
Symptom #4 – Laryngitis (When Christians lose their voices)
Fear or Ashamed of Jesus and His Word?
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” Romans 1:16
“Therefore, everyone who confesses Me before people, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before people, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. Matthew 10: 32-33
CURE: As an American you have the constitutional right to speak up and out for your beliefs. As a Christian, you have an obligation and responsibility to your Savior and Lord Jesus to do so.
“Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.” Proverbs 31: 8-9
Calling Out Sin. Is that just the role of the Prophet and Evangelist?
“Cry loudly, do not hold back; Raise your voice like a trumpet, And declare to My people their wrongdoing, And to the house of Jacob their sins. Isaiah 58:1
“See that no one deceives you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), as you try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Do not participate in the useless deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. Ephesians 5: 6-13
Glorifying God.
“Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, those whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy.” Psalm 107:2
“Jesus replied, “I tell you, if these stop speaking, the stones will cry out!” Luke 19:40
As Christians we must stay in a posture of repentance and mindful of our own attitudes and actions AND have the courage to call out sin in our nation just as the Bible teaches. Then we keep praying for our enemies and leave the rest to the power of the Holy Spirit.
For Christ’s sake,
