I See The Dead Walking Around Me, Do You?
By: Jack Jackson

What do you see when you look around you in a crowd? Do you see people of all races busily going about life carefree; or, as you look at them, do you see the dead walking around you? Many who call themselves Christians believe Jesus said "For God so loved the world, that He sent His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). It is arguably the most memorized and best known verse of scripture in the Bible for those who call themselves "the Church"; however, how many actually think on the full impact of that verse? One can spend so much time focusing on telling of the love that God does have for the world ("good news") that they can neglect to give the whole truth, and grave implications of the "bad news" in the second part of that verse. The verse also says that those who do not believe will perish! Perish to where? Jesus says the lake of fire or hell. In John 3:18-21 Jesus also says that those who do not believe on Him are "condemned already". This means that the people walking around us are under a death sentence, headed for an eternity of torment in the lake of fire, unless something changes. We don't like to even think about this, yet if we love them, and God, we must tell them the whole truth.

Jesus tells us that broad is the way that leads to death and that "many" are on it; and that "few" will actually find the way which leads to life. If you are a Christian, do you see what God sees? It is true that most of the people walking around you in your daily life are headed to hell, an eternal place of suffering and torment forever, while many who know the cure for their death sentence walk right past them and say nothing? Isn't that a kin to Christian malpractice? I see the dead walking all around me, and knowing the terror of the Lord, I try and persuade men to Jesus (2 Cor 5:10-11), using weapons mighty through God (His Scripture) to tear down the strongholds (2 Cor. 10:3-6) of the devil who blinds them from the gospel (2 Cor. 4:3-4).

Do you really believe Jesus when He says most will end up in hell? Please dwell on the fate awaiting those all around you and then swallow your fears of being rejected, hated, or persecuted to attempt to save souls from hell for Jesus' sake, relying on His words. Isn't that the real purpose God saves us: so we can make disciples of others, saving them from the fire, hating the spotted garments? Why is it so hard to speak? Maybe it is because we are not seeing what we should be seeing to take action? Maybe we don't speak, because we really don't believe ourselves (2 Cor 4:13), or are ashamed of the truth. Some haven't sought training or have not been taught how to witness. And sadly many soft sell "another" Jesus that they think may be more acceptable to the world, or wait until the lost like them before they feel they will be willing to hear. Does that show trust in the power of His words, or our ability to make friends?

Look around you! I mean really look around you and see what Jesus sees. He wept real tears over Jerusalem: do we weep for the lost all around us? Most in the church say they love Jesus, yet their disobedience proves they lie to even their own selves. Jesus also called us to love our neighbors. Do you love them enough to share both the goodness and severity of God? Do you have knowledge of both yourself (Romans 11:17-22)? Does the terror of the Lord cause you to seek out and persuade the lost around you not to perish? God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked and calls on us, who are supposed to see the enemy coming, to warn them of their wicked ways, or perish. Is that your message to the lost around you? Before you tell them of the Savior's love, do you explain what sin is and warn them to repent of sin and turn to Jesus or perish? (Luke 13:3) That was the message He taught us, so why have so many changed the message to one of life enhancement, departing from the full truth? A half truth is really a whole lie! Maybe many that confess they know Jesus just "have not eyes to see" the dead walking all around them, or maybe they themselves really don't have the love of the Lord in them.