by Dr. Walter L. Wilson
Dead While Alive
S OME STRANGE words about a wo man are given by the Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. In I Timothy 5:6 we read, “But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth.” How sad to say these things about a beautiful woman. Of course, we don’t have her name, but we can get a pretty good picture of her. We all have five senses which are occupied with the things of life. Some people only live by those five senses. That is what the Bible means when it tells us that some peo ple are sensual and do not have the Spirit. This is the kind of individual who is dead while he lives. Solomon declared, “The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear with hearing.” How true that is. This is why new songs and artists are con stantly paraded before the ear, and why Hollywood continues to grind out movies to appeal to the eye. People are never satisfied. Sometimes they want to see a picture twice, but after that it has to go on the shelf and new ones must be brought out. If you live only for these things, you are spiritually dead. One time I was riding with an un dertaker in the hearse and asked him, “What did the Lord mean when he said, ‘Let the dead bury their dead’?” He replied, “I don’t understand, tell me about it.” I told him, “You’re a dead undertaker burying this dead person. “Are you kidding?” he shot back. “Do I look like a dead one?” I reminded him that there are three kinds of death; physical, spiritual, and eternal. God speaks and man does not respond. God commands and man doesn’t obey. God loves and man doesn’t reciprocate. No man who is dead would be able to. The Lord wants to see some life in us. You will not be able to win a soul unless you show signs of life. Let me illustrate. A dog is dead to the things
that are human. It doesn’t care about music, arts, sciences, mathematics, chemistry or medicine. He is dead to these things. Are you dead to God? Does His presence inspire your heart? The Lord so loves you that He gives eternal life when you trust the Sav iour. Another example is of a chim panzee who is dead to human beings. Its trainer, by using methods of coax ing or a whip, can make it do some human things, just like some people go to church at times. They have to go, otherwise they would never bother for they are not really interested. The preacher talks for a half hour and they think they can never stand it, yet they aren’t bothered in spending hours in front of a TV. The unsaved person is alive to everything of this earth, because it all appeals to his senses. The Lord Jesus Christ gives us new life in Him. This is the kind of life that brings enjoy ment of God here as well as in the hereafter. One of the marks as to whether you are saved or not, whether you have eternal life, is determined by what you consider important. If you don’t care for His company down here, having no time for prayer or Bible study, what will you do when you get to glory? Is it easier for you to read a cheap novel than to go
The program of nursing at Biola is one of special emphasis. Through the years the School of Missionary Medicine has trained men and women for places of spiritual leadership around the world. Here are some of the stu dents in a classroom training session.
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