Spiritual Deadness in the Bible

Spiritual deadness is the separation of the soul from God, the source of all life. Ephesians 2:1-2 describes the condition of the unbeliever: "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world." This is the natural state of every human being before the regeneration that the Spirit accomplishes. From the very beginning, Genesis 2:17 warned, "In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die" — a spiritual death that preceded physical death. Romans 6:23 confirms it: "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Yet spiritual deadness does not threaten only the unbeliever. Revelation 3:1 warns the church at Sardis, "Thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead." A believer can fall into a functional spiritual deadness when sin, lukewarmness, and empty religious formality quench the life of the Spirit within. Even so, spiritual deadness is never the final word. The same God who commanded the dry bones to live again in Ezekiel's vision in chapter 37 can revive the soul grown cold. The remedy is repentance and a return to first love, as Revelation 3:2-3 teaches: "Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die... Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent." It is never too late to awaken and return to life in Christ.