The moment I heard this song it immediately reminded me of Ephesians 2:1-10. That Bible passage, just like this song, is all about moving from spiritual death to spiritual life. So, let's unpack that topic a bit.
I was like a zombie/'Til I was awakened/Chasin' all the Barbies/Tryna get the bacon/Pull up in a new toy/Feelin' like a rude boy/Always acting brazy but my heart feel like a chew toy/I was like a zombie
Dead in Our Sins Granny told me, "Wait on God, He on the way" (On the way)/Walkin' dead, I'm on a ledge and praying I don't fall off/Spirit interferin', now the new me 'bout to go off in the dark, yeah
Lecrae boldly shares personal parts of his own testimony of life before Christ and life after finding faith in Jesus. For you and me, the details of our how "pre-Jesus" spiritual condition expresses itself outwardly may look similar or different from Lecrae's, depending on what our personal experiences have been. However, the state of each of our hearts that led us into those kinds of attitudes and behaviors is the same. Ephesians 2:1-3 lays it out really well.
"Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil...All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God's anger, just like everyone else." (NLT)
Apart from faith in Jesus, every person is spiritually dead because of our sin. We're not pursuing God and His ways. Honestly, we're likely pretty oblivious to God and His ways. We desire and engage in things God says are displeasing to Him and destructive to us and others. And the punishment of our rebellion against God is still ours to bear because we've not yet accepted Jesus, the Savior.
Alive in Christ I was in the dark, I swear you couldn't tell me nothing/I was after flesh, I guess I was some type of zombie/Demons used to haunt me Then I heard the voice of God, I'm grateful Jesus called me
The good news is we have a Savior in Jesus who calls us to Himself even when we're far from Him, just like we hear declared in the message of "Zombie." When we choose to believe in Jesus, give Him our lives, and trust Him to save us, He makes some incredible things happen in our lives. Ephesians 2:4-10 goes on to tell us more about that.
First, Jesus saves us from the penalty of our sin. He forgives us for our disobedience to Him and for the ways we've broken His law. He makes us blameless in His sight, not because we are deserving of it or because we are perfect in conduct, but because He is merciful and chooses to cover us in His righteousness. We get to spend eternity in fellowship with Him instead of spending eternity separated from Him as the just punishment for our sins. (Romans 5:6-11)
Second, Jesus sets us free from the power of our sin. Just as Ephesians said, before we know Christ we are naturally drawn to follow the desires and inclinations of our sinful nature, but Jesus transforms us. He gives us the desire and power to do what pleases Him. (Philippians 2:13) Instead of following the leading of sin, we are now free to follow the leading of His Spirit into righteousness. (Romans 6-8)
Lastly, Jesus awakens us to relationship with Him. I love the lyric in this song, "I was like a zombie til I was awakened." That's exactly what happens when you surrender your life to Jesus. Jesus takes your heart--the very heart that was previously so broken and overwhelmed by sin and its desires, so unresponsive and rebellious against God--and awakens it.
He makes your heart alive and responsive to God. Salvation is not just a transactional exchange between us and God to get our sins forgiven and secure our eternity. Salvation is a step into eternal, personal relationship with God our Creator, Savior and Friend.
Final Word I think there a couple takeaways as you listen to this song. If you're a Christian: gratefulness. Sometimes you just need to pause and remember what Jesus called you and awakened you from and say thank you to Him, just like Lecrae does in this song.
If you're not yet a Christian: invitation. You have the chance to think about who Jesus is, the salvation and friendship He offers to those who choose to believe and follow Him. And you get to decide to say yes to Him. How amazing is Jesus, our God who takes spiritual zombies and makes us spiritually alive?!
Find "Zombie" on Lecrae's latest album Restoration. Buy it on Apple Music or stream it on Spotify. Read the full lyrics of "Zombie" here.
NRT contributor Jasmin Patterson is a lifelong fan of Christian music who is passionate about helping others connect with Christ. She lives in Kansas City where she serves in college ministry and runs a blog to help seekers and believers discover and live biblical Christianity.
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