Profile of a Dead Man: Inspirational Messages for Spiritual Growth and Maturity

Copyright 2013 Israel Jean Leon.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author.

ISBN: 978-1-4907-0696-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4907-0695-5 (e)

Trafford rev. 08/07/2013

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Contents

INTRODUCTION

I AM ALREADY DEAD

CHAPTER 1

PROFILE OF A DEAD MAN

CHAPTER 2

THE OCCUPATION OF

A DEAD MAN

CHAPTER 3

THE IDENTITY OF

A DEAD MAN

CHAPTER 4

THE MESSAGE OF

A DEAD MAN

CHAPTER 5

THE MENTALITY OF

A DEAD MAN

CHAPTER 6

THE SURVIVAL SKILLS OF

A DEAD MAN

CHAPTER 7

THE TRANSFORMATION OF

A DEAD MAN

CHAPTER 8

THE DETERMINATION OF

A DEAD MAN

CHAPTER 9

THE NOURISHMENT OF

A DEAD MAN

CHAPTER 10

THE POSITION OF

A DEAD MAN

CONCLUSION

THE INHERITANCE OF

A DEAD MAN

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to express my gratitude to the many people who saw me through this book; to all those who provided support, talked things over, read, wrote, offered comments, allowed me to quote their remarks and assisted in the editing, proofreading and design.

First and foremost thank my heavenly father for making this project a reality. I could not have done it without the Holy Spirit who inspired me to write these messages over the years. I would like to thank my parents, Jacqueline Jean-Leon and Odvin Jean-Leon. They are my number one fan. I would like to thank my sister, Miriam Jean-Leon for editing and proofreading the rough draft of this project. Thanks to my two brothers, Emmanuel and Leonard Jean-Leon for their encouragement.

Thanks Pastor Gregory Nelson for his encouragement and counsel. He is in fact the one who suggested the title of the book as I was discussing the project with him. I would like to also thank my long time friend, Pastor Gregory St Ange who supported and encouraged me not only to write this book but to continue to publish many more.

Special thanks to the following individuals who initially encouraged me to pursue this project when I first introduced the idea of compiling some of my sermons and publish my first book: Dr. Walter Douglas, Dr. Ron Smith, Dr. Dion Henry, Pastor Gerly Germain, Pastor Orville Brissett and Pastor Ronald Jean-Baptiste.

Thanks to Trafford Publishing Company and its dependable staff who walked me through the process. Special thanks to Yza Gomez, Mea Anderson and Jill Serinas. They did their best to make the publishing process as painless as possible.

Above all I want to thank my wonderful wife, Christine Jean-Leon and the rest of my family, who supported and encouraged me in spite of all the time it took me away from them.

Last and not least: I beg forgiveness of all those who have been with me throughout this project and whose names I have failed to mention.

INTRODUCTION

I AM ALREADY DEAD

Seeing death as the end of life is like seeing the horizon

as the end of the ocean.

—David Searls

The author of this book is dead. Let me explain. I died the day I accepted Christ as my personal Savior. Growing up in a Christian home, I often heard people talk about dying to self and living in Christ. I did not understand this concept. The thought of dying sent chills down my spine. I mean, how could one die yet live? I was under the impression that death was final. That changed for me when I accepted Christ as my personal Savior and took my relationship with him seriously. You see, the closer I became to him, the less I wanted to be like me. I longed to have his kindness, his compassion, and his ability to forgive and love unconditionally. I wanted others to see him in me, and that could not happen until I died. I am not talking about physical death. This death is spiritual. Paul experienced death as well. He died on the road to Damascus (Acts 9). He died that day, and Christ began to live in him. Like the apostle Paul, I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me (Galatians 2:20 NIV). Dying in Christ is not the end of life; it is the beginning of a new life. If we died with Christ, we will also live with him (2 Timothy 2:11 NIV).

The old man, the sinful man, has been crucified, and the life I live now is no longer mine. My body is no longer my own. In other words, I am already dead. I am well aware that Mr. Death doesn’t have a good reputation. In fact, I believe that everyone is afraid of death to some extent, but some people have death anxiety so bad that they have trouble functioning in life. Humans strive for preservation despite their knowledge that death is inevitable.¹ Subconsciously, humans do not believe in their own death. While humans may express their understanding of the reality of death, deep inside, no one believes in his or her own mortality.² In fact, continued exposure to death may produce adverse effects on the physical health of individuals as well as their mental well-being. These effects include excessive anxiety, depression, and low desire for achievement.

You see, death is never on the guest list or invited over for dinner. Hence, the use of the term death may be frightening. The good news is that the kind of death that I am referring to is not one to fear but to embrace gladly. From a theological perspective, being dead in Christ means that the flesh—mankind’s sinful nature—is dead and no longer in control of self. Many fail to realize that they will never experience spiritual growth unless they die to self and live through Christ. Jesus explains it best: Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed, but if it dies, it produces many seeds (John 12:24). Many are those who claim to be disciples of Christ but for years remain unchanged, unconverted, unsuccessful, and unproductive. They are holding on to their old lives, old ways, and old habits. They have not fully surrendered their lives to Christ. The flesh is still alive and in control.

Throughout my career as a minister, I have preached many sermons. I’ve noticed a reoccurring theme in my sermons. In order to truly experience a meaningful relationship with God, one must completely and wholeheartedly surrender one’s life to God. You must die to live fully in Christ. In this book, you will find a compilation of inspirational messages explaining the character of an individual who is dead in Christ. In this book, you will learn the profile of a dead man.

CHAPTER 1

PROFILE OF A DEAD MAN

Death is the condition of higher and more fruitful life.

—E. H. Chapin

I have yet to see a dead person complaining about his or her attire. A dead person has no shame. When was the last time you heard a dead person griping about his or her outlook? Complaining about a hairstyle or lack of sufficient makeup? Or expressing displeasure over the choice of tie or suit? A person who is dead in Christ is not ashamed of the gospel. A person who is dead in Christ has no shame and is not concerned about anyone’s opinion of him or her.

Like the apostle Paul, he or she is proud to be a disciple of Christ. Paul said, I am not ashamed of the gospel. Why Paul? Because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first the Jew, then the Gentile (Romans 1:16). Paul was unashamed first and foremost because he had nothing to be ashamed of. He was dead in Christ. He had no reason to be ashamed to preach the gospel, for it was Christ who was doing the speaking through him. Are you timid about telling someone that you are even a Christian? Are you embarrassed to be a disciple of Christ? Are you ashamed to carry your Bible to church? Or pray in a public place, like in a restaurant before your meal? If your answer is yes, it may be that you have not yet fully surrendered to Christ.

Second, Paul was not ashamed because he knew of the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. When you are hidden in Christ, you recognize the power of Christ. You readily share it with anyone unreservedly and unashamedly. You are willing to encourage others to taste and see the goodness of the Lord. The apostle Paul is a perfect example of what God can do to anyone who is willing to let Christ take control of his or her life. I know the power of the gospel because I have experienced it. Christ lives within me. I am saved by the power of the gospel. The gospel of Jesus Christ is nothing to be ashamed of; rather, it is something that ought to be embraced.

No Freedom

On several occasions in his writing, Paul refers to himself as a slave or servant (Romans 1:1; Galatians 1:10; Philippians 1:1; Titus 1:1). In fact, the theologian John Nordling of Concordia Theological Seminary addressed the question of Paul’s background. He made reference to a traditional belief that Paul came to Tarsus with his parents as a prisoner of war from Gishala in Galilee, where his father was liberated and became a Roman citizen. Nordling further explains, The tradition could indicate that Paul did indeed have servile roots since prisoners of war were commonly enslaved…³ However, Biblical history doesn’t support such an interpretation. The Bible leaves no doubt as to Paul’s nationality and social class (Acts 21:39; Acts 22:25; Philippians 3:5).

Slaves were among the low class of Paul’s day. Paul didn’t mind being associated with such a class when it came to serving his master. As one who was dead in Christ, Paul understood that the only right he had was the right to serve in the Lord’s work. Paul revealed his concept of complete surrender to God’s service when he addressed the slaves in the book of Ephesians: "Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere