From Death Row to Crown Jewels

Posted on Apr 18, 2019 Topic : Fiction, Inspirational/Devotional, Men's Christian Living, Prophecy, Women's Christian Living
Posted by : Steve Miller

Every human who enters this world is born on death row.

That’s the unavoidable consequence of Adam and Eve’s rebellion against God in Eden. As Romans 5:12 tells us, “Sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin.” The result? “In this way death came to all people, because all sinned.”

What’s heartbreaking is that there is no escape from this death row. Even the most notorious prisons in the world have their stories of clever and daring escapes—but when it comes to sin, escape is not possible. Why?

Ephesians 2:1 diagnoses us as “dead in trespasses and sins.” A spiritually dead person cannot rescue himself. Dead means dead. For anything to change, help must come from outside. Yet because every person in this world is a sinner and is likewise dead, that puts all of humanity—pun intended—at a dead end.

Humanly speaking, this leaves no way out.

The cross changed all that.

That’s where the great exchange took place: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Keep in mind that when Jesus set out on this rescue mission, we were His “enemies” (Romans 5:10). The word the apostle Paul chose for “enemies” is a dark one. It refers to deep-rooted hatred and hostility. We were rebels of the worst kind.

Especially hard for us to grasp is the fact we didn’t even want to be rescued! After Romans 3:10-11 reports that “there is no one righteous, not even one,” we read this: “There is no one who seeks God.”

No one was searching for a way out, yet God made one.

And He did more. Much more.

When you become a Christian, God adds you to the church—a living body of people whom He calls His own. Christ is the chief cornerstone of this church, and you are one of the “living stones” (1 Peter 2:5) added to the “building [that] is joined together…to become a holy temple in the Lord” (Ephesians 2:21-22).

If you’re a believer, you are a part of the living monument God is building for Himself!

Scripture also calls the church the bride of Christ. That’s a powerful metaphor—no human relationship is more intimate than the one between a husband and wife. As Christ’s bride, we are precious to Him. We will be the focus of His immeasurable love and care for all eternity.

Why would God go to such great lengths to lavish His love upon us?

We find the answer in Ephesians 1:4-6: Before the world was created, God’s plan was to make us His children—through Christ. His purpose? So that all could witness “his glorious grace” at work—and praise Him as a result.

God knew beforehand what would happen in Eden. Still, at great cost, He was willing to do whatever it took to bring His creation back into relation with Him. He was eager to demonstrate the infinite depths of His grace.

For this, every creature in heaven will express awe…and give Him unending praise.

When history is no more and eternity has come, every time someone asks, “What is God’s greatest achievement?,” all the heavenly hosts will point to us.

We will serve as the supreme example of God’s greatness and His glorious grace. Of all the “jewels” in God’s repertoire, we will stand at the pinnacle. We will be the most prized.

From death row to crown jewels.

That is why we call it amazing grace.