Dead Man Walking

The three-word title of this writing was made popular in the 1995 movie Dead Man Walking.  The phrase originated in American prisons during the 20^th century.  It was used to alert staff members that a death row inmate was being led to execution.

I’m not trying to be morbid or cause anyone negative feelings—God forbid.  I simply want to use this phrase to help anyone who may be thinking about life and how they are living it.  Let me explain.

Scripture tells us in Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”  What the Word is saying to you and me is this: all humanity is born with a sinful nature.  We inherited this nature from our ancestors, Adam and Eve.  They willfully disobeyed God’s warning in the Garden of Eden and were banished from the garden because they sinned.

I believe they became spiritually dead in God’s sight after He confronted them and they both “passed the buck” instead of owning their sin.  I believe God would have forgiven them had they repented.  Though God abhors sin, He is certainly willing to forgive it when we sincerely ask for forgiveness.

Rather than taking responsibility for their actions, Eve blamed the serpent, and Adam blamed Eve for their reprehensible act of defiance.  This act of transferring blame is still prevalent in today’s society.  An automatic response of, “It wasn’t my fault,” fills the mouths of sinners and criminals when they are caught doing wrong.  It is always someone else’s fault, or the environment they grew up in that supposedly caused their downfall.

As for me, I cannot pass the buck to anyone else for my misbehavior.  It was all me—a dead man walking.  I was lost in sin, but then the light from Heaven filled my soul.  That light was Jesus, God’s Son.  He bathed me in grace and filled me with His love.  God forgave my sins when I cried out to Him.

I was no longer a corpse walking, but was saturated with life.  I once was dead, but now am found; was blind, but now I see.

Thank You, Jesus, for life—and life more abundantly.  Where once I was dead, I now have everlasting life through the new birth in Christ our Savior.

(John 3:16), “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Written by,

Papa Boyd