Dead or Alive

“Because of his great love for us, God…made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our transgressions.” Ephesians 2:4-5

Perhaps you recall the scene from The Princess Bride. The justice-driven Inigo Montoya is in for a surprise when he brings the limp body of the Man-in-Black to Miracle Max.

“It just so happens,” Max tells Montoya, “that your friend here is only MOSTLY dead. There's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive. With all dead, well, with all dead there's usually only one thing you can do.”

“What's that?” Montoya inquires.

“Go through his clothes and look for loose change.”

Twenty years later that line still has me laughing, and the subsequent scenes of health and happiness still have me smiling. But such is the stuff of make-believe. In real life, death has no degrees. Physically and spiritually, only two options exist – DEAD or ALIVE.

Physically, we start out alive, and then we die. Spiritually, we start out dead—not mostly dead, not nearly dead, all dead—and we stay that way unless someone brings us to life. Thankfully, graciously, mercifully, God has done just that. “When you were dead in your sins, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins…nailing them to the cross” (Colossians 2:13-14).

Jesus died so we could live. When we were hopeless and helpless, unable to move and unwilling to come, God reached into our grave and raised us by His grace.

The notice on the cross—the one with your picture on it—was easy to read:
Wanted - Dead then Alive.