DEATH ROW

DEATH ROW! I have been there and am now free! The nature of my experience is perhaps far different from what you may think, so I trust that you will read on as I seek to explain things as they really are.

It was September 30th, 1630 when John Billington, one of the signers of the Pilgrim's Compact was hanged in Plymouth Mass., thus introducing the first execution in the U.S. In 1773, Benjamin Franklin performed the first electrocution experiment in Philadelphia, using animals. Following this, Dr. Alphonse Rockwell invented the electric chair and the first victim to feel its grim power was William Kemmler, electrocuted August 6, 1890 at Auburn, N .Y.

PRISONERS IN DESPAIR
Confined to an 8 x 10 foot cell, death row can be a traumatic experience. Condemned and with the sentence of "guilty" passed upon him, the prisoner sits in a state of despair, with nothing to look forward to but -- death. In American history, the youngest of death row's many was 15 year old Joseph Aulisio, in Sylvania, Pennsylvania. Yearly, about 150 souls enter death cells to join 1,600 others, to wait their fateful day. Finally the day of execution comes. The footsteps of the prison attendants are heard, the key is inserted, the door unlocked and swung open. Eyes meet eyes, and the last walk commences. Entering the death house, witnesses and the instrument of death are viewed. What hopelessness must grip the soul on that fearful occasion! Some weep, some fight, others curse, or mock as Jesse Thomas, who from the chair called out, "I'll see you all in hell someday. Let 'er go!"

PRISONERS DECEIVED
It may interest you to know that there is another kind of death row that very few are aware of. All confined to it are guilty, condemned and the sentence of death has been passed upon them. However, what makes this death row so insidious is the fact that those confined are not even aware of their fateful position to the slightest degree! Entertainment is provided abundantly in an effort to keep the soul in a happy state, so that coming death and its fearful consequences are obliterated from the mind. This death row also offers business opportunities to the energetic, providing total occupation of mind until the executioner arrives to deliver the solemn sentence. To others it offers brain-washing services, with deceivers telling its occupants that they are not really on death row but free from all judgment. These men, some who are deceived themselves, have various brain affecting intoxicants to deceive the mind, such as, doing penance, saying prayers, reforming one's life, joining "church" and doing good works as a means of escaping the wrath of God and obtaining eternal citizenship in heaven. Would you be surprised to know that this death row is simply the world in which you live? I was in it for 23 years!

DEATH ROW'S FIRST PRISONER
The first person ever to be confined to this death row was Adam. In disobedience to God, he ate of the forbidden tree and immediately died spiritually, even though he lived physically after this for many years. Scripture reveals how this affected us, stating, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned" (Rom. 5:12). Due to Adam's sin we were all born in a state of spiritual death. Holy Scripture declares that we are "dead in trespasses and sins" -- "by nature the children of wrath" (Eph. 2). Here humanity sits, totally oblivious to the fact that they are on death row! Just as the prisoner is guilty and condemned, so is humanity as far as God is concerned. God's verdict is: "He that believeth not is condemned already" (John 3:18). None of us were born believers! No, no! Quite the contrary! We all were born sinners (Ps. 51:15). "All we like sheep have gone astray" (Isa. 53:6). Consequently every one of us desperately needs the Saviour -- the Lord Jesus Christ. If not saved, "guilty" is written over your soul, my friend. Religious people try to keep Moses' law to obtain salvation. How foolish, for the law condemns us rather than giving us freedom and eternal life! God states, "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in His sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin" (Rom. 3:19,20). Isn't that plain enough? Soon the executioner Death will come to take those from their spiritual death row down to hell and ultimately on to the lake of fire -- the eternal state of the unbeliever (Lk. 16; Rev. 20). Thank God for a divine remedy from all of this! Christ exclaimed when on earth, "He hath sent Me ... to preach deliverance to the captives ... to set at liberty them that are bruised" (Lk. 4:18). This He did by dying on the Cross at Calvary, for you, for me. Do you see your need of deliverance from death row? If so, listen to the risen Saviour's word of assurance written below and may God bless you with His great salvation from death row and its eternal consequences.

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life" (John 5:24).

ROBERT E. SURGENOR, Evangelist