Napoleon Beasley surely breathed a sigh of relief one Wednesday in August, 2001 when the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals granted him a stay of execution. It occurred just three hours before the twenty-five year old was scheduled to die by lethal injection.

Beasley has never denied killing John Luttig, who was a prominent business man in Tyler, Texas. It was called a 'random predatory act' when he murdered Luttig as he and his wife returned home one evening. According to the news, others like Beasley have been granted stays for crimes committed when only seventeen, but unless there is enough evidence or reason to prevent the execution, his reprieve will probably be short lived.

Although you may or may not agree with the court of appeals or the appeals process or capital punishment at all isn't the point here. The point is that, spiritually speaking, we are all worthy of death. The Scripture teaches, "For the wages of sin is death…," Romans 6:23. Every one of us ought to receive death as the salary for our deeds. The good news is that Jesus Christ, for the believer, becomes the "gift of God " and a right to experience "eternal life."

That one act of God-to send his only Son to die in our place, gives me and other believers, not a temporary stay of execution, but a permanent, eternal one! That not only causes us to give a sigh of relief, but a reason for rejoicing and praise and proclamation and thanksgiving-"Thanks be to God for his indescribable Gift!"-2 Cor. 9:15.