Back in the days of the Roman empire, a condemned person was stripped of all rights and privileges. Their future was devoid of hope, as if they were the living dead. Paul, a follower of Jesus who wrote much of the New Testament, referenced that scenario when he explained that there is no condemnation for people who surrender their lives to Jesus Christ (Romans 8:1). When it comes to hopelessness and death, we are free! Our pasts fall away, and we are given a renewed future.