This song has two great things going for it. First, it walks through the gospel. I love songs that do this. One of the reasons we sing as a church is to enforce the gospel. This song expresses the life of a person being redeemed with beautiful language like, “my orphan heart was given a name.”
The second thing this song has going for it is a unique idea. I love when a song expresses a facet gospel in a unique way. The idea that death was arrested is that unique thought. If you watch the video that explains where the song came from, you will see that it was an idea sparked by the words on a headstone. Death doesn’t arrest your soul when you die in Christ. The resurrection of Jesus ensures that death has been arrested.
As we sing this song at South, we reflect on this beautiful exchange, death to life, bondage to freedom, and abandoned to adopted.
Lyrics
V1
Alone in my sorrow dead in my sin
Lost without hope with no place to begin
Your love Made a way to let mercy come in
When death was arrested and my life began
V2
Ash was redeemed only beauty remains
My orphan heart was given a name
My mourning grew quiet my feet rose to dance
When death was arrested and my life began
CH
Oh your grace so free
Washes over me
You have made me new
Now life begins with you
It’s your endless love
Pouring down on us
You have made us new
Now life begins with youV3
Released from my chains I’m a prisoner no more
My shame was a ransom he faithfully bore
He cancelled my debt and he called me his friend
When death was arrested and my life began
V4
Our savior displayed on a criminal’s cross
Darkness rejoiced as though heaven had lost
But then Jesus arose with our freedom in hand
That’s when death was arrested and my life began
That’s when death was arrested and my life began
POST CH.
Oh we’re free free
Forever we’re free
Come join the song
Of all the redeemed
Yes we’re free free
Forever amen
When death was arrested
and my life began
