“The wages if sin is death.”
Those are startling words.
The only wages sin pays results
in death spiritually and eternally.
The wages of sin is death
spiritually. That means spiritual eyes that cannot
see God, spiritual ears that cannot hear His voice.
It means a spiritual heart that is hardened to God
and cannot respond to the atoning sacrifice of His
Son.
"Dead in trespasses and sins"
is the way the apostle Paul describes our problem in
Ephesians 2:1.
The greater horror is that this
spiritual death leads to eternal death, separated
from God in hell, or what the Bible calls the
"second death."
To die the "second death" is to
end all possibility of ever receiving God's gift of
eternal life and is the ultimate in sin.
The prophet Ezekiel said, “The
soul that sins will surely die” (18:4, 18, 20).
Don’t blame God. You have only
yourself to blame. “For I have no
pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” declares
the LORD God. “Therefore, repent
and live” (v.32).
That is the offer God gives to
everyone. “The wages of sin is death, but the free
gift of God is eternal live in Christ Jesus our
Lord” (Romans 6:23).
What a glorious contrast in
that sentence: wages… sin… death…
free gift of God… eternal life in Christ Jesus our
Lord!”
Those are the only two options
in life. We either choose to sin and receive the
full wage of death, or we choose to put our trust in
Jesus Christ and live. If the
offer is “eternal life,” the opposite is eternal
“death,” and age-abiding eternal separation from God
in hell.
“There is coming a day when,
according to the Gospel, God will judge the secrets
of men through Christ Jesus” (Rom. 2:16).
“The kindness of God leads to
repentance” (v. 4). But when you
refuse to repent and believe on Jesus Christ
“because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart
you are storing up wrath and revelation of the
righteous judgment of God, who will render to every
man according to his deeds” (vv. 5-6).
Even the loving and kind Jesus
Christ made it very clear that every individual will
one day stand before God and give an account (Matt.
5:29-30; 10:28; 11:22-24; 12:36-37, 41-42; 13:40-42,
49-50; 16:27; 18:1-10; 23:15, 33, etc.).
At the final judgment God will
take into account our responses to Jesus Christ and
the opportunities we have had to hear the gospel and
believe on Christ. There are degrees of punishment.
Jesus made this clear in Matthew 11:20-24.
Unbelief is the greatest sin. To
refuse to repent and turn to Jesus Christ in faith
is far worse than the sins of the notoriously
wicked.
What have you chosen to do with
Jesus Christ? God does not owe
you salvation. Out of His
gracious and loving heart He sent His Son Jesus
Christ to go to the cross and die for your sins.
Yes, “The wages of sin is death,” and Jesus
died your death on the cross.
The only thing God owes us is
His righteous justice, and we will receive that
justice if we refuse to believe on Jesus Christ as
our substitute who paid the price of our salvation
by dying in our place.
Our only hope of being saved is
to believe on Jesus Christ. Yes,
“The wages of sin is death,” but God in His great
mercy offers you His righteousness in Jesus Christ.
“The free gift of God is eternal life in
Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Selah!
Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006
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Unless otherwise noted "Scripture quotations taken from the NASB."
"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE" © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://www.bible.org/. All rights reserved.
Wil is a graduate of William Carey University, B. A.; New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Th. M.; and Azusa Pacific University, M. A. He has pastored in Panama, Ecuador and the U. S, and served for over 20 years as missionary in Ecuador and Honduras. He had a daily expository Bible teaching ministry head in over 100 countries from 1972-2005. He continues to seek opportunities to be personally involved in world missions. Wil and his wife Ann have three grown daughters. He currently serves as a Baptist pastor and teaches seminary extension courses in Ecuador.
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