How does Job 20:11 connect with Romans 6:23 on sin's wages? \Job 20:11 — Sin Carries Death in Its Bones\ “His bones are full of his youthful vigor, but it will lie down with him in the dust.” • Zophar pictures the wicked man in the prime of life—strong, energetic, seemingly unstoppable. • Yet even that vibrant strength is already “full” of decay; death rides inside the bones. • The grave (“dust”) is where that borrowed vigor ends up, showing sin’s built-in expiration date (cf. Genesis 3:19). \Romans 6:23 — Sin Pays in Death; Grace Pays in Life\ “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” • “Wages” ⇒ what sin earns, what it must inevitably hand over. • “Death” ⇒ not only physical demise but spiritual separation from God (Isaiah 59:2). • In sharp contrast, God offers a gift, not wages—eternal life through Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8-9). \Threads That Tie the Two Verses Together\ • Built-in Consequence – Job 20:11: death is already lodged in the sinner’s bones. – Romans 6:23: death is the paycheck sin is cutting from the start. • Certainty of the Outcome – Dust is unavoidable (Job); wages are certain (Romans). – No amount of youthful vigor or moral self-confidence delays payday. • Universality – Zophar speaks generically of “the wicked man.” – Paul declares, “all have sinned” (Romans 3:23), so the entire human race stands on the same payroll. • Need for Rescue Outside Ourselves – Job exposes the problem but doesn’t yet reveal the cure. – Romans supplies the answer: God’s free gift in Christ breaks the cycle of earned death. \Living with the Warning and the Promise\ • Take sin seriously; it is never harmless, never neutral (James 1:15). • Recognize that physical vitality or success can mask a terminal spiritual condition. • Flee to the gift: trust Christ’s finished work, where death is swallowed up by life (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Corinthians 15:54-57). • Walk daily in gratitude, not wages—serve God out of love, not to earn life you already possess in Him (Galatians 2:20). \Supporting Scriptures\ • Proverbs 14:12 — the way that seems right ends in death. • Hebrews 9:27 — man is appointed to die once, then judgment. • John 5:24 — whoever hears and believes has passed from death to life. \Key Takeaways\ • Sin’s payoff is embedded in the very bones of the sinner; the grave is already on the books. • Christ alone cancels that payday, replacing earned death with gifted life. • Living by grace means refusing sin’s empty wages and enjoying the fullness of eternal life now and forever. |
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