How does Ezekiel 23:49 connect with Romans 6:23 about sin's wages? Setting the scene Ezekiel 23 pictures Israel and Judah as two unfaithful sisters whose relentless idolatry finally earns God’s judgment. Romans 6 looks centuries ahead, explaining why judgment falls: sin carries a built-in paycheck. Sin’s payday in Ezekiel “They will recompense you for your lewdness, and you will bear the penalty for your sins of idolatry. Then you will know that I am the Lord GOD.” • recompense – wages earned, payment due • bear the penalty – the sinner, not someone else, carries the cost • purpose clause: “Then you will know that I am the LORD” – judgment is ultimately revelatory; it shows God’s holiness Sin’s payday in Romans “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” • wages – same idea as recompense: sin works, collects, and hands you its check • death – physical, spiritual, eternal separation • contrast – against wages stands gift; against death stands life; against sin stands Christ The shared principle: moral accountability Both texts underline an unchanging law: • Sin always pays what it promised (James 1:15; Galatians 6:7) • God never overlooks the ledger (Numbers 32:23; Proverbs 11:21) • Payment may arrive through invading armies (Ezekiel) or final judgment (Romans), but it arrives From penalty to gift: the gospel bridge • Ezekiel stops at “you will bear the penalty.” • Romans completes the picture: Christ steps in, bears that penalty (Isaiah 53:5; 2 Corinthians 5:21). • The same God who must pay out sin’s wages also offers a free, undeserved gift—eternal life. Living it out • View sin as a ruthless employer; its benefits package is death. • Turn quickly when conviction comes; unpaid wages accrue interest (Hebrews 3:15). • Rest in the gift: no more earning, only receiving and obeying from the heart (Romans 6:17-18). |
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