What does "wages of sin" imply about the nature of sin's consequences? Romans 6 : 23 laid out “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Wages: a paycheck earned • “Wages” points to something earned, not something accidental or arbitrary • Sin never works pro-bono; it always issues a payday • The picture echoes Genesis 2 : 17—disobedience leads to certain death Sin’s compensation package • Guaranteed payment – death is inevitable for every sinner, just as a paycheck arrives after labor • Proportional reward – the amount of sin does not set the consequence; any sin draws the full wage (James 2 : 10) • Owed by divine justice – God’s holiness requires that sin receive its due (Isaiah 13 : 11) Death: more than the last heartbeat • Physical death – entry into the world through Adam (Romans 5 : 12) • Spiritual death – separation from fellowship with God now (Ephesians 2 : 1) • Eternal death – conscious, everlasting separation in the lake of fire (Revelation 20 : 14-15) Personal and universal reach • Every person sins; therefore every person earns death (Romans 3 : 23) • No culture, age, or moral effort exempts anyone from the wage scale The stark contrast • “But the gift of God” highlights that life is not earned; it is given • While wages reflect justice, the gift reflects grace (Ephesians 2 : 8-9) • Only union with Christ cancels sin’s paycheck and credits eternal life (2 Corinthians 5 : 21) Living in the light of the verse • View sin as costly, never trivial • Recognize that every temptation carries a hidden invoice marked “death” • Rest in Christ, whose death settled the debt and whose resurrection secures the gift of life |
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