Since I’m guilty of sin,

what punishment

do I deserve?

 

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Romans 6:23a “The wages of sin is death”, but the gift of God, is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord”

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According to www.dictionary.com, Wages are defined as:

“money that is paid or received for work or services, as by  the hour, day, or week.”

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So in this part of the verse “The wages of sin is death”, what is the work it is referring to?  It is the sin we commit.  So this means that what we’ve earned for the sin we commit is death, which the Bible defines as eternal separation from God.

 

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The verse also states,

“But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ”

Notice that this indicates gift and not wages?  Can you earn a gift? No.  A gift can only be accepted or rejected. 

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Also according to www.dictionary.com, Gift is defined as:

"something bestowed or acquired without any particular effort by the recipient or without its being earned"

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Think about the last time you gave someone a gift.  How would you feel if they pulled out their wallet and tried to pay you for the gift as you were handing it to them?  Would you feel that their attempt to pay you for your gift was a compliment or an insult?  An insult of course!

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This is the same with God. If we try to earn the gift God offers through our good works, we are trying to pay Him for the gift He offers.  This is an insult to God. We are essentially saying,

“Jesus dying on the cross wasn’t enough to pay for my sin. 

I need to do something.” 

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This is the typical human reaction.  We usually have difficulty accepting something of value without being able to say that we did something for it.  If we feel we did something, we feel more worthy of what has been given to us.  And if what is given to us is of great value we want even more to feel that we’ve done something to earn it, at least just a little.

​Romans 6:23a “Eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”,

and not “through Jesus Christ our Lord after all we can do”.  

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Since Jesus is God, He is the only one qualified to pay the price for my sin.  And since it states “through Jesus Christ our Lord” it only applies if Jesus Christ actually is our Lord.

James 2:19 “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!” 

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Satan and the demons recognize Jesus Christ as Lord but they are not going to heaven?  Why doesn't their recognition of Jesus Christ as Lord count for anything?  While they recognize Christ as THE  Lord, He is not their Lord.  So just believing that God exists doesn’t get anyone to heaven.

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It is only by accepting the gift Christ offers that we can avoid going to an eternity separated from God.  You have an opportunity that Satan and the demons (all angels who rebelled against God) will never have.  You have the choice as to where you will spend eternity.

 

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Next Page:  Why Do I Need To Be Good And Do Good Works?