The Paycheck of Sin
"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23 NLT
Chapters 5 and 6 of the Letter of Paul to the Romans talk about the topics:
Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ
and
Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ.
Here Paul is telling the church in Rome that death came through Adam and life came back through Jesus Christ.
In our Men's Group discussion last night, this verse was one of the things we've talked about.
It is one of the most fundamental and is the most basic truth that every believer should be taught.
And it is timely as well, as it will be Holy Week next week.
In case it is still unclear, 'death' we earned by missing the mark (by sinning), either by doing things we ought not to do, or not doing something we ought to.
'Eternal life' on the other hand is not earned. No one can work for it. It is not a paycheck we receive for a service or work that we render.
It is a free gift, that we receive from God, the Creator of the whole universe.
In the Old Testament, we can read that Adam was the first man, son of God. (Luke 3:38).
In Genesis, chapter 2 verses 16-17, it reads: "And the Lord God commanded the man (Adam), “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
And when Adam and his wife, Eve, did eat from this tree (disobeying God), they died, a spiritual death, meaning they were cut off from God. And instead of living forever, sickness, curse and death came and they too eventually died physically.
In the New Testament came Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God. Through Him, humankind regained eternal life, which in the same way Adam received not by working for it but it was a gift -- a gift given by God.
This gift of eternal life we receive when we accept Christ for who He is and who He said He is -- the Son of the Living God. And accept Him as the only way to eternal life, our personal Savior.
Chapters 5 and 6 of the Letter of Paul to the Romans talk about the topics:
Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ
and
Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ.
Here Paul is telling the church in Rome that death came through Adam and life came back through Jesus Christ.
In our Men's Group discussion last night, this verse was one of the things we've talked about.
It is one of the most fundamental and is the most basic truth that every believer should be taught.
And it is timely as well, as it will be Holy Week next week.
Basics
In case it is still unclear, 'death' we earned by missing the mark (by sinning), either by doing things we ought not to do, or not doing something we ought to.
'Eternal life' on the other hand is not earned. No one can work for it. It is not a paycheck we receive for a service or work that we render.
It is a free gift, that we receive from God, the Creator of the whole universe.
In the Old Testament, we can read that Adam was the first man, son of God. (Luke 3:38).
In Genesis, chapter 2 verses 16-17, it reads: "And the Lord God commanded the man (Adam), “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
And when Adam and his wife, Eve, did eat from this tree (disobeying God), they died, a spiritual death, meaning they were cut off from God. And instead of living forever, sickness, curse and death came and they too eventually died physically.
In the New Testament came Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God. Through Him, humankind regained eternal life, which in the same way Adam received not by working for it but it was a gift -- a gift given by God.
This gift of eternal life we receive when we accept Christ for who He is and who He said He is -- the Son of the Living God. And accept Him as the only way to eternal life, our personal Savior.
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