Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
This verse gives the final outcome of our decision about who or what will rule our lives. The “for” marks the logical conclusion to the matter. Slavery to sin earns God’s wrath and leads to death. What type of death? Sin leaves no hope for resurrection life like Christ’s. Death is the outcome of God’s wrath towards human sin. Judgment will be sure and fare because of people’s decision to reject God’s light in rebellion and disobedience. Death is being away from the light of God’s love and presence. The Bible has many passages that speak about the judgment of the wicked into hell. The sad reality is that many people ignore the warnings and fool themselves into thinking that God’s love would not allow a person to be condemned. God’s love allows a person to be condemned because love is a two-way relationship. Death is the opposite of eternal life.
God offers a free gift to those who put their trust in Jesus. It is not deserved but it must be accepted. Slavery to sin ultimately leads to death, but slavery to God experienced through faith in Jesus Christ ends with eternal life. The cost may seem significant. The way of Christ is difficult because it goes against the flow and push of the world. It takes personal discipline. We have to overcome our laziness. This is a challenge for many people. It is difficult to let go and let God have control. If this seems difficult, we must start the journey at first, bit by bit, slowly, step by step. As long as we are going in the right direction, that is what matters.
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