The wages of sin

Sin has a price

“The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). A wage is something we earn. Sin is not a small mistake that disappears with time; it earns a result. The Bible describes this result in three ways.

1. Separation from God now. “Your iniquities have built barriers between you and your God” (Isaiah 59:2). Many people feel empty or far from God, even while being religious. The wall is real.

2. Death. Physical death entered the world through sin (Romans 5:12). Every funeral is a reminder that something is broken.

3. Judgment. “Man is appointed to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Every person will stand before God and give an account (Romans 14:12). The Bible speaks clearly about eternal punishment for those who reject God (Matthew 25:46; Revelation 20:12-15).

Why good deeds cannot pay

Most religions teach that our good deeds will be weighed against our bad deeds. But imagine a man who has committed a crime and tells the judge: “Yes, I did it, but I also helped my neighbour many times.” A just judge would still have to punish the crime.

Our good deeds are what we should do anyway. They cannot pay an old debt. Isaiah says that even “all our righteous acts are like filthy rags” before God (Isaiah 64:6). That is why Paul writes that salvation is “not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:9).

Say it with tears, not with anger

This is the hardest part of the message, and some evangelists either skip it or say it harshly. Jesus did neither. He spoke clearly about judgment, but He also wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41). Paul preached “night and day with tears” (Acts 20:31).

Speak about judgment because you care, the way a doctor speaks honestly about a serious illness. A good doctor does not hide the diagnosis, but he also does not stop there; he gives the cure.

The door is already open

Notice that Romans 6:23 does not end with death: “…but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The bad news is never the end of our message. It is the dark background that makes the light of the Gospel shine. In the next lesson we will learn how to move from the bad news to the Good News with love.