Subject One Hundred Fifty-five

THE WAGES OF SIN AND THE GIFT OF GOD

Scripture: Rom. 6:23

1. The wages of sin
   1. To sin is an occupation; man’s entire life is given to the occupation of sin.
   2. All occupations demand wages; not a single job is done without earnings. Since wages are rightfully due, a man who works sin should also receive the wages of sin.
   3. The wages of sin is death.
   4. Illustrate how man sins and thus obtains death. For example, some people gamble daily; consequently, this daily toll of sin causes them to die earlier. There are even those who have died on the gambling table.
   5. This kind of death which is the wages of sin means not only the death of this life, the physical body, but even more an eternal death, the death of the soul.
2. The gift of God
   1. A gift is a present; God’s gift is God’s present.
   2. A present is freely given and freely received. Since the gift of God is a present, it requires no work in return; it is not wages but a present.
   3. The free gift of God is His very life. So, in Romans 6:23 it says, the “gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
   4. This gift of eternal life from God was given to us in Christ Jesus. God put His life in Christ Jesus to be given to us. So, our receiving the Lord Jesus is to receive the gift that is in Him.
   5. Not only does this gift of life enable us today to live before God and to please Him, it also enables us in the future to be in God’s presence, enjoying the eternal and heavenly blessings.
3. How to be delivered from the wages of sin and obtain the gift of God
   1. Confess that you are sinful and therefore destined to receive sin’s wages, death.
   2. Believe into Jesus Christ to be your living Savior. God’s life is within Him; if you want to receive the life of God, you must receive Him. To illustrate, just as tea is contained within a tea cup, if you want to receive the tea, you must receive the tea cup.