The Wages Of Sin

There are consequences to living a sinful life. The first part of Romans 6:23 tells us, “The wages of sin is death.” The death referred to here is not a physical death, although it was Adam and Eve’s sin that brought physical death into the world. The death mentioned here is an eternal death, eternal separation from God.

The Gift Of God

The second part of Romans 6:23 says, “But the gift of God is eternal life.” Instead of separation from God, we get to spend eternity in heaven with God.

When you understand what heaven is, who would want to miss it?

God Loves You

Why does God offer us this gift? It’s because He loves us. Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Over the course of my life, I have seen the pendulum swing from one extreme to another. Some only preach about the wrath and judgment of God but somehow omit the love of God. While God will judge the sinner, God loves you more than you can imagine.

Confess And Believe

Romans 10:9-10 tells us how to receive this gift. “If you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart, man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation.”

Confession is not simply feeling sorry for what you’ve done; it’s repenting for what you’ve done. A deep brokenness comes as the Spirit of God convicts you of your sin. You know you are a sinner, but you don’t want to continue to live in sin.

Pray

There are many ways to say this prayer, but here is an example.

God, I know I am a sinner and that the wages of sin is death. I believe You sent Your Son, Jesus Christ, as payment for my punishment. I declare that Jesus is my Lord, and I profess my faith for salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Thank You for Your grace, forgiveness, peace, and gift of eternal life. Amen!

If you prayed that prayer, and you meant it from your heart, then your life has just changed. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

This prayer must be more than simply repeating words. Salvation is not a formula. It is a dramatic change of lifestyle. You will not be the same person when you truly accept Christ. Confession must come from the heart.

I’m Saved

Romans 10:13 assures us we are saved when we repent from a sincere heart. We are now a Christian.

Romans 8:1 tells us the curse of sin we were under has now been removed. As some have said, the curse has been reversed. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

Share Your Faith

When a person accepts Jesus as their Savior, I point them to Revelation 12:11, “And they overcame by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.”

Satan will not leave us alone when we accept Jesus; in fact, the battle has just begun. But this verse contains two great truths about living an overcoming life.

First, we must understand we didn’t save ourselves, nor did any other human. We are made an overcomer by Jesus, Who shed His blood for us so we could be saved.

But secondly, there is a part we play in our ongoing relationship. The middle part of that verse says, “By the word of our testimony.” Every time I share my faith, my faith grows stronger. When I face the mockery and ridicule that sinners hurl against me, it doesn’t make me weaker; it makes me stronger. It’s important that we share our testimony. I have phrased it like this; “As God opens the door of opportunity for you, tell somebody about Jesus.”

Who knows, God may use you to help lead them to the Lord.

And one final thought, “Enjoy the journey.” There is joy in serving Jesus.