Sin's
Penalty
"For the wages of sin
is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our
Lord" (Romans 6:23).
There are some things you
never forget. Like the day you met the person who was to become your husband or
wife. In the old days I used to hear men talking about the day they got their
first pair of long pants. Or the moment when you walked up to the window of the
nursery in the hospital and saw your first‑born child for the first time.
When I was a fairly new
Christian I had an experience I've never forgotten. It was a radio program, a
dramatization of people on a train. It was their first train ride and they were
laughing and joking and having a big time. In the midst of it all one of them
turned to another passenger and asked if he knew where the train was taking them.
No one knew. The laughter subsided some and was replaced by a concern, an
apprehension of something mysterious. Then they became somber and silent.
The conductor stepped into
the car just as the train entered a long, black tunnel and picked up speed as
it plunged down a steep grade. The conductor was the devil; Satan himself. He
announced their destination: the place of outer darkness, a place of weeping
and wailing and gnashing of teeth.
The people started to
scream. Some demanded to be returned to the station. Others pled for another
chance, but it was too late. The program ended with screams of agony and
despair.
You can imagine how this
affected me and stuck in my mind. Shortly after that I came across our vital
Bible verse for today. Though the way of sin may seem pleasant and inviting,
yet the end is dismal. When a person has done his work, he receives his wages.
The wages of sin is death ‑ eternal separation from God. All who are the
servants of sin will receive their just reward.
By way of contrast eternal
life cannot be earned. It is a gift. It is the final reward of a life lived in
Jesus Christ. Death is the wages of sin, it comes because it has been earned.
Eternal life is a gift. It comes by the grace of God.
The Bible says, "And we
know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we
may know him that is true; and we are in him that is true, even in his Son
Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life" (I John 5:20).
"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God,
and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent" (John 17:3). Eternal life is in
Jesus Christ.
Right now, if you will
sincerely invite Jesus Christ into your life, admit your need, turn from your
sin and turn to the Lord, God will bestow upon you the free gift of eternal
life. The Bible makes it plain: Repentance toward God and faith in our Lord
Jesus Christ. Repentance is turning from sin to God, and faith is placing your
trust in Jesus. Sinners work their way to hell. Nobody ever worked his way to
heaven.
This vital Bible verse is
just one of 60 carefully selected scriptures that are contained in the
Navigators Scripture Memory course. If you want to
memorize Scripture, but aren't sure what to memorize or how to get started,
this is exactly what you need. The Topical Memory System includes memory verse cards in four different Bible versions -
NIV, KJV, NASB, NKJV. Topics include all of the basics of the Christ-centered
Spirit-filled life, sharing your faith, and growing on to maturity in your walk
with God. May God bless you as you fill your life with His Word.
© Copyright 2002, LeRoy Eims