ROMANS 6:23
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Every person on earth is working for something. We labor, we strive, and we hope to be rewarded for our efforts. But the Bible tells us there are only two kinds of rewards in life—the wages of sin and the gift of God. One we earn, and the other we receive. One leads to death, the other to eternal life.
This single verse captures the entire message of salvation—our problem, God’s solution, and our response.
1. The Reality of Sin — “The wages of sin is death”
Paul begins with a hard truth. Sin pays a wage.
Every action apart from God’s will has a consequence. From the moment Adam and Eve sinned, death entered the world—spiritual death, physical decay, and eternal separation from God.
- Sin deceives but never delivers.
It promises pleasure but pays with pain.
It offers freedom but chains us in guilt. - Death here doesn’t just mean physical death—it means separation from the life and presence of God.
That’s why even people who are “alive” without Christ can feel empty and lost—because they are spiritually dead inside.
Sin may look harmless at first, but it always collects its wages in full.
2. The Riches of Grace — “But the gift of God…”
Thank God for the word “but.”
That one word turns darkness into light, despair into hope, and death into life.
While sin pays a wage, God gives a gift—not because we deserve it, but because He loves us.
This is the grace of God—unearned, undeserved, and unstoppable.
- You don’t work for a gift—you simply receive it.
- God didn’t wait for us to get better; He gave us His Son while we were still sinners.
- His love is not a paycheck—it’s a present of mercy and life.
3. The Person of Salvation — “In Christ Jesus our Lord”
Eternal life isn’t found in religion, good works, or moral living.
It’s found in a person—Jesus Christ our Lord.
He took our wages of sin—death—on Himself at the cross.
He died the death we earned, so we could receive the life He deserves.
At Calvary, justice and mercy met, and through the resurrection, life triumphed over death.
When we place our faith in Jesus, there is a divine exchange:
- Our sin for His righteousness
- Our death for His life
- Our guilt for His grace
That’s why Paul says eternal life is in Christ Jesus—because outside of Him, there is no life.
4. The Response — Receive the Gift
You can’t earn salvation, but you can accept it.
A gift left unopened is never enjoyed.
God offers every soul a choice—continue earning the wages of sin, or receive the gift of life through faith in Christ.
Today, God is extending His hand of grace. He says:
“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
Will you accept His gift?
Conclusion
Romans 6:23 is a verse of contrast and choice—death or life, sin or grace, earning or receiving, rejection or redemption.
The world offers wages; God offers a gift.
Sin pays in death; God pays in life eternal.
The question is—which will you choose?
Closing Prayer
Father, I thank You for the gift of eternal life through Your Son, Jesus Christ. I confess that I have sinned and fallen short of Your glory. But today, I receive Your grace, Your forgiveness, and Your life. Help me to live in the freedom of this gift and to share it with others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus!
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