Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
A wage is the payment a person earns for their work, while a gift is something we receive freely without effort. For all the sins committed by humanity against God, the deserved wage is spiritual death – eternal separation from Him. But in His sheer grace and mercy, Jesus broke this pattern with His immeasurable gift of eternal life.
Who deserves His gift? The painful truth is no one! All of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). Even our best efforts to be good are like filthy rags in the eyes of God (Isaiah 64:6). Yet, this gift is ours if we repent of our sins and make Christ our Lord and Saviour. It’s for all, irrespective of gender, colour, or race, for there is no partiality with God (Romans 2:11).
A believer is not someone who cannot sin, but someone who is no longer a slave to sin. If we are honest with ourselves, the list of our sins could fill books. But every sin, however dark, is wiped away when our names are written in the most important book – the Lamb’s Book of Life. Paul exclaims in Romans 7:24-25, “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
This season of Lent, consider how you’re living in light of eternity. Be confident that Christ is your King and sin no longer has dominion over you. Every time you sin, run to Jesus, repent and be washed in His forgiveness. Let gratitude, repentance, and thanksgiving be your way of life. And share His immeasurable gift of eternal life with the world around you.
Through Christ, heaven is truly our home! Let us make it crowded!
