I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness.
When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness.
What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!
But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:19-23
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Romans 6:23 is one of the most well-known verses in the Bible: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
From a young age, I have heard that verse countless times. But I’ve always, only, heard it in the context of explaining the Gospel of the Bible to someone who doesn’t believe.
That the sin in our life results in death and eternal separation from God. But those who believe in Jesus can receive the free gift of eternal life—both now and forever.
Romans 6:23 is always presented as a verse for those who have not accepted the free gift that God offers us.
But you know what is crazy about that verse?
It’s not included in the Bible as a Gospel-sharing verse!
It’s written, by Paul, after a long section as to why FOLLOWERS of Christ should avoid sin and pursue righteousness.
Romans 6, the same chapter, begins with “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means!”
And his exhortation for Christians to avoid sin at every cost continues through the entire chapter:
6:2 We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
6:11 Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
6:14 Sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.
6:17 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
6:20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of?
6:22 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness.
And then he summarizes with that important verse in Romans 6:23:
6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23 is certainly a verse that we should continue to use in explaining the beautiful Good News that Christ died for us and offers life to anyone who believes.
But the weight of that verse cannot end there. It must also motivate and compel those of us who profess to be followers of Christ, every day, to remove sin from our lives. To wage war against our sinful nature. And to offer every part of our body and selves to God as instruments of righteousness.
Now that we have been redeemed, why would we ever continue in sin? The wages are only death.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, you are love. Thank you for rescuing me from the eternal punishment of sin through faith in Jesus Christ and his life, death, and resurrection. It is my desire to pursue the righteousness and life that only you can offer.