May 5
“The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord,” Romans 6:23.
In one simple verse, we have the message of the Law and the Gospel. “The wages of sin is death.” This takes us back to the time of the creation of Adam and Eve. Moses wrote, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die,’” Genesis 2:15-17.
Adam and Eve were put into the Garden of Eden to tend and take care of it. In other words, work was to be a pleasure and an enjoyment. Work itself was not part of the curse pronounced by God when Adam and Eve sinned. From the beginning of the creation, God expected people to work.
Today, many people talk and act as if work is something horrible. Many can’t wait until they can retire and quit working! When many apply for a position or a job, their chief concern is, “What will my retirement benefits be?” They haven’t even started a job yet, and already they are talking about retiring! The apostle Paul wrote, “If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread,” 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12. Summarized briefly, Paul says, “Quietly work and earn an honest living!”
The curse of death came as a result of Adam and Eve eating the fruit of the forbidden tree. Death is the payoff for sin! Through their sin, sin has been passed on to all future generations. We are all conceived and born in sin, and we will die. At the time of the creation, it was not God’s intent that we should walk through the valley of the shadow of death.
Where then can we flee for hope and help? We flee to the Gospel: “The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The message of the Gospel is God’s gift to us. “God so loved the world that He GAVE His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life,” John 3:16. The promise of the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation is a gift from God. It is not something for which we work or which we earn by our good deeds. It is a gift that is offered to us by God’s grace and mercy. It becomes our personal possession by believing and trusting God’s Word. The gift of eternal life was provided for us by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He shed His precious blood on Calvary’s cross to wash our sins away. He rose from the dead and conquered sin, death, and the devil.
Jesus calls and invites, “Come unto Me!” He invites all sinners to come and freely receive the pronouncement of forgiveness, peace, and pardon. Indeed, we will die, but with our faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we can fearlessly say with the psalmist, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me,” Psalm 23:4. Amen!