Understanding the Wages of Sin
When I was a young boy of about nine years old, a group of older boys in the neighborhood and I would go fishing at a far off pond. To get to this pond, we had to follow the creek behind our neighborhood, cross over a main street, follow the creek through the farmer’s yard and pick up a trail that followed along the farmer’s field. There was a dangerous part of our journey where we had to cross about a 200 yard stretch of planted field. We thought it was dangerous because the farmer was known to chase children who crossed, so we always listened for the sound of the tractor and made a dash when we thought all was clear. Once across, we were in the safety of a heavily wooded part of the trail and soon we would be standing before the pond, or cove, as we referred to it.
The cove was a large string of ponds that were part of a golf course. Half of the pond had great fishing access because there was no brush and it had plush grass. One quarter of the pond had decent fishing access and the rest was swamp and heavy brush. We always caught fish at the cove. It was loaded with bass, pike bullhead and carp. Bass was always our favorite catch, but it was exciting to reel in any fish on our rods.
Several summers fishing at the cove, and I'm not sure my mom or dad ever really knew exactly where we were fishing.
A few years later, an early spring day hit and the snow had just melted. The sun was shining and the fishing bug had four of us boys itching to get out. I remember that it was still cold enough to wear a heavy coat and wet enough to wear boots. We didn’t care, we were going fishing, even if it meant just getting our lines wet. We made the trek to the cove. The warm sun heating our backs while the chill in the air reminded us it was still early spring. We arrived at the cove excited to make our first cast into the pond only to find out that it was still ice covered. Determined to fish, and being adventurous boys, we poked around the ponds looking for open water. When we found none, we decided to test the ice and do some ice fishing. I stepped on the ice. It did not break, it groaned and heaved under the weight of my body. In fact, I can remember pounding my foot on the ice near shore trying to break it, testing the strength of the ice. I watched it as each pound of my foot caused a ripple at the shore where there was no longer any ice. I knew at that time the ice was not safe. I knew it would not hold my weight. The other three boys however, stepped on the ice and it made no sound, no groan, and no movement. To them the ice was safe so they ventured out to the middle to do some fishing just like real ice fishermen.
My three friends, two of them brothers, grabbed their fishing poles, tackle boxes and a stick to make a hole in the ice, and took out to the center of the pond. Not wanting to just watch them fish or go home by myself, I made my way over to the swamp side of the cove. I found some very shallow areas where the ice had cleared. I knew there wasn’t going to be any fish in this area, but I threw my rubber worm into the dark murky water to just get my line wet. After a short time, no fish and cold hands, I decided it was time to wrap it up, head for home and wait for some warmer weather. As I made my way to the main cove, I called out to my friends. They were also feeling the cold set in and were ready to leave. They packed up their gear and they started walking to the bank where I waited for them. As my friends walked together toward shore, I heard that familiar groan and before I could speak, crack! The ice gave way and I watched all three boys disappear into the dark icy water. In an instant, the laughter changed to gut wrenching screams and cries for help. The water was too deep and they could not touch the bottom. Their heavy winter coats, winter boots, and layers of warm clothing became soaked with the icy water. The water soaked clothes were too heavy for even the strongest of them to be able pull themselves up. When they tried, the thinning ice just continued to break in front of them. All four of us knew the very instant the ice broke that death was certain unless they were able to somehow get out of the water. There was no thought of fishing or making sure to not lose the tackle box, or fishing pole, only the thought of saving lives. I can't speak for the boys in the water, but I am certain they understood that they faced certain death. I could see that they were trying everything in their ability to get out of death’s ever tightening grip. The look of white terror on their faces told me they completely understood if their cries for help were not heard, they were going to perish.
As I think about my friends in the water facing a certain death, I can’t help but think of all my friends and family today. I know each believes and knows that they will some day face death, but I also believe that each would do everything in their power to avoid that situation in order to prolong life. What concerns me more than the physical death is spiritual death. The Bible tells us in Romans 6:23 that the wages of sin is death and this death in the Bible speaks of spiritual death, eternal separation from God, an eternity of torment in a real place called hell. We are all born sinners and that evidence is obvious, as no parent teaches their toddler how to be disobedient, but it certainly comes natural at such a young age. Romans 3:23 tells us that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. That means each of us spiritually is just like my friends in the frozen water facing a certain death. We are not walking on thin ice; we are already fully submerged, up to our neck, doomed with no hope of getting out ourselves.
Have you ever told a lie? Have you ever taken the Lords name in vain? Have you ever taken something that didn't belong to you? Have you ever wanted something that belonged to another? Every one of us, if we are honest with ourselves, will see and admit that these are all sins that each one of us has committed at one time or another in our lives. We are sinners who come far short of God's standards. The Bible, the actual words of God, tells us that the price we must pay for our sins is death. My friends and I knew in an instant that our current situation in the frozen water meant certain physical death, and the cries to be saved were just as instant. Rest assured, just one of the sins listed above is enough to cause spiritual death. Why is it that we don’t quite understand that the wages of our sin is spiritual death? Why is it that when my friends fell through the ice, all they could think about was getting out, and being saved? Just as my friends realized the gravity of their situation when they were submerged and needed saving, so too does our sin submerge us to an eternity of torment in hell; shouldn’t we cry out to be saved just as urgently as my friends in the icy water?
Because God is so holy, pure, and perfect, no sin or sinner can ever stand in His presence. We need to understand that because we are born sinners, we are already condemned to hell, separated from God for eternity. Romans 5:12 says, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned”.
Romans 6:23 as a whole states, “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”. God loves man so much that He sent His only begotten Son to the earth as a man, born of a virgin, to become a perfect sacrifice for our sins. Jesus, fully God and fully man, lived a perfect and sinless life and was taken to a cross where He took our sins upon Himself and became our perfect blood sacrifice. Jesus, the Son of God, was beaten, crucified on a cross, bled and died to pay the wages of our sin debt. He was buried and three days later He rose from the dead. Jesus conquered death and rose from the dead so that every man who believes and puts their trust in Him shall be made righteous, washed clean of all sin and be justified in the eyes of God the Father.
Romans 10:13 says, "For whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Jesus said in Mark 2:17, "They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
Once man comes to understand how sick they are because of their sin and the eternal death they face, and believe that Jesus can save them, the cries out to Him will be heard and answered. There is no other way to God the Father in heaven except through the blood of Christ. By His grace ye are saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. All that God asks us to do to be saved is believe and trust in the finished work of Christ on the cross, paying our sin debt by His own blood, that He was buried and that He was raised from the dead. We need to admit we are sinners, acknowledge the fact that we are bound for hell, recognize that we cannot save ourselves, and cry out to Jesus to save us.
My friends escaped physical death that day at the cove. I was able to find a small fallen tree near by and push it out onto the ice where they could reach it. As far as I know, they are still alive today. I pray that the good news of Jesus Christ has or will reach them because without Him, they won't escape their spiritual death.
If you have not asked Jesus to save you, will you do so today? Every single one of us will face physical death some day. It is the knowledge of eternal salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior that can be your tree branch. Reach out and cry for Him to save you with an urgency like you have just fallen into icy water. He is waiting for you to call to Him, and He will save you.
When I was a young boy of about nine years old, a group of older boys in the neighborhood and I would go fishing at a far off pond. To get to this pond, we had to follow the creek behind our neighborhood, cross over a main street, follow the creek through the farmer’s yard and pick up a trail that followed along the farmer’s field. There was a dangerous part of our journey where we had to cross about a 200 yard stretch of planted field. We thought it was dangerous because the farmer was known to chase children who crossed, so we always listened for the sound of the tractor and made a dash when we thought all was clear. Once across, we were in the safety of a heavily wooded part of the trail and soon we would be standing before the pond, or cove, as we referred to it.
The cove was a large string of ponds that were part of a golf course. Half of the pond had great fishing access because there was no brush and it had plush grass. One quarter of the pond had decent fishing access and the rest was swamp and heavy brush. We always caught fish at the cove. It was loaded with bass, pike bullhead and carp. Bass was always our favorite catch, but it was exciting to reel in any fish on our rods.
Several summers fishing at the cove, and I'm not sure my mom or dad ever really knew exactly where we were fishing.
A few years later, an early spring day hit and the snow had just melted. The sun was shining and the fishing bug had four of us boys itching to get out. I remember that it was still cold enough to wear a heavy coat and wet enough to wear boots. We didn’t care, we were going fishing, even if it meant just getting our lines wet. We made the trek to the cove. The warm sun heating our backs while the chill in the air reminded us it was still early spring. We arrived at the cove excited to make our first cast into the pond only to find out that it was still ice covered. Determined to fish, and being adventurous boys, we poked around the ponds looking for open water. When we found none, we decided to test the ice and do some ice fishing. I stepped on the ice. It did not break, it groaned and heaved under the weight of my body. In fact, I can remember pounding my foot on the ice near shore trying to break it, testing the strength of the ice. I watched it as each pound of my foot caused a ripple at the shore where there was no longer any ice. I knew at that time the ice was not safe. I knew it would not hold my weight. The other three boys however, stepped on the ice and it made no sound, no groan, and no movement. To them the ice was safe so they ventured out to the middle to do some fishing just like real ice fishermen.
My three friends, two of them brothers, grabbed their fishing poles, tackle boxes and a stick to make a hole in the ice, and took out to the center of the pond. Not wanting to just watch them fish or go home by myself, I made my way over to the swamp side of the cove. I found some very shallow areas where the ice had cleared. I knew there wasn’t going to be any fish in this area, but I threw my rubber worm into the dark murky water to just get my line wet. After a short time, no fish and cold hands, I decided it was time to wrap it up, head for home and wait for some warmer weather. As I made my way to the main cove, I called out to my friends. They were also feeling the cold set in and were ready to leave. They packed up their gear and they started walking to the bank where I waited for them. As my friends walked together toward shore, I heard that familiar groan and before I could speak, crack! The ice gave way and I watched all three boys disappear into the dark icy water. In an instant, the laughter changed to gut wrenching screams and cries for help. The water was too deep and they could not touch the bottom. Their heavy winter coats, winter boots, and layers of warm clothing became soaked with the icy water. The water soaked clothes were too heavy for even the strongest of them to be able pull themselves up. When they tried, the thinning ice just continued to break in front of them. All four of us knew the very instant the ice broke that death was certain unless they were able to somehow get out of the water. There was no thought of fishing or making sure to not lose the tackle box, or fishing pole, only the thought of saving lives. I can't speak for the boys in the water, but I am certain they understood that they faced certain death. I could see that they were trying everything in their ability to get out of death’s ever tightening grip. The look of white terror on their faces told me they completely understood if their cries for help were not heard, they were going to perish.
As I think about my friends in the water facing a certain death, I can’t help but think of all my friends and family today. I know each believes and knows that they will some day face death, but I also believe that each would do everything in their power to avoid that situation in order to prolong life. What concerns me more than the physical death is spiritual death. The Bible tells us in Romans 6:23 that the wages of sin is death and this death in the Bible speaks of spiritual death, eternal separation from God, an eternity of torment in a real place called hell. We are all born sinners and that evidence is obvious, as no parent teaches their toddler how to be disobedient, but it certainly comes natural at such a young age. Romans 3:23 tells us that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. That means each of us spiritually is just like my friends in the frozen water facing a certain death. We are not walking on thin ice; we are already fully submerged, up to our neck, doomed with no hope of getting out ourselves.
Have you ever told a lie? Have you ever taken the Lords name in vain? Have you ever taken something that didn't belong to you? Have you ever wanted something that belonged to another? Every one of us, if we are honest with ourselves, will see and admit that these are all sins that each one of us has committed at one time or another in our lives. We are sinners who come far short of God's standards. The Bible, the actual words of God, tells us that the price we must pay for our sins is death. My friends and I knew in an instant that our current situation in the frozen water meant certain physical death, and the cries to be saved were just as instant. Rest assured, just one of the sins listed above is enough to cause spiritual death. Why is it that we don’t quite understand that the wages of our sin is spiritual death? Why is it that when my friends fell through the ice, all they could think about was getting out, and being saved? Just as my friends realized the gravity of their situation when they were submerged and needed saving, so too does our sin submerge us to an eternity of torment in hell; shouldn’t we cry out to be saved just as urgently as my friends in the icy water?
Because God is so holy, pure, and perfect, no sin or sinner can ever stand in His presence. We need to understand that because we are born sinners, we are already condemned to hell, separated from God for eternity. Romans 5:12 says, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned”.
Romans 6:23 as a whole states, “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”. God loves man so much that He sent His only begotten Son to the earth as a man, born of a virgin, to become a perfect sacrifice for our sins. Jesus, fully God and fully man, lived a perfect and sinless life and was taken to a cross where He took our sins upon Himself and became our perfect blood sacrifice. Jesus, the Son of God, was beaten, crucified on a cross, bled and died to pay the wages of our sin debt. He was buried and three days later He rose from the dead. Jesus conquered death and rose from the dead so that every man who believes and puts their trust in Him shall be made righteous, washed clean of all sin and be justified in the eyes of God the Father.
Romans 10:13 says, "For whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Jesus said in Mark 2:17, "They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
Once man comes to understand how sick they are because of their sin and the eternal death they face, and believe that Jesus can save them, the cries out to Him will be heard and answered. There is no other way to God the Father in heaven except through the blood of Christ. By His grace ye are saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. All that God asks us to do to be saved is believe and trust in the finished work of Christ on the cross, paying our sin debt by His own blood, that He was buried and that He was raised from the dead. We need to admit we are sinners, acknowledge the fact that we are bound for hell, recognize that we cannot save ourselves, and cry out to Jesus to save us.
My friends escaped physical death that day at the cove. I was able to find a small fallen tree near by and push it out onto the ice where they could reach it. As far as I know, they are still alive today. I pray that the good news of Jesus Christ has or will reach them because without Him, they won't escape their spiritual death.
If you have not asked Jesus to save you, will you do so today? Every single one of us will face physical death some day. It is the knowledge of eternal salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior that can be your tree branch. Reach out and cry for Him to save you with an urgency like you have just fallen into icy water. He is waiting for you to call to Him, and He will save you.
: You're not all that new since I see on your member page you joined earlier in the year (2014), maybe April if I remember correctly at this point!
