WE CAN UNDERSTAND that a man “reaps what he sows” (Galatians 6:7). We understand that if a man commits murder or adultery his own life may be taken, either by the laws of civil government or in revenge by the victim’s family. It happens. And we can understand that such sin bringing DEATH is a man reaping what he has sown, like “an eye for an eye, a life for a life,” the old law found in the Old Testament.

But what about an innocent child? What about the relatively WHITE ROSE of a bride who had led a clean life? What about even a redeemed saint of God who has become a martyr for Christ, or who has simply been murdered for no good reason? What about anyone, even the sweetest, most holy person you can think of just getting sick and DYING? They may have even repented of sin and lived a life endeavoring to please and serve the Lord. Yet they DIE, too. “The wages of sin is DEATH,” even though they have never been “a gross sinner.”  Death still comes to all.

Should not this make you thoroughly ANGRY with sin? It was the totality of the sins of God’s people, those He gave to Christ to save from their sins, that caused the Perfect Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus to DIE, for the “wages of sin.” It was not for His sins, but for the sins of His sheep. He gave His life for them! And this so they would not perish forever.

MAKING MATTERS SO MUCH WORSE

As enormous an ENEMY as sin is in wrecking lives, creating havoc and destroying peace for all mankind, you would think that mankind would HATE sin with a holy hatred, just a God does. But no! Man has an evil, fallen nature that not only lacks righteous hatred, but that LOVES sin and finds short-term PLEASURE in committing sin!  How deplorable this it, but it the fact in this fallen, sin-cursed world. SIN may be the one thing that destroys life, even the life of a loved one belonging to the fallen man who finds PLEASURE in sin, but he loves sin anyway. That is his nature. Sin KILLS; sin destroys, sin can even drive fallen man to the point of taking his own life, or the life of another, yet without the grace of the living God, he still LOVES the pleasure that sin will bring him, even if that pleasure is but for a moment.  How stupid is that!  Yet that is a true picture of what man is by nature. That is the picture, the horrible picture of man without the regenerating grace of God in his life. Even for those who thus sin, and even with NO regenerating power of God, they would sin even MORE if it were not for the fact that God RESTRAINS THEM. “Surely the wrath of man shall praise Thee: the remainder of wrath shalt Thou RESTRAIN.” (Psalm 76:10). Only the power of Almighty God can make this happen.

Some deluded souls justify their habitual sin by saying it is just a petty sin, a small sin, as though God winks at and takes no account of so-called small sins.  But sin is S-I-N, be it “small” or “big.”  No matter the “size” of sin, the WAGES are still the same—DEATH! If there had been ONLY the smallest of sins put on Christ by God the Father, even all “small” sins of His people, and if there had been no so-called “large” sins, still Christ would have died for them! Does this not make you cringe and HATE even the smallest sin? Does it not make you even hate the very THOUGHT of doing sin? Jesus made it plain that in the Old Testament the act of sin was punishable, but now we know the THOUGHT of sin is sin.  In the New Testament that we have now had with us for some 2,000 years after the death of Christ on the cross for SIN, He made it absolutely clear that hatred in the heart is murder in the heart; and the look of sexual lust is to be guilty of adultery. So the ACT is not the only thing that makes one guilty before God as a SINNER, but the very unholy and impure THOUGHT of the sin, is a SIN, showing that man IS A SINNER. Even the THOUGHT OF  SIN will bring the wages of sin, which is death.

Oh! How we should HATE sin in any and all of its forms. Unrepentant sin can keep one out of heaven forever. The rest of that scripture that states the wages of sin being death, says, “but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” ( Romans 6:23). But those given eternal life are ONLY those who He also gives REPENTANCE and “godly sorrow” over their sin. One cannot play loose with sin, taking it ever so lightly, and expect to  impress God with so-called goodness and gain heaven. It just will NEVER HAPPEN!

DO YOU KNOW THE PRECEDING VERSE?

The verse, Romans 6:23 is the verse that tells us that “the wages of sin is death.” Do you know what the verse says just before that verse, which would be Romans 6:22? It says—

“But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.”

Being “free from sin” does NOT mean that we are now perfect, and never sin again, but by the shed blood of Christ we are free from the penalty of sin and being in Him we will live forever. It also means that those to whom this is speaking have now a new and godly nature that HATES sin and a new heart that wants to serve God in holiness. Whereas before we loved to SERVE sin, and found a certain pleasure in it, we now HATE even the thought of it, hating “even the garment spotted by the flesh.” We now have as good fruit, the very fruit of the Holy Spirit, that teaches us to love and fear God and our Savior, to want nothing more than to grow in Him, bear holy fruit unto Him, and become like Him.

“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye SIN NOT. And if any man SIN, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. . . . And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments” (1 John 1, 3).

“For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins. [The holy sacrifice of Christ Himself offered to God the Father, is the ONLY acceptable sacrifice.] But a certain looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.” (Hebrews 10:26,27)

“And it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27)

“By faith Moses, when he was come in years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.” (Heb. 11:24-25)