The Wages of Sin

The message was brought by Rev. Eddie Foster on 2/2/25.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

There are lots of enemies that must be overcome. Forces of nature can be deadly enemies when they are out of control. We must have water; it’s essential to the body. While good, it can release as floods and destroy everything in its path. We witnessed that last September when Hurricane Helene came through. Fire is good, especially when it heats our homes, but unleashed we saw what devastation it did in CA in the last few weeks. It consumed all it in its path. These are reminders of destructive forces. 

All of these kinds of things are an enemy to the body. Death is coming and it can destroy both body and soul. Disease and germs take lives. We try to avoid them and do what we need to do to stay alive. None of us are physically what we used to be. Take care of your body. You should. But one day you will leave this world. We all will die. Matthew 10:28 says And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Wind, fire, tornadoes, hurricanes destroy things and bodies but cannot destroy the soul. S-I-N is the most destructive word there is. Attitudes to sin have softened through the years. The great preachers of old preached hard against sin. Conviction of the Holy Ghost gripped hearts making people realize they were sinners. People called upon God and were saved. If that’s what it takes for our people to escape hell, it’s worth it.

How expensive is sin? It causes guilt. Joseph’s brothers hated him enough to sell him into slavery in Egypt. They lied to their father and told him that his beloved Joseph was killed by a wild animal. He went through a lot in his lifetime because of that. Through the course of events in which he interpreted the dreams of the Pharaoh of Egypt, Joseph became second in command of the land. The famine affected the whole world and Jacob’s family–Joseph’s family–needed food. The brothers were sent to get corn; Joseph was in charge of it. They didn’t recognize Joseph but he did them. What happened? They knelt before their brother just as Joseph had dreamed years ago when he was a very young man. Talking among themselves the brothers admitted to their guilt of selling their brother and lying to their father. What a tremendous load to carry all those years. 

Sin causes separation. Unsaved family members will be left behind in the rapture and separated from their saved family forever with hell as their final home. This can be avoided if people trust Jesus.

Sin separates you from happiness. David’s sin with Bathsheba was not pleasing to God. At first he thought he’d get away with it. The sin started with adultery and went all the way to murdering her husband.  God sent Nathan the prophet his way with a parable that ended with “Thou art the man.” David realized how much he had transgressed. It cost his happiness:  his prayer of repentance included “restore unto me the joy of thy salvation.”

Sin separates you from God. He won’t hear us when we’ve done wrong until we repent. I didn’t want to be around dad if I’d done wrong. We don’t want to be around God when we sin. Adam and Eve enjoyed their daily communion with God in the Garden until they sinned. Then they hid themselves from God. It separated them from their Creator.

Sin costs you death. God doesn’t send people to hell. It’s earned. Remember Romans 6:23: the wages of sin is death. Hell is just wages for those who reject Jesus Christ. Romans 3:23 tells us For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. This is the contract. Death is the payment. There is a literal burning hell. If you go there you cannot get out. No more mercy. No more water. No way out!

The good news is that no one has to go to hell.  Today, on this side of eternity, there is still mercy. There is a way out.  Call on the name of the Lord and you will be saved.