Eternal Consequences of Critical Choices

May 23, 2024 by ropheka 3 Comments

“The wages if sin is death.”  Those are startling words.

The only wages sin pays results in death spiritually and eternally.

The wages of sin is death spiritually. That means spiritual eyes that cannot see God, spiritual ears that cannot hear His voice. It means a spiritual heart that is hardened to God and cannot respond to the atoning sacrifice of His Son.

“Dead in trespasses and sins” is the way the apostle Paul describes our problem in Ephesians 2:1.

The greater horror is that this spiritual death leads to eternal death, separated from God in hell, or what the Bible calls the “second death.”

To die the “second death” is to end all possibility of ever receiving God’s gift of eternal life and is the ultimate in sin.

The prophet Ezekiel said, “The soul that sins will surely die” (18:4, 18, 20).

Don’t blame God. You have only yourself to blame.  “For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” declares the LORD God.  “Therefore, repent and live” (v.32).

That is the offer God gives to everyone. “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal live in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

What a glorious contrast in that sentence:  wages… sin… death… free gift of God… eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord!”

Those are the only two options in life. We either choose to sin and receive the full wage of death, or we choose to put our trust in Jesus Christ and live.  If the offer is “eternal life,” the opposite is eternal “death,” and age-abiding eternal separation from God in hell.

“There is coming a day when, according to the Gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus” (Rom. 2:16).

“The kindness of God leads to repentance” (v. 4).  But when you refuse to repent and believe on Jesus Christ “because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to every man according to his deeds” (vv. 5-6).

Even the loving and kind Jesus Christ made it very clear that every individual will one day stand before God and give an account (Matt. 5:29-30; 10:28; 11:22-24; 12:36-37, 41-42; 13:40-42, 49-50; 16:27; 18:1-10; 23:15, 33, etc.).

At the final judgment God will take into account our responses to Jesus Christ and the opportunities we have had to hear the gospel and believe on Christ. There are degrees of punishment.  Jesus made this clear in Matthew 11:20-24. Unbelief is the greatest sin.  To refuse to repent and turn to Jesus Christ in faith is far worse than the sins of the notoriously wicked.

What have you chosen to do with Jesus Christ?  God does not owe you salvation.  Out of His gracious and loving heart He sent His Son Jesus Christ to go to the cross and die for your sins.  Yes, “The wages of sin is death,” and Jesus died your death on the cross.

The only thing God owes us is His righteous justice, and we will receive that justice if we refuse to believe on Jesus Christ as our substitute who paid the price of our salvation by dying in our place.

Our only hope of being saved is to believe on Jesus Christ.  Yes, “The wages of sin is death,” but God in His great mercy offers you His righteousness in Jesus Christ.  “The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Selah!

Anyone is free to use this material and distribute it, but it may not be sold under any circumstances whatsoever without the author’s written consent.

Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006