'The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life.' (Romans 6:23)
But what does this mean?
Wages arrive on Payday. Payday comes every week or every month until the last pay-packet before dismissal or the end of our life. Your salary is dependent on your work and what you do.
We are all sinners. There is no one good, and we have all fallen short of what we ought to be in God's eyes and failed to be those who bring honour to him. We all live as slaves to sin and failure which ultimately pays nothing except death, both physically, spiritually, and after this life, an eternal living death in hell.
Right now, we are in one of two kingdoms. One is headed by God himself, the other by Satan.
Ask yourself this question and answer it honestly: if you were to die tonight, why on earth do you think you would have a right to enter heaven?
God calls us to come from serving sin, to leave the queue of sin and death, and simply receive his gift of forgiveness and eternal life.
I mean, here is an amazing thing! We spend our lives living under the consequence of sin, which is death, for death came as a result of sin. Yet in the middle of life, a message calls out to us that if we would just turn around and get out of the pay-queue, God offers us his gift of freedom from the consequence of sin, and grants us eternal life the moment we believe.
God's gift is not dependent on what I do to try and earn it. It is not possible to earn it by turning over a new leaf or doing good works.
It is a gift. I receive God's gift with staggering surprise and a joy that I cannot explain. It is a gift freely given at the cost of Jesus Christ's life paying fully for my salvation at the cross.
So, you are either still in the pay-queue of death, or you are walking in the liberty of knowing you have been forgiven, set free, and are headed to an amazing eternity in heaven of joy and peace and outstanding things that the mind could never comprehend.
And it will not be long before Jesus returns in power and glory to take us home to his place which he has prepared for all those who love him. (1Corinthians 2:9; Hebrews 11:16)
