Devotion #3: A Matter of Life and Death
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23
Death is horrendous. It is completely devastating. If you have lost someone close to you, then you know exactly what I mean. As I write this, news broke of another school shooting, and my heart sank. I cannot bear to even imagine the shock and loss these families now suddenly feel. No matter how or when death impacts your life, and it will, the result is gut-wrenching heartbreak. I hate to start this devotional on such a serious note, but this truly is a matter of life and death.
Romans 6:23 tells us, “The wages of sin is death.” Growing up in church, I have heard this verse a lot, and I am often tempted to try and soften the blow by changing the word death to a more palatable word like complicated, separation, eventual death, or simply bad. The thing is, this verse does not say, “The payment of sin is bad.” It says that it is “death!” I know some of you are thinking, “Come on, Jeannie, get to the second half of the verse!” However, let me challenge us to take a moment and think about what death really is. The cost of our sin is horrendous, completely devastating, gut-wrenching heartbreak. My husband, Josh, often says, “When we downplay the effects of our sin, we downplay the greatness of the cross of Christ.” Only when we recognize our desperate need for a Savior can we accept the amazing gift He brings. So, do not move on too quickly. Take a moment to acknowledge the cost of sin and the devastation it brings. Resist the urge to focus on someone else’s sin; rather, look at your own life and make it personal.
The second half of the verse is the Good News, “But the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Wow. This verse is so clear it really needs no explanation. God has offered you and me the antidote for death - true, lasting life! That is just how amazing the miracle of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross is - it brings dead things to life! Through Jesus, we have been gifted eternal life. The great thing about “eternal life” is that it is very different from just “future” life. Eternal life starts now. Jesus reminds us in John 10:10 that He “came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
So, now we have come to a crossroads. What are you going to do with this matter of life and death? Will you continue to pay the cost of sin or accept the free gift of life? Let me leave you with a challenge from Joshua 24:14-15, “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord…choose this day whom you will serve…But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”