Dead or Alive?

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

Death is the proper reward for sin. That is not a pleasant thought, especially when Romans 3:23 tells us, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." All of us deserve death.

Adam sinned, in Genesis 3, opening the door for sin to enter the world, and thus giving death power in the world. Romans 5;12 describes it thus, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." While Adam made us susceptible, we die because of our sin, not because of his sin.

Many people believe that death is the end of all things. Hebrews 9:27 warns us, "And it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement." We are all subject to death, and we all will be judged after that death.

II Corinthians 5:10 states, "For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ; that every one may recieve the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." Not only death, but judgement is based on what we have done.

Fortunately, Romans 6:23 doesn't stop with death, or there would be no hope for any of us. It continues "...but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." A gift is something you recieve without any cost to yourself. You do not have to earn a gift.

Nearly everyone is familiar with John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perrish, but have everlasting life. Romans 5:8 explains it. "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

Christ did not die for us when we got our lives straightened out, but while we were still sinners. We were given it as a gift. It is true that there is no free lunch. Sin still costs death, but Christ paid our penalty for us.

I John 5:13 tells us "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. We can be certain about our destination!

Are you eternally alive? Have you recieved that Gift?