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Many believers can almost
instinctively complete this statement: “For the wages of sin is _blank .”
Hearing that sentence, perhaps you even said that last word out loud: death.
We all know what that means. This passage in Romans 6:23 declares what we
deserve for our sin. This is how we view ourselves from time to time—dirty
sinners who have narrowly escaped a horrible death.
The problem here is too many believers remember just the first half of that
verse—the part that deals with our sin. When we focus on the sin rather than
the solution, our entire spiritual perspective gets off balance. Emphasizing
the sin directs all the attention to self—what I have done, how I have
acted, where I have been. This self-centeredness will never lead to the
peaceful assurance of the salvation our Lord has provided.
When we focus on ourselves, we leave little room for God. So, as we read
Romans 6:23, the Lord doesn’t want us to “zero in” on our problem. Instead,
we should focus on His solution: “But the free gift of God is eternal life
in Christ Jesus our Lord.” This passage is not a condemnation for sin, but a
proclamation of salvation! The apostle Paul boldly declares God saw our dire
situation and acted on His own initiative to rescue us from a horrible
sin-death.
Our Heavenly Father graciously handed salvation over to us as a free gift.
And when Almighty God gives a gift, no one can ever steal it away. Nothing
can interfere with its permanence. (Romans 8:35-39) That’s the assurance our
Lord wants us to have. |
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