For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23
One of the biggest questions in the mind of a person being offered a job is how much will they be paid. For almost all of us, if it weren’t for the wages, we would never take the job. And many people quite their jobs because their employer refuses to pay them what they believe they are worth. Other people pay monthly dues to a union that will bargain for the best wages possible. If wages are the most critical component of our employment, they are just as critical when it comes to our spiritual life. Most people think they are earning good wages, or are simply not concerned about the wages they are earning. Good behaviour and neighbourliness, religious activity, and generosity toward good causes are all considered ways to earn good wages for eternity. Sadly, these are all wrong assumptions, according to our text. Wages might be the only way to provide for our earthly existence, but when it comes to our eternal existence, wages are a liability, not a credit.
As Christians, we are thankful that God has not accepted us for what we have done but for what the Lord Jesus has done. We have all earned the wages of sin, which is death. But the God Who knew the full extent of our sin paid our wages to His Son. Because the wages are paid in full, we are free to accept the gift that God offers. That gift is far greater than we can measure or imagine. It is beyond our power to purchase or merit. It is available only to those who do not deserve it, because none of us deserve it. In fact, it is available only to those who will admit that they don’t deserve it. All others are still trying to earn wages, unaware that the wages are deadly and tragic.
Our text presents the greatest possible contrast between the two types of people in our world: the wage earners and the gift accepters. The wage earners are lost, the gift accepters are saved. The wage earners are uncertain and fearful, the gift accepters are rejoicing in the certainty of our salvation. The wage earners are working with no certainty of a return, the gift accepters are resting with the certainty of God’s promises. In the final outcome, the wage earners will receive their bitter wages and wail, the gift accepters will enter into the joy of our Lord and sing.
Our future depends on the One Who offers us His free gift of salvation, not on the wages that offered us no hope or help. -Jim MacIntosh