Death Penalty for Sin, Eternal Life In Christ
One Bible verse that is always quoted every time the Gospel is shared is Romans 6:23. This verse says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Looking at this verse more closely made me realize one thing, and that is, we get exactly what we deserve! We receive death as a penalty for our sins. “Wages” refers to a payment. When a person works, he receives a payment for his work. In the verse quoted above, it means that those whose work is “sin” receive the payment of death.
In today’s article, I would like us to look into the three important ingredients of the above-mentioned text namely: SIN, DEATH and ETERNAL LIFE.
Sin: What is it? When, Where and How did it Start?
The Bible defines sin as the “transgression or breaking of the law” (1 John 3:4 KJV); it is rebellion against God’s will (Deuteronomy 6:23; Joshua 1:18), an act of revolution and anarchy against God’s righteous government.
Sin started in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve deliberately disobeyed God. We read in Genesis 2:15-17 that God put the man (Adam) He created in the Garden of Eden and instructs him that he is free to eat from any tree in the garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, because in that day that he will eat of it he will surely die. 
Not long after that in Genesis 3:1-6, we read the account of the fall of man as Adam gave in to Eve’s suggestion to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that God specifically forbade and committed the sin of disobedience. And because Adam stood as the representative of the human race, his sin was imputed, reckoned and imparted to all future generations (Romans 5:12). The result is that we have all sinned and are under the judgment of God (Romans 3:23).
We were all born into this world spiritually dead and that’s why we need to be born again as Jesus explicitly said in John 3:3-5 in his conversation with Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin.
Death: The Punishment for sin
What is death? It is very important we understand that death is never associated with the concept of non-existence. Instead, death always carries the idea of separation – whether in a physical or a spiritual sense.
2 Kinds of Death:
1) Spiritual death – the state of being separated from fellowship with God as a result of sin.
2) Physical death – a separation between the soul and body.
Did Adam and Eve die spiritually or physically? Or both?
Genesis 3:23-24 tells us that the Lord banished Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden and so their fellowship with God was cut off. Clearly, Adam and Eve died a spiritual death. Take note that before the fall, God had a close, intimate relationship with Adam. God would come down to the Garden of Eden to fellowship with him.
But that relationship was not only tainted; it was also broken as a result of sin.
Some Bible scholars claim that Adam and Eve did not only experience spiritual death but they also died physically that day. Yes, Adam went on to live for another 930 years after being banished from the Garden of Eden, but “with the Lord, a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like a day” (2 Peter 3:8).
Assuming that Adam was 70 years old at the time of the fall, add to that 930 years for a total of a thousand years which is like one day to the Lord.
Do you ever wonder why such a severe penalty for merely having an appetite for a fruit that looked so enticing? Why did God impose the death penalty for the sin of having an appetite for forbidden fruit? It should be noted that the motive for Adam and Eve’s disobedience was more than just appetite, but the ambition to be “like God” (Genesis 3:4-6).
Sounds familiar? It’s the same sin Lucifer committed that resulted in his fall from heaven (Isaiah 14:12-14 & Ezekiel 28:12-18).
Eternal Life in Christ: God’s Gift
Going back to Romans 6:23, do you notice how the bad news comes first while the good news comes last? Often times in our conversation, we always deliver the bad news first so that we can end on a good note. Like when we go to the doctor and he says he’s got bad news and good news.
Without even asking which one we want to hear first, he will go on to tell us the bad news first and then follow it up with the good news. Now, why is that? Because although we need to be aware of the reality of the bad news, he wants us to focus on the good news.
That’s exactly what the apostle Paul was doing here when he wrote to the Roman Church. Paul mentions a problem (bad news) and then introduces a solution (good news). If the bad news is death as the consequence of sin, the good news is the gift of God which is eternal life in Christ Jesus.
But what is eternal life? Is it “living forever?” Does having eternal mean we get to “live forever?” No, because no one ceases to exist when they die! Everyone gets to live forever. The only difference is the location; everyone gets to live forever in either heaven or hell.
What then is eternal life? John 3:36 NIV says, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.” Also in John 3:16, the very heart of the Bible, it says that the reason Jesus came to live and die was for us to have eternal life.
Do you see in these verses that eternal life is a present-tense possession?
Eternal life is not something that begins only when we get to heaven. Sadly, many Christians mistakenly assume that the goal of salvation is the forgiveness of sin to avoid hell. Sure, not perishing in hell is an important part of what Jesus came to do. But there’s a lot more to our salvation than getting our sins forgiven so we can be with God in heaven instead of hell.
As mentioned earlier, spiritual death is separation from God that came about as a result of sin. Sin, which was a barrier that stood between man and God had to be removed and that’s exactly what Jesus came to accomplish. So now, sin is no longer standing between us and God because we have become a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Jesus defined eternal life in John 17:3 as “knowing God.” But what does the Bible mean exactly by the word “know?” Let’s look at one particular Bible verse where the word “know” is used in the same way as in John 17:3. Genesis 4:1 says “Adam knew his wife …”
Adam didn’t just know Eve intellectually. He had an intimate, personal experience with her. This was speaking of a relationship between a man and a woman in the most intimate way possible.
So when Jesus said eternal life was knowing God, He was speaking of having an intimate, close personal relationship with Him and His Father which we can have right now. We do not have to wait for heaven to be able to enjoy eternal life. Jesus did not come to die so you won’t go to hell.
Jesus died for our sins in order to have our broken relationship with God restored as to how it was before sin entered the world.
“True eternal life begins with a relationship with the Lord.”
Conclusion
Romans 6:23 addresses both the consequences of sin and the deliverance from it. The wages (just payment) for sin is death. However, God has given us a gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. This gift is not something earned or deserved but is given freely. The Bible is clear that Jesus is the only way to be free from the bondage of sin and death, and to the Father (John 14:6).
Sure, Adam’s disobedience has put everyone under God’s curse and due to receive the death penalty for that sin, but Jesus’ obedience made us righteous (Romans 5:18-20) in the sight of God and can now receive His gift of eternal life.
Do you want to receive God’s gift of eternal through Jesus Christ our Lord? Do you acknowledge that you are a sinner in need of a Savior? Would you like to have a personal, intimate relationship with God, declared righteous by God and not suffer the death penalty for your sin? God has set before you today life and death and He wants you to choose life (Deuteronomy 30:15 & Deuteronomy 30:19).
The choice is yours!
Recommended Resource: In Light of Eternity: Perspectives on Heaven by Randy Alcorn
In bestseller after bestseller, Randy Alcorn has held readers spellbound with fast-paced, gripping fiction infused with eternal themes. Now, he responds to the widespread hunger for more insight on this subject with a straightforward, real-life look at heaven, rewards, and how to live in light of eternity.
The deepest longing of your heart is for one person and one place. Jesus is that person. Heaven is that place.
A thousand counterfeits vie for your attention, trying to convince you that they are what you’re looking for. But you’ll never find true satisfaction with what this world has to offer. What you really crave can only be found in the land of substance: Heaven.
In Light of Eternity will grip your soul and open your eyes to the realities of Heaven. Far from boring, Heaven promises to be an exhilarating adventure in which every chapter is better than the one before.
With clear biblical teaching and illustrative stories and reflections, Alcorn shows how your life today will impact the eternal reality that awaits you. Let this book guide you into discovering how wonderful your eternal future will be – and what you can do now to prepare for it.