A Better Paycheck

Romans 3:19-20; 6:21-23

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

How would you like to open your paycheck and see the word "Death" instead of what you usually receive?  You wouldn't be too happy, and neither would I.  We work hard for our reward, and we expect just compensation.

And yet, that is our reward for our sin:  death.  God takes sin seriously.  And I want to excuse it.  I want to rationalize it.  Paul, the author of Romans, shows us that we simply can't, on our own, 'win' our salvation:  "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin." (Romans 3:20).

So is fear the motivator that turns us to God?  We can't earn his favor through good works.  We can't out-give God Inevitably, our sinful nature will expose us.  So where do we turn?  Billy Graham has been much in the news recently, heading to his eternal home at 99 years old.  It's appropriate to quote from one of his many sermons on this topic:

"God can use the fear that grips the hearts of men today to point them to eternal truths— the truth of God’s eternal judgment, and the truth of His eternal love.”

Billy Graham, just like Paul, points us to the source of love:  Romans 6:22 says it well:

Now that you have been set free from sin and have becomes slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.

Thank goodness that we can rip up that "death" paycheck.  Come follow Jesus - give your life to him, and follow His plan, and your reward will be eternal life.  

Lord, I want a nice, fat paycheck.  And yet I know that, on my own, my wages will be death.  I stand in awe of the gift of eternal life through you.  Forgive my sin, and help me to lead a life that honors you.  Amen.