The Wages of Sin and the Need for Salvation
Sin has consequences. This lesson follows the Bible's warning from physical death to judgment and the second death, then shows why God's gift of eternal life is such good news.
- Understand the wages of sin.
- See that death is followed by judgment.
- Read the Bible's description of the second death.
- Recognize the contrast between earned wages and God's gift.
Sin earns a wage
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
A wage is something earned. Scripture says sin earns death. The verse then gives a deliberate contrast: death is the wage, but eternal life is the gift of God. One is earned; the other is given. This distinction will become crucial when we study salvation by faith rather than works.
Physical death is visible to everyone, but Scripture teaches that the problem goes beyond the grave. A person does not escape accountability to God by dying.
After death comes judgment
Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Hebrews gives a direct sequence: death, then judgment. That makes the question of salvation urgent because each person will answer to God after this life.
The great white throne and the second death
Revelation 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Revelation 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Revelation 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Revelation 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Revelation calls the lake of fire the second death. The passage is solemn because sin and judgment are solemn. The greatness of the gospel is seen against this real condemnation: Christ saves sinners from judgment and gives eternal life.
Every sinner needs salvation
Revelation 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
The verse includes both notorious sins and all liars, showing the breadth of human guilt. God's judgment is measured by His holiness rather than by comparison with other people. Every sinner needs salvation from judgment.
The person who rejects the Son remains under wrath
John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Notice again the dividing line: believeth and believeth not. The believer has everlasting life. The unbeliever remains under wrath. Salvation is deliverance from condemnation through the Son of God.
God's answer is a gift through Jesus Christ
Romans 6:23 moves from the wage of sin to the gift of God. Eternal life is given through Jesus Christ our Lord. Death is earned by sin; life is given by God through Christ.
This is why the gospel must lead us to Christ rather than to self-improvement. If judgment is the result of sin, and every person has sinned, then no amount of comparison can solve the problem. We need a Savior who can deal with guilt and give life.
Compare Scripture with Scripture
Scripture trail: Romans 6:23 • Hebrews 9:27 • Revelation 20:11 • Revelation 20:12 • Revelation 20:13 • Revelation 20:14 • Revelation 20:15 • Revelation 21:8 • John 3:16
Do not rush past the references. Open them, read the surrounding verses, and make the Bible carry the weight of the conclusion.
Think it through
- Which words in these passages state what God has done, and which words state what the sinner must believe?
- Where does the text place works, religious rituals, or human merit in relation to receiving eternal life?
- Could you use these passages to explain the gospel clearly without adding another saving condition?
Teach it back
Without looking at the lesson explanation, summarize The Wages of Sin and the Need for Salvation in two or three sentences and support your explanation from Scripture. If you cannot explain it simply yet, return to the passages and work through them again.
Slow down and work the text
Reopen Romans 6:23, Hebrews 9:27, Revelation 20:11, Revelation 20:12. Read enough before and after each verse to see the setting. Do not settle for remembering a slogan when you can inspect the wording for yourself.
- Write the main claim of The Wages of Sin and the Need for Salvation in one sentence.
- Underline or write down the exact words in the passages that support that claim.
- Compare at least two of the passages. What truth becomes clearer when they are read together?
- Ask what could be misunderstood if one phrase were isolated from its context.
- State clearly what a sinner must believe to be saved, and keep works or religious rituals out of the saving condition.
Sin earns death, death is followed by judgment, and Scripture warns of the second death. Eternal life stands in direct contrast as God's gift through Jesus Christ our Lord.
- What is the wage of sin in Romans 6:23?
- What does Hebrews 9:27 say follows death?
- What does Revelation 20 call the lake of fire?
- How does John 3:36 contrast the believer with the unbeliever?
- Why is the word gift in Romans 6:23 important?
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20 min