Don't Give Me What I Earn

Our Fighter Verses program at church helps us memorize Scripture.  Last week's verse was:

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

 The nice thing about the Fighter Verses (especially when I actually get them memorized) is that I get to chew on a verse for an entire week.  This is called meditation.  I got to flip this verse around and around in my mind last week.

For the wages of sin is death.

Sally from Peanuts famously said in A Charlie Brown Christmas , "All I want is what I have coming to me."  Well, what we have coming to us is death.  You don't want what you have coming to you.  "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23.  We all have death coming to us.  Like an employee who has worked for a week's wages the boss will give what the employee's wage has earned.  Our efforts earn us death!

But the free gift of God is eternal life

Thank goodness that Sally's sentiment isn't God's.  We earn death but God gives us eternal life.  All our striving gets us death.  The source of eternal life isn't work.  The source of everlasting life isn't work, but a free gift from God.  We couldn't earn eternal life and we don't have to earn eternal life.  Eternal life, the most precious thing a mortal can get, is a free gift.  This is the Gospel.  This is the good news.  We can't earn and we don't have to earn.

In Christ Jesus

Eternal life is not just a length of life.  It is a kind of life, too.  Eternal life is found in the person of Christ Jesus.  Getting eternal life is getting a person.  It's much like getting FaceTime, thousands of apps, the ability to call, texting and the like is found in an iPhone.  The length of time we live and the quality of life we have is found in Jesus Himself.  When you get Him you get all the amazing things that come with Him.

Our Lord

Here's the sticking point to this verse.  You can't have Christ Jesus and all that comes with Him if you don't have Christ Jesus as Lord.  If you think you can have Jesus and all His benefits without having Jesus as the captain of your life then you are going to be sorely disappointed.  Any version of Christianity that preaches salvation without obedience is a lie.  Also, any version of Christianity that preaches eternal life as the wages of good works is a lie.  We can't, won't and don't earn eternal life; but in the same breath we can't open a free gift and then redefine the gift we opened.  Eternal life is found in Christ Jesus our Lord.  The Apostle Paul spells that out in case we think we can get this free gift and then live however we want.

The Gospel is NEVER about earning.  The Gospel is ALWAYS about getting a free gift that could not be earned.  But the Gospel is NEVER about doing what every is right in your own eyes.  The Gospel is ALWAYS about putting an "Under New Management" sign on your life.  The Gospel is always about gaining Christ Jesus who always has those that have Him.

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

Let this verse roll around in your mind today.