"For the wages of sin is death."
For many people, this passage of scripture is a major stumblingblock in their walk toward salvation. This is probably true simply because of the permanancy and seriousness of death. On the surface it seems like death is a much too serious punishment for our everyday sins and shortcomings and even for some of our more grave transgressions. I believe that this attitude toward death as a just punishment typically begins with a misguided concept of who God is.
We have heard that "God is good", "God is life," and that "God is love." These statements are true, but we need to understand that God is also just. This trait of "being just" is as strong as His other traits of goodness, life, and love. All of these traits converge at the cross and you will begin to understand this convergence as you continue to take steps toward salvation. For now though, understand that most of us usually only desire to think of God in terms of two traits- goodness and love. To think of God as just means to think of Him as a judge and it is a scary thing to believe in a omnipotent diety who will judge you. That is why we often hear things like, "God is good so He surely wouldn't send me to Hell," or "God loves everyone so it doesn't matter how I live." There are hundreds of examples of this type of belief. Unfortunately, this way of thinking only takes into consideration some of God's character and not all of it. We must therefore reconcile our life and actions with a just God. We have to understand that there is a cost for sin.
James 1:15 indicates that "after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."
Death is a natural consequence of sin. And it is a consequence for this fact: Sin and God cannot coexist. God is an infinite and perfect (sinless) being. It would be unjust for Him to abide sin in his eternal spiritual realm (heaven) because of the pain and destruction it would cause. Sin and God are like oil and water- they just don't mix. Therefore, since it is God who gives us the gift of life (both physical and spiritual), sin cuts us off from that gift. Sin breaks our relationship with Him and the consequence is death. However, it is an avoidable consequence.
Continue to Step Three
We have heard that "God is good", "God is life," and that "God is love." These statements are true, but we need to understand that God is also just. This trait of "being just" is as strong as His other traits of goodness, life, and love. All of these traits converge at the cross and you will begin to understand this convergence as you continue to take steps toward salvation. For now though, understand that most of us usually only desire to think of God in terms of two traits- goodness and love. To think of God as just means to think of Him as a judge and it is a scary thing to believe in a omnipotent diety who will judge you. That is why we often hear things like, "God is good so He surely wouldn't send me to Hell," or "God loves everyone so it doesn't matter how I live." There are hundreds of examples of this type of belief. Unfortunately, this way of thinking only takes into consideration some of God's character and not all of it. We must therefore reconcile our life and actions with a just God. We have to understand that there is a cost for sin.
James 1:15 indicates that "after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."
Death is a natural consequence of sin. And it is a consequence for this fact: Sin and God cannot coexist. God is an infinite and perfect (sinless) being. It would be unjust for Him to abide sin in his eternal spiritual realm (heaven) because of the pain and destruction it would cause. Sin and God are like oil and water- they just don't mix. Therefore, since it is God who gives us the gift of life (both physical and spiritual), sin cuts us off from that gift. Sin breaks our relationship with Him and the consequence is death. However, it is an avoidable consequence.
Continue to Step Three
