Life's Wages

LIFE’S WAGES

ROMANS 6:23a

THERE ARE SEVEN WORDS IN THIS PHRASE. I THINK THAT THIS IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE, AS THE NUMBER SEVEN REPRESENTS COMPLETENESS IN SCRIPTURE.

THEREFORE THIS PROCLAMATION OF THE WAGE OF SIN IS COMPLETE. NOTHING MORE CAN BE SAID. WHEN IT COMES TO THE PUNISHMENT OF THOSE WHO DIE WITHOUT JESUS CHRIST. IT IS DEATH. THIS IS THE ONLY PUNISHMENT.

THIS DEATH IS HOWEVER VERY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE KNOW AS DEATH ON EARTH.

THE LORD JESUS CHRIST DESCRIBED THIS PUNISHMENT OR WAGE AS A PLACE WHERE THE WORM DIETH NOT AND THE FIRE IS NEVER QUENCHED. JESUS QUOTED THE PROPHET ISAIAH WHEN HE WAS TEACHING THE DISCIPLES CONCERNING THE PLACE OF PUNISHMENT.

IN II THESS. 1:8-9 THE APOSTLE PAUL DESCRIBES THE WAGES OF SIN.

II THESS. 1:8-9—“IN FLAMING FIRE TAKING VENGEANCE ON THEM THAT KNOW NOT GOD, AND THAT OBEY NOT THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST: WHO SHALL BE PUNISHED WITH EVERLASTING DESTRUCTION FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD, AND FROM THE GLORY OF HIS POWER.”

NOTICE HERE THAT THIS WAGE OR PUNISHMENT IS DESCRIBED AS EVERLASTING DESTRUCTION.

JESUS DESCRIBED THE WAGE AS AN EVERLASTING FIRE IN MATTHEW 25:41—“DEPART FROM ME, YE CURSED, INTO EVERLASTING FIRE, PREPARED FOR THE DEVIL AND HIS ANGELS.”

ALSO IN V 46—“AND THESE SHALL GO AWAY INTO EVERLASTING PUNISHMENT”.

JUST WHAT DOES EVERLASTING MEAN? WEBSTER DEFINES EVERLASTING AS LASTING FOREVER; NEVER ENDING; ETERNAL. AND HIS SECOND DEFINITION I REALLY LIKE:

“GOING ON TOO LONG; SEEMING AS THOUGH IT WILL NEVER END.”

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN A SITUATION THAT YOU THOUGHT WOULD NEVER END? BUT IT DID END DIDN’T IT?

YOU KNOW EVERYTHING HERE ON EARTH IS GOING TO END. IF YOU ARE LOST, AND HAVE EVER BEEN IN THIS SITUATION, WHERE YOU THOUGHT IT WOULD NEVER END.

MULTIPLY THOSE FEELINGS BY ABOUT A BILLION TIMES OVER. CAN YOU TRULY IMAGINE, BURNING IN AN EVERLASTING FIRE, WHICH WILL NEVER BURN OUT?

CAN YOU IMAGINE THE PAIN AND ANGUISH OF FEELING THOSE WORMS GOING IN AND OUT OF YOUR BODY? CONSUMING YOU PIECE BY PIECE, BUT NEVER ACTUALLY DESTROYING YOUR BODY.

YOU WILL FEEL THIS PAIN, AND TORMENT FOREVER. THERE IS NO REPRIEVE. THERE IS NOTHING THAT WILL NUMB YOU FROM YOUR FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS OF ANGUISH AND TORTURE.

THOSE THAT ARE SAVED ARE GOING TO HAVE A GLORIFIED BODY. WE ARE TOLD THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE LIKE CHRIST.

THOSE THAT ARE LOST, WHEN THEY DIE, OR WHEN THE FINAL JUDGEMENT DAY COMES, ARE GOING TO GO THROUGH A SECOND DEATH.

THOSE THAT ARE LOST, AND THIS IS MY BELIEF, I HAVE NO SCRIPTURE TO BACK THIS UP, BUT IT MAKES SENSE TO ME.

I BELIEVE THAT THEIR SPIRIT WILL BE REUNITED WITH THEIR EARTHLY BODY. THE BODY THAT HAS ALL THE PAIN AND SUFFERING.

THE BODY THAT CAN FEEL THE HEAT OF THE FLAMES OF HELL. THE BODY THAT WILL BE ABLE TO FEEL THE WORM FEEDING UPON ITS FLESH.

THERE WILL BE ONE MAJOR DIFFERENCE. THEIR EARTHLY BODY WILL NO LONGER BE ABLE TO DIE. THE EARTHLY BODY WILL NO LONGER BE ABLE TO BE CONSUMED BY ANYTHING.

THE PAIN AND SUFFERING OF ETERNITY IN FIRE WILL BE THE ONLY THING THAT THEY CAN FEEL. THE PAIN AND SUFFERING OF THE BODY BEING CONSUMED BY THE WORM WILL BE UNBEARABLE.

I BELIEVE THAT THIS EARTHLY BODY, NOT ONLY WILL IT NEVER DIE, BUT WILL FOREVER BE REGENERATED WHERE THE WORM AND FIRE CONSUME THE FLESH.

FOREVER REGENERATED TO BE FOREVER PUNISHED. WHAT IS WORSE IS THAT THE ETERNAL SOUL WILL BE TRAPPED IN THIS BODY AND I BELIEVE THAT THE SOUL WILL FEEL THE HEAT AND PAIN OF THE FLAMES.

JESUS DESCRIBED WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN THE FINAL PAYCHECK IS GIVEN OUT. IN MATTHEW 13:49-50.

MATT. 13:49-50—“SO IT SHALL BE AT THE END OF THE WORLD: THE ANGELS SHALL COME FORTH, AND SEVER THE WICKED FROM AMONG THE JUST. AND SHALL CAST THEM INTO THE FURNACE OF FIRE; THEIR SHALL BE WAILING AND GNASHING OF TEETH.”

WAILING IS DEFINED AS SHOWING THAT ONE IS SAD AND HURT BY MAKING LONG, LOUD CRIES.

I FEEL THAT THIS IS PART OF THE PUNISHMENT AS WELL. TO NEVER BE ABLE TO GO TO SLEEP, TO NEVER BE ABLE TO FORGET ABOUT THE PAIN, AND TO NEVER BE ABLE TO ESCAPE FROM THE TERRIBLE WAILS OF ALL THOSE AROUND YOU WHO ARE SUFFERING FROM TORMENT.

THERE WILL NEVER BE A QUIET RESPITE OF SILENCE IN HELL. YOU CAN’T GET AWAY TO BE BY YOURSELF. THERE IS NO ESCAPE.

IF YOU ARE LOST, ARE YOU WILLING TO LIVE ONE MORE DAY, AND POSSIBLY WAKE UP TOMORROW IN A PLACE OF TORMENT WITH NO POSSIBILITY OF ESCAPE?

JESUS SAID THE ANGELS WILL COME FORTH AND SEVER. IF YOU DIE WITHOUT JESUS CHRIST YOU WILL BE SEVERED FROM THE JUST.