The Wages of Sin or the Gift of God
Scripture Reference: Romans 3:21-26, 6:23, & 5:8
Preached at Mount Zion Baptist Church on February 3, 2019
Delivered by John Daniel Johnson
Opening—
Every day of this life we are presented a series of choices. We have the choice of waking up, or staying in the bed. We have the choice to bathe or stink to high heaven all day. We have the choice to put on clothes or walk around in our birthday suit. However, every choice we make has a corresponding consequence. If we choose to stay in the bed instead of waking up, we could lose our job. If we choose to not bathe, we may lose our friends. If we choose not to put on clothes, we may lose our freedom (because we’d be arrested).
With those thoughts in mind, this morning I want to present to you two choices that outweigh all the choices that will ever matter in this life. Those two choices are eternal choices. My goal this morning is for us to make choice—Whether we will Choose the Wages of Sin or Choose the Gift of God. And maybe you’re here this morning thinking, “I’ve already made that choice.” I accepted the Gift of God years ago.” Well, I rejoice with you, but my goal is two-fold. If you have chosen the Gift of God, today we’re going to learn how to know God better.
Read Scripture—
Most everyone is willing to agree, there’s sin in the world. The daily news makes this obvious. Here are but a few examples of news items this week from World News, Alabama News, and Pike County News:
• New York – A new law was established that allows not only doctors, but nurse practitioners, physicians assistants and licensed midwives to perform abortion (aka. Murder) to children in the third trimester.
• Louisiana – the Supreme Court has blocked Louisiana’s regulations on abortion practices.
• Washington, DC – White House press secretary, Sarah Sanders, was criticized by liberals for stating, “I think God calls all of us to fill different roles at different times and I think that God wanted Donald Trump to become president.”
• Houston, TX – 5 police officers are shot while serving a warrant on a drug house.
• Washington, DC – Under the new Democratic House majority, it’s “yes” to taxpayer funding for abortion, “no” to a border wall, and “no” to God. They also drafted a plan to omit any use of the word “God” from oaths that are sworn before congress or court.
• Our Country is still facing another government shut down because our President wants to re-enforce our border and protect our borders, but many Democrats are pushing back stating that walls are immoral.
• In the month of January 2019, ten law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty. Of those ten, four of them were murdered. Of those four, two of them were right here in Alabama. SGT Carter from Birmingham PD and Officer Tudor from Mobile PD. It is getting way to close to home.
• Troy, AL – This past week, we had a murder/suicide just 30 minutes from us in Troy.
Just this past week, I received this message from a friend of our church—“If you want God to bless America Stop Legalizing Sin.”
I don’t think there is a person in this room today who can argue with the fact that there is sin in this world! However, that is not what the Scripture is saying. Scripture is not saying, "There’s sin in the world", but rather, "All Have Sinned!" It seems that all of us have this same need to point the finger at someone else.
Romans 3:23 — “For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God.”
Romans 6:23 — “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Romans 5:8— “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Where Sin Began
1. Sin began in Heaven with the rebellion of Satan.
2. Sin began in the world with the rebellion of Adam and Eve.
- Romans 8:12, "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned."
Definition of Sin
The word “sin” literally means “to miss the mark.” There are three types of sins that everyone in this building today has committed.
1. Inherited sins—sins that were passed through every descendant of Adam (which is everyone). We all have a sin nature.
2. Imputed sins—actions that we do that are violations of God’s commands.
3. Personal sins—immoral choices that are done that God would not approve of. These range from “white lies” to “murder.”
The Way Sin Affects Man
1. Sin causes our prayers to be hindered (“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the LORD will not hear” —Ps. 66:18)
2. Sin takes away the joy of our salvation (“Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with Your generous Spirit” – Ps. 51:12)
3. Sin robs of a fellowship with our Father (“If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do practice the truth” – 1 John 1:6)
4. Sin leaves us guilty before God. (The wages of sin is death…” — Romans 6:23)
The Way Sin Affects God
1. Sin cause us to move away from God, and it takes us out of His presence.
2. Sin provokes God to judgement
—Luke 10:7 , “….for the laborer is worthy of his wages...”
—1 John 1:8-10, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.”
When you hear this "FOR ALL HAVE SINNED" why does this not make us tremble. Why don't we know or care how terrible this is? We have violated the Creator's laws for life. We have not simply broken a law that we might have to pay a fine. It is not like a speeding ticket. It is not like a misdemeanor or a felony that is punishable by a jail sentence. This is not a sin against a man, or a city, or a state. This is a crime against the very God of Heaven. He's laid out the rules. He has said that this world is His. We're only renting it and tells us why we're here, obey his rules or He would have no choice but to pass judgment.
If there is one truth I can tell you today about what the Bible says, it would be that mankind is evil. You may say that I am wrong, but I would be so bold to declare unto you that if you argue with that statement then you do not believe the Bible. The Bible says that all have sinned. Not some. Not just your neighbor. Not just the drug dealer on the corner. Not just the homosexual. Not just the serial killer, but all have sinned. That includes everybody. From the preacher to the pope, from the convicts to the disciples, we are all sinners.
My beloved friends, from the time we were born the only thing we have known is sin. We were born into sin. Some in this room today can even admit they were conceived in sin. By simply being born into this corrupt world, be have been born into sin.
My friends, you don’t have to teach a child to do wrong. They naturally do it. Watch the children on the playground. Even in their innocence, you’ll see them take from each other. They will strike each other. Bite each other. They are selfish. They come up with the most outlandish stories and we say, “Oh the imagination of a child.” However, if an adult tells you a similar story, he is labeled a liar. No my friends, our job as parents is to train our children not to do wrong. Because doing wrong is what comes natural in a fallen world.
Proverbs 13:24, "He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly."
Proverbs 23:13-14, "Do not hold back discipline from the child, Although you strike him with the rod, he will not die. You shall strike him with the rod, And rescue his soul from hell."
Today you may be sitting here with your hands over your ears and saying, “I don’t want to hear it. I will not believe it.” Then you are no different than those in Scripture who heard the Gospel preached to them. Scripture tells us that they “stopped their ears from the truth.” Even when Jesus spoke, they refused to listen to the truth.
“For the heart of this people has become dull,
With their ears they scarcely hear,
And they have closed their eyes,
Otherwise they would see with their eyes,
Hear with their ears,
And understand with their heart and return,
And I would heal them.” -Matthew 13:15
Do you know why so many people don’t tremble in the fact they are sinners. Do you know why they aren’t running to the altars to confess their sin? The reason they don’t recognize and know their sin is because they do not know God.
Think back to the day of creation my friends. The Book of Genesis stated that God spoke to the darkness and said “Let there be light,” and light obeyed. Then God ordered the waters separate and the clouds obeyed and rose above the seas. Then He drew a line in the sand and told the waters that they could only come this far, and they obeyed. They He ordered that all plantlife sprout to life, and they arose and bowed before their Creator. He said "let there be life in the seas and on land" and the animals happily obeyed the Master. Then He made man and said, "If you love me, I'll obey my commandments." And we raise our fists to God, and scream to the top of our lungs, "Who are you to tell me what to do? God it is my life. It can do what I want to do.”
This morning for you to truly understand love of God…you must first understand who you are. We are sinners in need of a forgiving God. Once we truly realize how truly lost we are, only then would you tremble. Only then would you fall down before the love of God and repent. Only when you see how black your life is, will you get a glimpse of the light of Jesus.
This morning I want you to hear these words. Don’t cover your ears. Don’t let your heart become hardened and refuse to accept this truth. My friends, don’t turn off the message before you’ve heard it all. Because if you stop listening now you will be judged based upon the truth. Yes, you and I are sinners. Yes, we have fallen short of the glory of God. Yes, because of my sin, I am headed toward death. Oh, BUT Christian…
…But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord….God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
How to Know God Better
Knowledge of the Word is Not a Replacement for Knowing the Author
The word "know" is often used in Scripture to describe a close, personal relationship:
1. "And Adam KNEW Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain. . . ." (Genesis 4:1).
2. "And then I will profess unto them, I never KNEW you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity" (Matthew 7:23).
3. "I am the good shepherd, and KNOW my sheep, and am KNOWN of mine. . . . My sheep hear my voice, and I KNOW them, and they follow me" (John 10:14, 27).
Illustration—When I was in college, I literally was so in love with studying God’s Word and Him that I didn’t date. I did not go out with one girl throughout my first three years of college. Nearing my senior year, I started a fast and praying to God for a wife. Not a girlfriend, but a wife. I even almost burnt down my apartment because I was burning letters to God as a sacrifice. After a few weeks, a man met me that attended college with me. He stated, “I want to introduce you to my daughter.” I really wasn’t interested, but I thought maybe this is God’s way of opening a door. So I met her, of all places, at a church. It was love at first sight. We talked together, laughed together, and spent great quality time with each other, but honestly after that first meeting I really didn’t know her. I didn’t know her likes or dislikes, what her hobbies were, or even her middle name. It wasn’t until after we spend a lot of time together, married each other and became together in eyes of our Father, that we began to know each other. There was no secrets. We shared everything. There’s literally nothing she doesn’t know about me.
The same should be true with our relationship with God, but often times it’s not. The moment of Salvation is much like our first date. We meet our LORD, accept the sacrifice that He gave us on the cross, but we never get into that intimate knowledge of Him. This morning my desire is what we will leave this place closer to the LORD than we were before we walked in.
Conclusion—
So what is your choice? Will you choose the wages of sin or the gift of God?
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