WHAT WE BELIEVE - The Wages of Sin is Death

In Romans chapter three, Paul states that we have all sinned and are separate from God. Many people do not consider themselves sinners because they claim to follow their conscience, do nothing wrong, or belong to a church. The Jews believed that because they were God’s people, they had more benefits than the Gentiles. Some of them thought that sin is not alarming because God is love; he forgives and does not punish. They said that sin is not evil and that we should follow the Law and culture. 

Paul reminds them that by the Law, all would be condemned because no one has fulfilled it. Paul refers to Psalm 14:1, “There is no righteous one”, which means “no one is innocent.” Have you ever said, “I am not that bad” or “I’m a good person”? Have you ever lied? Are you rude to anyone? We must remember that we are all sinners. Do not deny that you are a sinner. Instead, let your great need lead you to Christ.

Some sins seem much more significant than others because their consequences are greater. Murder, for example, looks to us to be worse than hatred, and adultery appears to be worse than lust. Any sin turns us away from our holy God. Any sin, therefore, leads to death (because it renders us incapable of living with God), no matter how great or small the sin may seem. Paul gives us good news after this bad news about our sinfulness and God’s condemnation.

God freely gives us His forgiveness and salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. Trusting Jesus means being assured that Christ forgives our sins, makes us righteous before God, and empowers us to live like Him.