Romans 6:23......Life Everlasting

Psalm 16:8 “I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.”

INTRODUCTION..

As everyone is busy getting those last minute gifts. Trying to figure out what that person may want.

When it comes to gift giving, why do we focus on what they may want, instead of what they may need.

We ask for a list. And I am willing to bet that 90% of stuff on that list is something that they want.

As receivers we do not think of what we may need.

And I am sure we have all seen it. We have gotten them what they wanted. And on that morning, wrapping is being torn off and presents are starting to be played with and by the end of the day. Something has been broken...

But that’s what they wanted...

Those gifts are temporary....

But today we want to look at a gift that everlasting. That is eternal and will never fade away.

I can hear some of those seasoned saints say, what looks good to you may not be good for you.....

We see these things that we want and those things can become a idol to us and take our focus off of the greatest gift....Christ Jesus....

I am not saying to indulge but what i am say is that we need to make sure we are giving our loved ones what they truly need.....TALK, PREACH....

And as we are about to see that Paul lets us know today as he did the Roman church then the benefit of following Christ...

the benefit of introducing someone to Christ…because by introducing them you are helping them possibly receive the gift of LIFE EVERLASTING....

Let’s look at the text....

Paul uses this sixth chapter of Romans to help the church realize that they are dead to sin and alive in God, through Jesus Christ......verses 1-14...

WORK TEXT....

Romans 6:1–14 “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that …”

Paul then uses illustration of being a slave to sin to being a slave for God.....verses 15-22

WORK TEXT...

Romans 6:15–22 “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to…”

TALK, PREACH...

Then Paul ends this chapter with our text for the day....

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

Paul has talked to the church about sin and getting away from it and staying with God but here he puts the icing on the cake.

Romans Romans 6:15–23

In 6:23 Paul concludes the chapter with what has become a famous memory verse—but one I doubt is properly understood in its broader context. Paul appeals to believers not to return to their old lives, and he offers this statement as motivation to fight the urge to re-enslave ourselves to sin

we need to do more than memorize this verse, we to take heed to this verse...

Romans Romans 6:15–23

Paul forces us to consider what “wages” we will receive for our devotion. A life devoted to serving God leads to eternal life. This life won’t be easy, but we have the promise that being indentured to God will sanctify us and make us more like Him. The alternative is death—death is the “reward” for a life of sin. As believers, even though we have accepted God’s gift of righteousness by faith and we are delivered from the penalty of sin (6:1, 15), we still must choose where we will devote our lives. Paul challenges us to invest in a life that will pay the dividends that God intended.

Let’s keep it simple, you will spend eternity somewhere....

a life everlasting of torment, gnashing of teeth, a fiery furnace...

or a life everlasting in a city called Heaven......TALK, PREACH...

When we look at the text, the first word that should jump out is WAGES....

wages, simply defined as pay or allowance earned for work done.....

so if you are working or living in sin, you will get paid....

the wages from sin are brought on us by us.....TALK,PREACH...

what is this wage....DEATH...

SIDE NOTE.....there are two types of death.....physical and spiritual.....TALK,PREACH....

When you work for sin, your wages are death

Death is as due to a sinner when he hath sinned as wages are to a servant when he hath done his work

Death is the wages of the least sin....TALK,PREACH...

So we bring this upon ourselves but glory to God, the good news is that He has a gift for us...

Scriptures say the gift of God is eternal life.....

Heaven is life, consisting in the vision and fruition of God; and it is eternal life, no infirmities attending it, no death to put a period to it. This is the gift of God.

SIDE NOTE....But "eternal life" is in no sense or degree the wages of our righteousness; we do nothing whatever to earn or become entitled to it, and never can: it is therefore, in the most absolute sense, "THE GIFT OF GOD.".......TALK,PREACH..

a gift is given not worked for.....

and how did he give us this gift....

last part of that verse says.....in Jesus Christ our Lord....

This asserts the importance of Christ’s death...

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Bible Chapter 6

this gift is through Jesus Christ our Lord. Christ purchased it, prepared it, prepares us for it, preserves us to it; he is the All in all in our salvation.

and how did he do this.....TALK, PREACH, CLOSE.....

as we continue in this christmas season....let’s give our loved ones and everyone, not just what the want but what the need....