Life Or...

Welcome friends to another week. During the week, I was recording videos for YouTube. Afterward, I began reading Romans 6:23, which says, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

I thought about people working for paychecks or cash. Millions make meager wages working for many companies, while others make millions. Millionaires afford many luxuries this life offers while others barely make ends meet. That said, some may live on government assistance or find other means to earn money, such as panhandling. Then there are those barely scraping by from paycheck to paycheck. Either way, billions earn money of some sort which becomes income. Sadly, we pay taxes on money we earn which means we pay the government to make a living. Therefore, our wages become their money. So, we do not benefit from working other than paying bills and purchasing necessities. Therefore, our wages are not gifts but money earned. Gifts are something we do not expect or earn. We do not have to pay a gift back. When thinking about wages versus gifts, many prefer gifts. Why? Gifts are free.

Today, however, I am talking about different wages or earnings according to God. We get what we earn, either death or life—sin cost. Everyone sins. The Bible describes sin as unrighteous in 1 John 5:17. These are acts that ruin lives, destroy countries, tear people apart, kill marriages, cause people to go to prison or die. Sin causes companies to fold, causes wars, creates conflict, and it is the one attribute every human has in common. Sin is pure evil and unholy before a holy and just God. Every human ever born commits sins. Did you know there are 1,016 instances of sin in the Bible, which means God takes sin seriously.

We can define sin as an immoral act considered to be a transgression against God’s laws. No one on the planet escapes sin. When God made Adam and Eve, he knew they would transgress; therefore, sin appeared before any of us were born. Genesis is the first example of sin. In Chapter 2: 9, the Lord made the tree of good and evil. In Genesis 2:16 and 17, God told Adam that he could eat from all the trees except the tree of knowledge or good and evil. Then Satan walks in.

“Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, “Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” Eve told him, “We can eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.” Satan twisted her words, “And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” This exchange was the beginning of Satan’s engagement with humans. He tricked Eve by bending the truth. Eve listened to the snake, who twisted God’s words around, telling her she would not die. Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the tree. Suddenly their eyes become open. They knew they disobeyed God.

We are the same as Adam and Eve. God tells us not to commit crimes against him since he gave us the law. However, his law does not stop many from committing the very sins he said not to commit. For example, Thou shalt not lie. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not commit adultery. We know these laws. They are in our hearts; however, all of us can be prideful and disobedient like Eve.

Sadly, Satan's play on words with Eve caused the entire human race to sin. Eve had two choices- eat or not eat. She chose the first. Friends, we all eat the fruit at times though we know better. It is a fact of life. Yes, all are guilty. No one escapes sin, no matter how big, small, rich, or poor. Sin is an equal opportunity employer.

Like many of us, Adam took pleasure in the deed Eve began. He consented to her sin. “Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” Romans 1:32. However, there is excellent news! Just because we mess up does not mean we are doomed forever. We have Christ. The problem comes when people choose to disobey God and willfully choose Satan. However, God gives everyone a way out. We are born again when we believe Christ is who he says he is and believe what he did on the cross. There is only one way to Heaven, and it is through Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. Until we realize the sacrifice of Christ and accept his gift, we are enemies. “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” Romans 5:10. Romans 5:12 tells us that all of us have sinned; “Wherefore, as by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”

There is a way out. It is by accepting Christ as your savior. My friends, I was like Eve. My life was a total wreck until I found Christ. To that end, many may say Christ is not real. Some may read this blog and dismiss it; others may scorn it; however, someone will accept Christ as their savior. I may never know who accepts Christ; however, God will know. There is nothing I can do on my own to make anyone realize they need Christ. I am not good enough or wise enough; only Jesus is wise and good. I realize this is a very long blog, and frankly, it could be longer. However, the point is this. We are all sinners. We were born sinners. The only way of escaping God’s wrath is accepting Christ. I am not saying anyone will be perfect, far from it. Only by Jesus’s death, shed blood, and resurrection are we reconciled to him. Please do not hesitate too long if you have not decided to become saved from God’s wrath. Are you working for nothing?

Please feel free to reach out to me at Dorothy@savedheartfaith.com, burrell38@yahoo.com, or on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUp3arHvH_ZMI1pXGx8vz4. I appreciate your support.

An office