Paul said, “The wages of sin is death.”
Note. He did not say God will kill you if you sin. But there is someone else who would like to lure you in to sin and then try to kill you.
Satan would like to pay you what you earned from sinning. He pays with condemnation, guilt, fear, humiliation, disease, torture and death.
Satan was at the cross ready to seal the deal for good. He had been surprised at how easy it was to maneuver God to the cross.
He knew what he hoped no human would ever know. He knew Jesus was God revealed in human flesh. Satan thought he had purged himself of all sentimental feelings for God.
But there was something in the way Jesus looked at him. It was a look of pure Love. And for a moment … just a moment … satan remembered how much he once loved God.
But he shook off the feeling quickly and got down to business.
Satan said, “I’m here to pay your children the wages they earned or ever will earn.”
He thumbed through his notes. He saw you already. He started tallying up what you would earn. He was going to be ready to pay after you earned it. He knew you would sin. Every human does.
Satan loved that scripture that says, “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”
Romans 3:11-12.
Satan laughed. “Sucks for them. Good for me.”
But God, The One True God revealed in Jesus, said, “I’ll take all those wages. Give them to Me.”
Satan snarled. “Oh no, You have to follow the rules.“
Satan smugly quoted Ezekiel.
“The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son.”
Ezekiel 18:20
Then he quoted Deuteronomy.
“Fathers shall not be put to death because of their children, nor shall children be put to death because of their fathers. Each one shall be put to death for his own sin.”
Deuteronomy 24:16
God smiled. “I AM The Book and I AM writing a new chapter. I, The Father, love all My Children, past, present and future.
I will receive all the wages you want to pay them. Give them all to Me now.”
Satan could not believe his ears. God was the one he wanted all along. The weak willed humans were just a path to the one he wanted. And now God was offering Himself to take everything satan had!
Satan licked his lips. If God took all the wages for all the sinners in all times and places, satan knew He could never survive. Satan thought it would be the greatest display of his demonic power the world had ever seen.
Satan envisioned generations to come still marveling at his power. God would finally be dead. Satan was already considering what he, satan, would wear to his coronation ball when he would become King of The Universe.
Satan called his demons to bring out the worst form of torture — the cross. He looked at Jesus, already beaten physically and now about to be beaten for all eternity … but … things did not go as satan thought they would.
More to come, but please absorb today’s message.
God loves you. He always has. He always will. His Love is not dependent on what you do or don’t do.
He knew every sin you would ever commit. He knew how much it would cost you in joy and peace if you received the wages satan wanted to pay you.
So God came Himself in flesh to save you. He did this by giving you His Teachings and giving His Perfect Life lived out in front of people.
God revealed Himself through Jesus. He came to expose and destroy the works of the devil.
God Himself was on the cross receiving all satan wants to give you … all the wages that bring death.
He received your wages and gave you The Gift of a clean slate … A Gift only He could give.
The wages of sin is death, but The Free Gift of God is Eternal Life in Christ Jesus our Lord!
Romans 6:23
