“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23 (read verses 1-23)

That we are all guilty before God and stand guilty and condemned under the law of God is made clear in Romans 3:9-20.

That God provided a way for sinners to be justified and counted righteous by God through faith in Christ Jesus and His atoning sacrifice on the cross for the sins of the world is revealed and explained in Romans 3:21-28 and the following two chapters of Paul’s letter.

In the sixth chapter, the Apostle Paul addresses the errors of those who think they can continue in sin and still possess the benefits of God’s grace in Christ Jesus.

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” (v.1-2).

You and I were saved for a life with a purpose. In Ephesians 2:8-10, we read: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

And, St. Paul wrote to the Corinthian believers: “He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again” (cf. 2 Cor. 5:15).

We learned in Romans 6:3ff. that we were joined, in our baptisms, to Christ in His death and resurrection in order that Christ’s death on the cross would be our death and punishment for sin and that Christ’s resurrection, after He paid the price for our sins, would be our resurrection to new life in fellowship with and service to our God and Savior.

In Romans 6:15-16, we read: “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?”

If we willingly give ourselves back into sin — yielding ourselves to the temptations of the devil, the allurements of the world, and the sinful desires of our flesh, we again become slaves of sin and reap the results, the wages of sin, which are spiritual death and eternal death and damnation!

In Genesis 2:16-17, “The LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

In Hebrews 10:26-31, we as believers, are warned: “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

And so also, we learn from Romans 6:20-23: “For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

If we turn away from Christ and back into sin, seeking to turn God’s grace into a license to live in rebellion and enmity against God, we justly earn the wages and penalty for our sins, which is death and the eternal wrath of God.

But if, by the grace of God, we continue trusting in Christ Jesus and His atoning sacrifice for our sins, we are set free from the condemnation of the law and from our former servitude to sin, and God’s gracious gift to us is forgiveness for all our sins and eternal life for Jesus’ sake.

When, by the grace of God, we trust in Christ our Savior and walk in fellowship with God through faith in Christ (cf. 1 John 1:5 — 2:2), we possess and receive the gracious gifts of God which Jesus won for us — forgiveness for all our sins and everlasting life in fellowship with our God and Maker.

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 6:23; cf. Deut. 30:15-20).

Dearest LORD Jesus, grant we not turn away from You and back into sin but hold fast to You and the new life You have given us by means of Your death on the cross for our sins and Your triumphant resurrection on the third day. Amen.

[Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible.]

“Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:13-14 (Read John 4:1-14)

Though the Jews usually had no dealings with Samaritans because they were a mixed people and had corrupted the Old Testament Scriptures to justify their erring religious beliefs, Jesus showed compassion on this immoral Samaritan woman and offered her living water — the water which gives life.

He offered her life-giving water, but she didn’t understand. She thought only of water to quench her earthly thirst and wondered how Jesus could give her such water since He had nothing with which to draw water from Jacob’s well.

Jesus told her that anyone drinking from the well of Jacob would thirst again. This water could only temporarily quench one’s thirst and need for water. But the water Jesus offered and desired to give her was different. It was a water that would satisfy her spiritual thirst, forever! The water Jesus offered and gives would become “a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”

What Jesus was offering this woman, and what He offers to us as well, is Himself, the Messiah and Savior of the world, and eternal salvation through faith in Him and His atoning sacrifice on the cross for the sins of the world (cf. Isaiah 12).

Jesus said in John 6:35: “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”

In John 7:37ff., Jesus said: “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” And John explained: “But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive.”

Water is, of course, necessary to sustain life, and the people living in the arid parts of Israel knew what it was to thirst.

Jesus and the forgiveness and life He won for all by His innocent sufferings and death on the cross are needed by all of us, as well, so that we might have life eternal.

He desires to give everyone this living water that springs up into everlasting life, for He wants no one to perish and be lost forever. He wants to quench our ongoing need for forgiveness of sins and for life in fellowship with God our Maker. He wants us to partake of Him and His sacrifice on the cross for the sins of the world by faith and live!

It is the Holy Spirit who opens our eyes to see Jesus for who He really is: the Son of God and our Savior. It is the Spirit, working through God’s Word, who assures us that God is gracious to us and offers us forgiveness for our sins for the sake of Jesus’ holy life and innocent sufferings and death in our stead. It is the Holy Spirit who brings us to trust in Jesus for forgiveness and life, and He strengthens us through the promises of His Word and keeps us trusting in Jesus.

God’s Spirit also moves and enables us to share our faith and tell others of Jesus and what He has done for us. He moves and enables us to share that water of life we have received with others so that their spiritual thirst, too, might be quenched, forever!

All who come to know and trust in Jesus as Savior have the gift of God’s indwelling Spirit, who not only brings them to such faith and conviction but also He keeps them trusting in Jesus and moves them to share their faith with others who thirst spiritually

The life-giving water that Jesus gives is, in all believers, a well of water springing up and quenching our spiritual thirst unto everlasting life. It satisfies us for eternity and continues to well up within us so that we might share it with others so that they, too, might have everlasting life!

O dearest Jesus, grant us Your Spirit and the forgiveness and life You have won for us by Your holy life and innocent sufferings and death on the cross in our stead. Preserve and keep us in the true and saving faith unto life everlasting and enable us to share this water of life with other thirsty souls. Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]

“He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. He bears witness of what He has seen and heard, yet no one receives His testimony. He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true. For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without measure to Him.” John 3:31-34

As John the Baptist testified, Jesus is from above. He is the very Son of God come into this world to save us. He bears witness to the truth and speaks the very words of God because He came from God and the Spirit was given to Him without limit or restriction.

Though the world rejects the testimony of Jesus regarding God the Father and His plan of salvation, certainly, we want to hear and follow Jesus because of who He is and what He has done for us. His word is truth, and He alone is the way to be restored to fellowship with God the Father. Apart from Him, there is no way for sinful man to be acceptable to God or one with God.

And this brings me to a point I so appreciate: the simplicity of the Gospel.

“The Father loves the Son, and has placed all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has eternal life. He who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” John 3:35-36

You can’t get much more clear and simple than that! Jesus is the Son of God. The Father loves Him and has entrusted our salvation into His hands. Jesus went to the cross and paid the price — He made full atonement for your sins, my sins, and the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:1-2; John 1:29). As the Scriptures promise in Psalm 130:7, “With Him is plenteous redemption.”

The one who believes on the Son — who looks to Jesus Christ and His cross in faith — has eternal life. The one who doesn’t look to the Son in faith “shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”

This, of course, echoes the words of our Lord Jesus earlier in John 3. Jesus told Nicodemus: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. … He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:16,18).

Both John the Baptist and our Lord Jesus called upon all to repent and look to Jesus in faith. They both clearly taught that we are justified, forgiven and made acceptable to God through faith alone in Jesus Christ. Apart from such faith, we are not justified and forgiven but remain dead in our trespasses and sins and under the wrath and condemnation of God (cf. John 8:24; Eph. 2:1ff.).

It is as the apostle John writes in His first epistle (1 John 5:11-12): “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” Or, as we read in the ending of Mark’s Gospel (Mark 16:16): “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”

This is why we look to Jesus and His life-giving Word for our salvation. It is why we trust in Him and His atoning sacrifice on the cross for our pardon and our forgiveness! There is no other way (cf. John 14:6; Acts 4:12)!

O gracious and merciful God, grant that we do not reject the Son or His testimony to the truth but repent of our sins and look to Him and His cross for pardon and forgiveness. In Jesus, name, we pray. Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” Romans 6:1-2 (Read Romans 6:1-14)

“Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?” The close of Romans 5 points out that where sin abounded, grace abounded even more (5:20). So, should we take advantage of the richness of God’s grace toward us in Christ and continue on in our old sinful ways?

It is a sad fact that many do just that. Since they are saved by grace, they feel it is okay to continue in sin because there is forgiveness for all sins in Christ. We, as Christians, often face the temptation to use the same rationale, thinking we can yield to the sinful desires of our flesh now and repent later.

How does the apostle Paul, writing not his own words and opinions but the word and opinion of God, answer this question? “God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?”

What we so often forget is that, in baptism, we were joined to Christ in His death and in His resurrection. Our old sinful nature and all our sins were nailed to the cross of Jesus and punished there. We died with Christ and were laid in His tomb.

But, as Christ was raised from the dead and lives, so also we were raised up by the gracious working of God and are alive to Him (cf. Col. 2:11-15).

The apostle Paul wrote: “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life“ (v.3-4).

What is the apostle saying? When we acknowledged our utter sinfulness and placed our faith in Jesus and His blood shed for us on the cross, when we were brought into the new covenant of grace which Christ established through His innocent sufferings and death on the cross in our stead, we died. You and I are dead. Our sinful nature and all our sins were crucified on Calvary.

And, as Jesus rose from the dead, we were made alive to God. We know God, trust in Him, and seek to live for our God and Savior (cf. 2 Cor. 5:15ff.). The old you and me no longer live, but Christ now lives in and through you and me.

It is for this reason that we do not continue in sin and yield ourselves to the sinful desires of our old evil nature inherited from Adam. As Paul wrote, “For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (v. 10-11).

We know that to live in sin brings death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ, our Lord (v.23). And so, rather than continuing in sin and death, we live through faith in Christ Jesus, who died for our sins and rose again!

We remember daily our baptism and continue in God’s covenant of grace. We acknowledge our sins and failures to live in accord with God’s Word and receive forgiveness and new life in Christ Jesus our Savior. And we walk in that new life, living for God as those alive from the dead.

O gracious and merciful God, grant that we not abuse Your grace toward us in Christ Jesus but count ourselves to be dead to sin and alive to You through faith in Jesus and His cross. Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]

“After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized. And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized. For John was not yet cast into prison. Then there arose a question between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purifying. And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him. John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:22-30

Ministers often tend to focus on themselves and their work because of their selfish and sinful flesh. Ministers come out of college or seminary with hopes and dreams of great success in the ministry (often measured in human standards like numbers and followers), and ministers even become somewhat jealous of the successes of others in the ministry.

Ministers might even count themselves to be more diligent and wonder why people are not flocking to hear the words of their sermons or coming to them to be baptized.

I think we see this in the opening verses of this Bible text. Disciples of John the Baptist voiced concern that Jesus and His disciples were also baptizing, and more people were going to Jesus for baptism than those coming to John.

John’s answer provides a true lesson for all of us. “A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.”
Not only do ministries given and entrusted to men come from heaven; the fruits of ministries — their successes — are God’s working and His blessing upon the humble labors of faithful ministers of the Gospel.

John reminded his disciples: “Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.” John had clearly told his disciples and hearers that he was not the Messiah but only a voice crying in the wilderness to prepare the people for Messiah’s coming. And John had pointed His disciples to Jesus, saying in John 1:29-31: “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.”

As we see in John, chapter 3, John the Baptist told his disciples: “He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.”

Instead of being upset or even jealous because of his decreasing ministry and the fact the people were now following Jesus and going to Him to hear His Word and to be baptized for the remission of their sins, John rejoiced and said these astounding words: “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

Is that how those called to be ministers of the Gospel conduct their ministries? Do ministers rejoice when their hearers no longer follow them because of who they are and what they do and say but instead follow Jesus and cling to His Word because of who He is, what He has done, and what He teaches and reveals to us?

Remember John the Baptist’s words: “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

Dear Lord Jesus, grant to ministers of the Gospel humble hearts and a willingness to faithfully preach and teach Your life-giving Word in whatever place they are called to serve. And grant that they rejoice when their hearers follow Christ Jesus, the Savior who was sacrificed for the sins of the world, and grow in His Word. Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]