June 26: Sin Has An End

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 holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:20-23

The eternal death of the wicked is an act of mercy on the part of Yahweh. The statement “His mercy endures forever” appears over 40 times in Scripture. The nature of sin is always degenerative, and this is why He must bring it to an end. He chose to accomplish this by steadfastly revealing His own nature: that of the purest love. It is only in the recognition of His love that sinners begin to desire freedom from their slavery to sin. It is the love of God that offers to each of us the means to be disentangled from sin’s slavery. Paul uses the phrase slaves of God in the context of bondservants: those who willingly choose to serve their master out of love. It is a joy to serve a Master who loves you and whom you love in return.

Our wily foe, in his aim to interrupt this love relationship, has perpetrated lies regarding God’s character. One lie in particular has taken a firm hold in many Christian churches and non-Christian religions as well. It is used to frighten, terrorize, and coerce. It goes something like this: “the wages of sin is eternal life in a fiery chamber of torture.” Such a prospect is intended to characterize Yahweh as a merciless, egotistical tyrant who is vindictive and beyond cruel. In actuality, it is a revelation of the character of the original perpetrator of this lie.

This same foe began his campaign of lies by planting the idea that the human soul is inherently immortal (see Genesis 3:4) and therefore cannot die. This lie goes hand-in-hand with the idea of endless torture. To believe and spread them is rendering a service to the enemy of Yahweh. But if we cultivate a love for the truth, we will believe that eternal life is a gift from our heavenly Father through the very costly sacrifice of His Son. To be set free from sin requires our whole-hearted belief in the Word [that] became flesh (John 1:14) and cooperation through loving obedience to that Word. Those who live out their faith gain a growing understanding that the Lord’s work—to restore in us His likeness—is of a divine nature. Only He can accomplish this, for He has the power to recreate our hearts and write His law upon them, rendering a character transformation fit for heavenly citizenship. This happens day-by-day, as we yield to the power of His transforming love.

Consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you . . . in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked. 2 Peter 3:15-17