Roman Road #2: The Wages of Sin
You’re doing great on your journey through the “Roman Road”! We’ve already learned that everyone has sinned. Now, let’s dive deeper into the serious consequences of those sins, and why understanding them is so important.
The Harsh Reality of Sin’s Consequences
The Bible tells us in Romans 6:23(a): “For the wages of sin is death…”
Sin has a “wage,” or a payment, and that payment is “death.” But this isn’t just about our bodies stopping; it’s about something much more serious, which includes both our soul and spirit.
God has set the judgment for sin incredibly high. The “death” referred to here is a spiritual death, meaning eternal (never-ending) separation from God in a place of torment called Hell. This is the ultimate punishment for all sin, no matter how “big” or “small” you might think it is.
Sin Separates Us from God
Have you ever felt a rift or a distance between you and someone you cared about because of something you did or said? Sin creates an even deeper chasm between us and God.
The prophet Isaiah explains this clearly:
Isaiah 59:1-2 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.
This verse tells us that God is always ready to save and hear, but our sins, our “iniquities,” create a wall between us and Him.
The Lake of Fire, Outer Darkness, Gnashing of Teeth
The last book of the Bible, Revelation, describes a final judgment where everyone will stand before God’s Great White Throne (Revelation 20:11-15). At this judgment, people will either go to Heaven or be cast into the Lake of Fire.
Revelation 20:15
And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
This “Lake of Fire” is another way the Bible describes Hell. It’s an awful, horrible thought – not just a place of separation from God, but also a place of darkness, torment, weeping, regret, and even gnashing of teeth.
Jesus Himself spoke about this place. In the Parable of the Wedding Feast, He said:
Matthew 22:13
Then the king said to the servants, "Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Why Jesus Spoke So Strongly About Hell
Have you ever heard someone say, “I’d give my right arm for that!” when they really wanted something? They don’t actually mean they’d chop off their arm, right? They’re using an exaggeration to show how serious they are.
Well, in Mark, Jesus uses that same kind of extreme exaggeration, called hyperbole, to make a super important point about Hell. He repeats it three times to make sure we get it! Jesus isn’t literally telling us to cut off our hands, feet, or pluck out our eyes. Instead, He’s using these shocking images to show just how incredibly serious sin is, and how far we should go to avoid Hell.
Check out what He said:
Mark 9:43-48 If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched—Where ""Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched." And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched— Where "Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched." And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire— Where "Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched." Those are some powerful and serious warnings from Jesus!
A Story from Jesus About Hell
In Luke, Jesus tells a story about a rich man and a poor man named Lazarus.
Luke 16:19-26
There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.
But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate,
Desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.
And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
Then he cried and said, "Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame."
But Abraham said, "Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.
And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us."
This story gives us some important, and sobering, truths about Hell:
- Those in Hell are conscious of their life and sinfulness. The rich man remembered his life on earth and felt incredible regret.
- Hell is a place of fire and torment. The rich man begged for a drop of water to cool his tongue because he was in agony in the flames.
- Hell is inescapable. There is a “great gulf fixed” that prevents anyone from crossing over, meaning once you are there, there is no leaving.
Your Belief Doesn’t Change Reality
Just like we discussed before, not believing in Hell doesn’t make it disappear.
Think about the law of gravity again. You can stand on top of a tall building and loudly declare to everyone, “I do not believe in the law of gravity! It’s a false idea!” But if you jump off that building, you will still fall and be subject to the law of gravity, whether you believe in it or not. You will pay the price for defying it.
Likewise, choosing not to believe in Hell changes absolutely nothing about its existence or what the Bible says will happen to those who die in their sins without Jesus.
Why Would a Loving God Create Hell?
This idea of Hell can seem extreme, and you might wonder why a loving Creator God would allow such a place to exist.
In the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats, Jesus tells us a crucial fact about Hell:
Matthew 25:41
Then He will also say to those on the left hand, "Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels."
This passage reveals something profound: God did NOT create Hell for mankind. Instead, it was prepared for the devil and his evil angels! It was meant as their eternal prison.
However, the devil, whom the Bible calls “the god of this world,” is constantly trying to deceive and trick us. He doesn’t want us to believe the Good News about Jesus Christ:
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 (NLT)
If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.
2 Corinthians 11:3 (NASB)
But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.
1 Peter 5:8
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
The devil’s goal, as Jesus said, is clear:
John 10:10 (NASB)
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
Heavy Truths? Hold On – Hope is Next!
In the first step of the Roman Road, Romans 3:23, we learned that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” This second step, Romans 6:23(a), gives us the very, very horrible news about the “wages” of our sins: separation from God, spiritual death, and Hell as an inescapable consequence.
But please, don’t quit yet! Because our next step in the Roman Road takes us to the very next part of this same verse, Romans 6:23(b), in which there is some truly wonderful good news coming your way!
