Lord’s Day, Vol. 11 No. 36
The Gift of God
Romans 6:23 (KJV) For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
OUTLINE
(1) The Remedy
(2) The Redeemer
(3) Result/Rejoicing
INTRODUCTION
The greatest gift of all is God’s gift of eternal life. This gift of God is yours to receive and I thank God for your presence today in this gospel rally. I pray that this gift is yours to claim. The gift of eternal life is freely given by God to all man whom He will draw to Him. Given for our present good and our future goodness. It shows forth the benevolence and the sacrifice of God to make this gift possible.
In our text, life is contrasted with death. Death, our text explains, is the consequence of sin. A correlation that man often denies is ignorant, but the truth must be brought to bear, if man is to be truly helped…
Ecclesiastes 7:1-5 1 A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.2 It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart. 3 Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. 5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
(1) The Remedy
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life…
The remedy for death is to receive God’s gift of eternal life…
1 John 3:4 (KJV) Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
Daniel 12:2 (KJV) And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
Ecclesiastes 12:7 (KJV) Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
Luke 16:19-31 19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And 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. 25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: 28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
This brings us to the second thought to answer the question of “how” to receive this gift of eternal life from God.
It is through Jesus Christ our Lord.
(2) Redeemer
… through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The remedy to the death problem is to receive the gift of eternal life from God. Now this brings us to the question of “how”. It is through Jesus Christ our Lord, our Redeemer.
Hebrews 9:27 (KJV) And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
1 Timothy 2:5 (KJV) For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
Romans 10:9-10 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 10:11-13 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
You may ask how can I believe? The Bible tells us in Romans 10:17 (KJV) So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
The third thought is the Result/Rejoicing, having understood the remedy and received the Redeemer, our Lord Jesus Christ.
It is a thought of thanksgiving.
(3) Result/Rejoicing
Romans 6:17-18 (KJV) But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
In Christ, we are freed from the bondage of sin, we are no longer servants of sin because we are given the power to obey the commandments of God and therefore there is no condemnation to such a life – Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
Romans 6:19-20 (KJV) I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
In the past, life was unclean and crooked (that is the meaning of the word “iniquity” another word for sin that means the outworking of sin in a crooked lifestyle.
Now, in Christ, we yield our body to righteousness unto holiness – to live a holy life.
Romans 6:20-21 (KJV) 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.
He tries to help us to see the result of the past life is death. And the fruit of it is shame!
Romans 6:22 (KJV) But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
The result of the new life in Christ is to bear the fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life.
What a blessing. Remedy, Redeemer, Result. Amen.
Yours lovingly,
Pastor Lek Aik Wee