“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6.23).

THE PARALLELISM OF THIS VERSE

Obviously two lines with parallel elements. Wages/gift. Sin/God. Death/eternal life. Phrase without parallel is “through [or in] Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Wages —> something earned. Economic metaphor. Sin’s employee gets the paycheck of death. This is the inevitable outcome for sinners under the covenant of works (Gen 2.16, 17; Ezek 18.4).

Gift —> something unearned, absolutely free. God’s beloved ones (His elect) are sinners, but God delivers us from guilt and gives us, instead of punishment, pure and free grace as those “in Christ.” That grace grants us eternal life in God (reconciliation with Him, renewal of our fallen selves, deliverance from all misery, and perfect communion with Him—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). This is purely the fruit of His eternal love in the covenant of grace, the new covenant, ours in union with Christ (Psa 103.10; Heb 8.12, 13).

So much more could be said, but those being saved are marked by faith in Christ and repentance from sin and sinning. That gets to the main theological point of this verse in its context.

THE POINT IN THIS CHAPTER

Justification by faith alone through grace alone in Christ alone is clearly proclaimed in Romans 3-5. In Romans 6, Paul is addressing an objection raised against, or at least a possible misunderstanding about, this gospel of grace. “Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?” (6.1). His answer is a resounding, “No!” “God forbid!” (6.2) is a paraphrase of the Greek that may be more literally rendered, “May it never be!”

Romans 6.23 is the conclusion of Paul’s repudiation of any notion that grace promotes sin. The preceding verse (6.22) speaks to the Christian readers in the most positive way: “Now, being made free from sin, and become servants of God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.” Verse 23 is the explanation of the redemptive reality of their experience of conversion from sin (cf. 6.20, 21), their practical sanctification, and their confident expectation of “eternal life” in the “end” (6.22). All this is true BECAUSE believers are no longer slaves of sin which pays the wages of death. Rather, they are “in Christ,” the objects of God’s sovereign grace, to whom He has given freely the grace gift of eternal life. This (and not their free will) is what accounts for their no longer being slaves of sin but redeemed children of God.

This grand point of Romans 6.23 is powerfully encouraging to us! Praise God for the gift of eternal life which is ours in Christ. Ω