Lesson 29: Romans 6:23
Romans 6:23
The Blueprint — The Verse
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Memorization Practice
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The Context — The History
Paul wrote to Rome using economic language familiar in a commercial empire. 'Wages' implied earned payment, while 'gift' signaled unmerited grace — a stark contrast in a culture that valued reciprocity and earned status.
The Narrative — The Lead-Up
Romans 6 teaches that believers died to sin and were raised to new life in Christ. Paul warns against offering oneself to sin as slaves and contrasts the deadly earnings of sin with God's free gift of eternal life.
The Echo — Follow-on Verses
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Romans 6:22
22But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.
Read the verse immediately before this lesson (Romans 6:22) to hear the lead-in to the passage.
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Romans 6:24
Read the verse immediately after this lesson (Romans 6:24) to continue the passage.
Discussion
- Why does Paul call sin's outcome 'wages' rather than punishment?
- How is eternal life a gift rather than something earned?
- What does it mean to receive God's gift in Christ Jesus?