Sermon for Trinity 7. The Scripture readings are Genesis 2:7-17; Romans 6:19-23; and Mark 8:1-9.

When we understand Ro. 6:23 apart from its context – especially the phrase, “the wages of sin is death” – we most often take it to mean that when we sin, the check we cash or the payment we get is death. In other words, we do sinful works and get paid with death. Now, I want to be clear. This interpretation is true, but it can lead to some serious and dangerous drawbacks. It can feed the false notion that some sins aren’t as bad as others. “Well, I only did this little sin, so I won’t get paid as much death as that other guy who did that big sin.”

What Paul is saying here, in this context, is that sin isn’t just the works we do; instead, sin is the master, the employer, the boss who pays with the currency of death. Talk about a bad economy. Sinners live in the worst economy where the only employer is sin, and sin pays with death. Sin is your employer, your boss, your master, and even your owner.

“But now you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God.” Yes, the slave wages of Master Sin is death, but the free gift, the free gift, of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Consider your new Master and how Christ is toward you. What does He pay? He doesn’t. He doesn’t pay anything.

God can't pay you wages, but He can and does give you gifts. And the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus your Lord. With Christ as your master, you leave the worst economy enter a radically new economy. Ephesians 2:6-7 says, “[Christ] raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” You think you like God’s grace now? You ain’t seen nothin’ yet. None of us have.