DEATH THE WAGES OF SIN.
By R. F. Cottrell
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. 6: 23. ALL men, whether saints or sinners, are subject to death as the result of Adam's sin: "For as in Adam all die even so in Christ shall all be made alive." 1 Cor. 15: 22. It is evident that this death would have been the final and everlasting end of all the human race, had there been no redemption provided, which should bring men back to life. By a resurrection, all are restored to life, and by this arrangement each person is put upon an individual probation for eternal life in the world to come. If he fails to secure eternal life by faith and obedience, the wages of his personal sins is death—the "second death." He dies once as the result of Adam's transgression; but being raised to life by the resurrection, he dies a second time for his own sins; and this death is final and eternal. The second death is thus declared by the prophet: "When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for the iniquity that he hath done shall he die." Eze. 18: 26. That is to say, if a man die in sin, for his sin he shall die a second time. Thus we are taught that all the wicked shall die the second death. We read, "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death." Rev. 21: 8. Life and death were set before man in the beginning. We read, "And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." Gen. 2: 16. By transgression man forfeited life, and was returned to the earth from which he had been taken: "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground: for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return." Gen. 3: 19. But redemption from this first death has been graciously provided, and God still says to man, "I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that thou and thy seed may live." Deut. 30: 19. Again, an apostle says, "Know ye not that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" Rom. 6: 16. "What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death." Verse 21. James speaks in the same way: "When lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin, and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." Chap. 1: 15. Death is the final result of sin. "Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." Again he says, "He which converteth a sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death." Chap. 5: 20. The converted sinner is not saved from the first death, which is the common lot of all, but from the second, the final fate of the sinner. The Lord says, "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life." Rev. 2: 7. Again, "He that overcometh shall not be hurt by the second death." Verse 11. Let the words life and death have their proper and primary signification, and all is plain, harmonious, and easy to be understood. The "common people," such as heard Jesus gladly, the poor, to whom he said the gospel is preached, and even children, can understand the teaching. But give these words a spiritual signification only, in all the promises of life to the righteous, and in all the threatenings of death to the sinner, and the sense of these passages is destroyed. For example, if the death threatened is a spiritual death, that is, a state of sin, then the wages of sin is to be a sinner; as if God should say, If you sin, you shall be a sinner; which is simply a matter of course. No, the denunciation against sin is punishment, and that punishment is death. God gave life to man in the beginning. This life he forfeited by sin; and death to all the race was the consequence. But by the redemption of Christ, man is to be raised from death, and pardon and life everlasting are offered in the gospel. If the offer of pardon is rejected or neglected, and a continuance in sin is preferred, the second death, a death without a resurrection, will follow. This is just, and it is merciful. The incorrigible sinner is destined to utter perdition and eternal oblivion; but those who turn from all their sins, accept the offered pardon for the past, and persevere in the way of well doing, shall receive freely the precious and priceless gift of eternal life.