When this life is over

When we invest our time and skills in our jobs, we expect fair wages at the end of the pay period. What about the hours and energy we invest in our sins? Do we expect a fair wage for this too? Or would you rather change the subject?

I understand, but I hope you’ll stay with me for just a few more minutes and consider what your paycheck will look like when you reach the end of the pay period of your life.

Look at what Romans 6:23 (ESV) says about wages: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

What will your life be like after you die? 

It would be tragic to face eternity wishing you’d made more of an effort to heed the Bible’s warning. The moment our earthly life ends, another life – rather, a continuation of our life – begins. Shouldn’t we do all we can to make sure our life after death is a good one? A great one?

We don’t have to die in our sins, and we don’t have to miss God’s gift of salvation. We can’t earn our way to heaven or say enough prayers to be allowed in, which is why God sent His only Son to die a horrific death for our sins.  

When Jesus was scourged (whipped with leather straps containing bits of metal and animal bones), His back was ripped to shreds. He was thrown onto a rugged wooden cross which cut into His raw back. As bad as that pain was, it didn’t distract Jesus from the agony of the spikes being driven into His wrists and feet.

Jesus hung on the cross for hours, struggling to breathe. He had to lift Himself by pushing against His spike-swollen feet, scraping His gaping back against the torturous wood of the cross – over and over again – just to get a breath. 

Finally, the hour came when He declared, “It is finished.” And indeed it was. He paid the penalty for our sins and made it possible for us to have a restored relationship with our heavenly Father. To receive His amazing gift, we must turn from our sin (repent) and accept that Jesus died to cover our sins. Then, for the rest of our earthly lives, every single day of our life, our resurrected Savior invites us to trust Him to give us the power and will to overcome sin – and to come to Him for mercy when we don’t.

As I write this, I’m praying you’ll grasp how much God loves you and wants you to spend eternity with Him. His love is so incomprehensible, yet so real. 

So magnificent, yet so personal.

We’ve earned a fair wage for our sins – death. But Jesus stood in our place to accept the paycheck for us. For you. 

Will you accept the priceless gift, eternal life, He offers in its stead?

Sheryl H. Boldt, a Franklin County resident, is a faith columnist and the author of the blog www.TodayCanBeDifferent.net. You can reach her at SherylHBoldt@gmail.com.