Grace Gospel 101 (Part 2): Sin's Penalty

Grace Gospel 101 (Part 2): Sin's Penalty

Start with Part 1 of the series here

Penalty or Discipline?

In a previous lesson we learned that all men are born with a sin nature and that all men are sinners by their own will. Even children are sinners. They lie, cheat, steal, and hate without even being taught to do these things. Now we will consider the serious consequences that sin brings. There are, of course, natural consequences to sin. As a child our parents may spank us if we lie. If we are caught stealing, we will be in trouble according to the laws of our nation. However, the full penalty of sin is still in the future.

God is a holy God and His wrath must come upon all that offend Him. The penalty of sin is not that God will discipline us. God may discipline out of love to correct His child (Hebrews 12:6). Sin's penalty however, comes from the justice of God and is intended to punish, not correct, the sinner. When a murderer is put to death, this does not correct him, but gives to him the penalty of his sin. In the same way, there is a penalty for sinning against a holy God.

Death Penalty

Romans 6:23 clearly states the penalty for sin: "For the wages of sin is death." The penalty of sin is death. This death penalty has three aspects. There is a physical death, a spiritual death, and an eternal death.

It is common knowledge that every person will one day die. Why? This is part of the death penalty that has come upon mankind due to sin. After Adam sinned, God said, "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" (Genesis 3:19). Mankind is under the penalty of physical death in which the soul is separated from the body and the body is placed into the ground (or wherever men choose to put the now lifeless body). The Bible speaks of this physical death as "the common death of all men" (Numbers 16:29).

The penalty of sin is not only physical death, but also spiritual death. This is the separation of the soul from God. Ephesians 2:1 declares that all men in their natural condition are "dead in trespasses and sins." The fact that men are "dead in sins" means that they are separated from the presence of God (Ephesians 2:5). Scripture teaches that men are "by nature the children of wrath" and thus out of favour with God (Ephesians 2:3). Humanity has lost the knowledge of God "Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart" (Ephesians 4:18).

Eternal Death

Thirdly, the penalty of sin is an eternal death. Eternal death is the eternal separation of the soul from God. Physical death is the first death and eternal death is the second death. "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death" (Revelation 20:14). This is the final and eternal state of those who suffer the penalty of sin. God's judgment is referred to as destroying "both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10:28). This penalty will involve "everlasting fire" as men will "be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power" (Matthew 25:41, 2 Thessalonians 1:9).

Thus, it is evident that there are extremely serious consequences to sin. "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Hebrews 10:31). Eternal death is eternal suffering without hope of ever getting relief. "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, 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" (Revelation 21:8). Notice that Revelation 21:8 includes "liars" as those who will suffer the second death. Since the Bible teaches that all men are sinners and liars, we can only conclude that all men, in their natural condition, are under the penalty of sin.