I recently heard a man say, “Death is the penalty for living.” Is death the penalty for living? Many would say yes. Death is a penalty, but it is not the penalty for living, it is the penalty for sin. Paul said, “For the wages of sin is death….” (Romans 6:23). Also we read in the book of James, “But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death” (James 1:14, 15). I recognize that the death of these passages are dealing with spiritual death, i.e. separation from God (Isaiah 59:1, 2), but physical death came as a result of sin too. Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden of Eden because they ate of the fruit of the tree that was in the middle of the garden. God forewarned Adam and Eve that the penalty of such action would be death. “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die.’” (Genesis 3:16, 17). Yes, they died spiritually because of their transgression; but physical death became a reality as well. Being expelled from the garden, Adam and Eve lost access to the tree of life and therefore death was inevitable. Their bodies would run down and they would die. They in fact were in the process of dying the moment they sinned.

Today physical death is still a reality because of sin. It is not the penalty for living; it is the penalty for sin.  Today physical death is still a reality because of sin. It is not the penalty for living; it is the penalty for sin. We die spiritually because of our own sins (Romans 5:12), and we die physically because of the sin of our first parents Adam and Eve. We do not inherit sin as many religious people teach, but we still suffer the consequences of the first sin that was committed.

While death is the penalty for sin, it does not have to be viewed as bad in every sense. In fact, in some ways death is a blessing. For some death is a gateway to a better existence. Paul said, “For me to live is Christ and TO DIE IS GAIN” (Philippians. 1:21). How can Paul say that death is gain? That does not sound like the words of a rational man, does it? It sounds like one who has become depressed and suicidal, right? Wrong! They are the words of a man who has the hope of heaven on his mind. Paul knew that death was not the end of all existence. Death was a time when he would escape the trials and tribulations of this earthly life, and be at rest from the assaults of the devil. It would indeed be gain.

Death, however, is only gain for some. John said, “And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, ‘Write, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!” ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.’” (Revelation 14:13). For death to be gain, one must obey the gospel and die in the Lord, that is, in good standing with God. Those who are faithful until death die in the Lord and shall receive a crown of life (Rev. 2:10). Those who die without obeying the gospel will find themselves in a far worse condition than they ever experienced “…Shine out among them like beacon lights, holding out to them the Word of Life” (Phil 2:15-16) Volume 2 November 30, 2014 Number. 41  Is Death the Penalty for Living? here on earth. They shall be punished with an everlasting punishment (2 Thess. 1:9).

Death is not the penalty for living, it is the penalty for sin. And, in fact, because sin has corrupted this world and makes it a more unpleasant place to live, death isn’t the worse thing that can happen to a Christian.

~Don