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Writer's pictureMurray Hill Baptist Church

The Wages of Sin


The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah are commemorated as being especially sinful in the Bible. Their memorability even extends to the secular world as a well known sinful place. But what does this event and these cities mean for us today? After all its been thousands of years ago.


These two cities were places of grave sin in the Bible. So much so that God had determined to destroy them both. Except for Lot, his wife and his daughters everyone and everything was destroyed.


Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens. So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.


Then he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain; and he saw, and behold, the smoke of the land which went up like the smoke of a furnace.


Genesis 19:24-25, 28


Even today archeologists that visit this location find the most grisly and undeniable evidence of the judgment exacted upon the cities. Bones buried in the ancient cemeteries had been warped from the immense heat. A layer of ash can be found covering the entire site, under the more recent sand layer. Bones, pottery, and stone are scattered everywhere. They are now nothing but litter in the lonely desert now. In this area can be found sulfur balls that had fallen from the sky. To light one of these on fire is an especially eerie sight. The ball becomes molten and liquid as it burns. Giving a literal meaning to raining fire.


I'm willing to bet that those people thought that they had it figured out. They thought themselves more powerful than God. In fact they might've thought that they could add or subtract any deity they could. The world was their oyster, or perhaps they thought...


"I can do what I want."

"I'm going to do what feels good for me."


"I'm going to follow MY truth."


The people had hardened and puffed themselves up to the point that they were willing to bring harm to anyone that didn't bow to their wills and whims. So much so that our abundantly merciful God had determined that they must be destroyed.


The wages of their sin was that their entire existence be wiped out. Their homes, cemeteries, jobs, goods, families and livestock were burned to worthless bits. Worthless bits that are nothing more than cheaply gained artifacts to be sold on the antiquity market. Let us not forget that we ourselves can so easily be like Sodom and Gomorrah. We can easily dumb down or forget that God is a righteous and mighty judge. One that should be feared and respected.


A God who would have offered them so much kindness and mercy had they only asked. I'm sure they, like everyone else were extended many chances to turn back to God. Probably even given many opportunities to learn about Him, to know Him personally. God extends that same love to you. He sent His Son as an atonement for all of our wrongdoings. Whether you have sinned a lot or a little, it is all the same in the eyes of a holy God. The wrath of God is displayed at the site of Sodom and Gomorrah. This wrath was the wage of sin. Sins which we've all committed have wrath that is to be given in exchange for it.


But Jesus in His great love for us. Came down to earth as a lowly man to pay for our sins. All of the sins ever committed had wrath coming due for all of them. Jesus took that wrath upon Himself on the cross. Not only did He experience the horror of the cross but He experienced the terrors of the wrath of God. The same wrath we read about in the Sodom and Gomorrah account. All those horrible things Jesus took for you. When what you deserved was far worse than you can imagine.


Repent and turn from your sin. Give thanks to God for His loving kindness to extend grace to you. What a marvelous Savior to take my filth in exchange for His riches. In exchange for His mercy. In exchange for a beautiful and loving relationship with Him where I, a dreadful sinner can serve Him out of the gratefulness of my heart for the rest of my life. Thank the Lord that we are able to be free from our wages. The choice is yours to make, friend.

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