There is an important truth that we Christians must face. "The wages of sin is Death, but the gift freely given by God is eternal life, in Christ Jesus our Lord." These are the words of Saint Paul, Apostle of Jesus Christ, in a letter written to the Roman Church in AD 55-57. This is an important truth that God has revealed to us that we must really take into account. This Truth will determine our Faith in God, our relationship with the God of the Universe, and our deification, according to God's Grace. 

My brothers and sisters, wages are not given, but they are earned. When Saint Paul says, "The wages of sin is Death," he essentially is saying, "When you sin, you are earning for yourself Death, specifically the Second Death," the Second Death being eternal separation from God. This is called Hell. Hell is the outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, the outer darkness where those who have willfully separated themselves from God will spend all eternity. Why all eternity? God himself is Eternal, and he invites all to come to the Kingdom of God, which is The Church, and those who are living the Christian life in The Church, they are united to God, in Love for him, and filled with Life from him. Those who are in intimate union with God will partake of God's Divine Nature (2 Peter 1:4), will share in his Love, and will share in his Life for all Eternity. These are the ones who have chosen to have faith in God and participate in the very life of Christ. But those who have rejected Christ, who preached forgiveness of sins, who preached God's Love, Healing Power, and Mercy being accessible through himself, who preached the Truth about God, and who open the eyes of the blind, rose the dead, and gave hearing to the deaf, those who have rejected The God-Man, Jesus Christ, they have willfully cut themselves off from God, and so therefore they are not united with God, which if left unrepentant, will lead to the eternal state of torment, being cut off from God forever. Those who reject Christ do not participate in the Life of Christ, do not have faith in God, do not Love God or his creation, and they do the works of evil. They are therefore against God, and so sinning against God, and so therefore earning for themselves real wages of sin, which is DEATH. 

However, repentance is always possible in this life. When one confesses their sin and repents of their sin (meaning they radically change their mind to not commit that sin anymore), God's Forgiveness enters the Soul, and all the sins the person confesses are done away with and totally forgiven. The Soul therefore is deified by God's Grace in Forgiveness of sins, and the person, if willing to cooperate with God, can be healed of their sins, and so be gifted from God Eternal Life, which is knowing God intimately, and sharing in his Love and Life for all Eternity, which is the opposite of the wages of sin, which is death. 

Now one must take into account how important this Truth from God is. Sin is extremely bad! Sin is what earns you real Death, which is eternal separation from God in the outer darkness, where "Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched." If one habitually sins repeatedly against God, they are earning the wages of sin which is death. This isn't good at all! This is a real serious matter: one could spend eternity separated from God should they habitually sin, not confess their sins, separate themselves from being united to God, and remain unrepentant of their sins. This is really bad! God really does not want anyone to go down this path, which is the path of death. 

But one must also keep in mind the greater Truth of God: The Son became incarnate, so that "the Truth will set us free," and we will no longer be slaves to sin. The Son was born of the Virgin Mary, The Son lived as one of us, The Son died to destroy death, the enemy Satan, and the powers of sin, as well as to take away our sins in which we repent of. The Son rose to life after his crucifixion, therefore eradicating the powers of darkness, and ascended into heaven to reign over the Victorious Church, which has never been destroyed by the gates of the netherworld. The Word became Flesh, so that Mankind can come to know its Lover, who is God. The Son of God became incarnate, so that the Way, and the Truth, and the Life will so clearly be seen by mankind, so that we can finally have total and utter forgiveness of sins, and the complete healing from the sinful way of Life, which will lead us into intimate UNION WITH GOD, which is life everlasting.

And so now brothers and sisters, live as children of God, repent of your sins, and turn to Christ. "If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better for you to enter life maimed, than to have two hands and cast into hell." Cast off the old sinful self, and crucify it, and put on the New Baptized self, reborn and regenerated in Christ, grounded in all faith and love for Christ. Walk as Children of the Light. Imitate Christ in everything my brothers and sisters, and truly you will have The Light of the World. When you sin, repent of it and confess it, and God will be merciful and forgiving. Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you what is sin and what is pleasing and loving to God, and always ask him to lead you away from sin, and into the righteousness of God. Do not be anxious, but ask God and pray all things to God, and always remember that God is in control of everything, and works everything according to his will, which is loving, kind, compassionate, and truly good.

May the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you always. Amen.