DCLM Higher Everyday 17 August 2024 — God Made Man a Wonder
DCLM Higher Everyday 17 August 2024 Devotional by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi — The Wages of Sin
Topic: The Wages of Sin
Text: Genesis 3:9-19
9And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
11And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?
12And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
13And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
14And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
15And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
16Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
17And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
18Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
19In 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.
Key Verse: “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15).
Message
What is the meaning of the wages of sin? It is the results or consequences of evil-doing. Lethal A. Ellis in his timeless lyrics, “You can’t do wrong and get by,” declared:
Yes, He knows your secrets, everything you do,
He knows that your life is untrue;
You can ne’er deceive Him, there’s no use to try,
You can’t do wrong and get by.
Refrain:
You can’t do wrong and get by,
No matter how much you may try;
Nothing hidden can be, everything He doth
See,
You can’t do wrong and get by.
Evil-doing or sin is rebellion against God. You cannot do evil and go scot-free. Sin separates one from God, the Creator and Sustainer of life. Sin does not necessarily result in physical death right away. Sin puts barrier in one’s relationship with God. To escape the wages of sin, run to Jesus for the cleansing power and eternal life.
Quote: Run to Jesus for the cleansing
Challenge: To escape the wages of sin, run to Jesus.
Prayer for today: Help me Lord to live for Jesus and do His will.
1. Admit that you are a sinner. "For all [humans] have sinned, and comes short of the glory of God....[and] the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 3:23)
2. Repent now. "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out ...[for] if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness " (Acts 3:19, 1 John 1:9)
3. Believe that God loves you and Jesus died for you. "God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet Sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)
4. Invite Jesus into your life through prayer of faith. Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:20)
