Introduction: What Are the Wages of Sin?
I want to focus in on a Bible verse that we use constantly when we’re preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
I want to only focus in on the first part of that verse. Seven words. “For the wages of sin is death.” Let’s break this down.
The Meaning of Wages
Wages of sin. What does this mean? Wages are what you earn and deserve. The Bible doesn’t say penalty for a reason. A penalty can be imposed from the outside and is something you may or may not feel you deserve.
But wages are earned. They are the natural and rightful payment for what you’ve done. Sin doesn’t just deserve death—sin earns death. Wages is the word used here because wages means God is just. He is paying people exactly what they earned. “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” God is being fair. A fair wage for sin is death.
Sin is like an employer. You serve it, and it pays you—and it always pays in death. No one gets underpaid or overpaid. Sin always delivers the same paycheck: death. “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. You serve sin like a master, and it gives you your wages—spiritual and eternal death.
If this were just a penalty and not wages, someone might try to argue that they didn’t mean it, it was only one, or can I work it off? If it’s a penalty, maybe I can just work it off.
But wages don’t care about excuses. If you worked, you got paid. If you sinned, death is what you’ve earned. Wages are earned and gifts are not earned. You can earn death through sin. You can’t earn everlasting life. It must be given by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
The Depth of Death
So, we now understand what wages mean and why God uses the word wages. For the wages of sin is death. Now, I want to focus in on death. The wages of sin is death.
What does this mean? Think about this. Is death equal to the physical death of your body? Or is it more than a physical death? Here’s the important question for you. And please listen closely to this question.
If the wages of sin was just a physical death, wouldn’t all of our sins be paid for when we die physically? If our physical death paid for our sins, then Jesus didn’t need to come and pay for our sins and save us from hell. He didn’t come to save us from a physical death as we still die physically.
The Error of Limiting Death to the Physical
I hope you’re starting to see where I’m headed with this.
If the wages of sin was only a physical death, then every sinner would pay for their sins just by dying physically. There would be no need for hell. Jesus wouldn’t have needed to go to hell – only to die on the cross for us. Do you understand what I’m saying here?
Did the soul of Jesus go to hell or not? Many say they His soul didn’t go to hell even though the Bible clearly says that His soul did go to hell.
The Dangers of False Doctrine
If the wages of sin was a physical death only, then I would believe that Jesus only had to die on the cross physically for us to be saved. If the wages of sin were only a physical death, there would be no eternal punishment for the lost. But the Bible completely and clearly contradicts that idea.
This false doctrine that Jesus didn’t go to hell leads people down the wrong paths.
For example, if the wages of sin is a physical death, then everyone goes to heaven because we all die physically. The physical death would satisfy the wages of sin. We would only earn that physical death and nothing past that.
This is what logically comes from false doctrine just as one example. They might say hell isn’t real or necessary since Jesus didn’t go to hell with the sins of the whole world.
The Fullness of Atonement
If the soul of Jesus didn’t go to hell, then he suffered only physically. The soul punishment that we deserved in hell wasn’t paid. They will say that the atonement is only the physical blood of Jesus. They will say his soul wasn’t required. “Thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin.”
More false doctrine comes from saying the soul of Jesus wasn’t left in hell, and it just keeps going. Another example might be that the resurrection of Jesus is just a victory and not a rescue from death and hell. This false doctrine waters down the power of the resurrection which was a literal victory of death, hell, and the grave.
Revelation 1:18
I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
He has the keys of hell and of death.
The Ripple Effect of Denying Jesus Went to Hell
But some may continue in the false doctrine that Jesus didn’t go to hell and it leads you into more false doctrine. If the full payment of death wasn’t made, then people might believe in a works based salvation. Some may say that you can finish paying with your own suffering, penance, purgatory, or perseverance.
If Jesus didn’t enter hell, they can say that He didn’t conquer hell. They can say He didn’t bear the full punishment. And we are still in our sins. But the Bible says that the resurrection of Jesus Christ includes His soul not being left in hell.
Saying that the soul of Jesus never went to hell is a doctrinal cancer that must be rooted out with the Scriptures.
Understanding the Word “Death”
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The key here is to understand death. Jesus says he has the keys of hell and of death.
This death is not just the first, physical death. It includes the second death:
Revelation 20:14
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Now, you can think of the first death as the death of your body and the second death as hell. Hell is relocated to the lake of fire. The final hell is the second death.
Death Is More Than Physical
For the wages of sin is death means a physical death and a spiritual death. Again, it is not just a physical death or all of our sins would be paid for when we die physically. We earned a physical death and that would be it.
If physical death paid for sin, then:
- Hitler, murderers, rapists — all paid their debt when they died.
- There would be no need for judgment.
- There would be no hell.
- There would be no reason for Jesus to die at all, since everyone already dies.
Right? Simply use logic and see that the wages of sin is death means more than a physical death.
Jesus’ Own Words on Body and Soul
But what does Jesus say?
Matthew 10:28
And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
The body and the soul is killed. The body dies. The soul dies. The Biblical definition of death includes the body physically dying and the soul spiritually dying in hell.
Look, there is no other way around any of this. You can try all you want. But there’s way too much Scripture on this. This is why it’s taking me many sermons to show you all the proof of why the soul of Jesus went to hell.
The Incomplete Payment of Physical Death Alone
Does a physical death pay for the wages of sin?
No — physical death alone does not pay the wages of sin.
The true wage includes eternal punishment in hell, and that’s why Jesus went there in our place. He received our wages that we earned. And those wages are death, but not just a physical death.
If you reject the idea that Jesus went to hell, you’re left believing that His physical death alone somehow satisfied eternal judgment — but that contradicts Scripture and logic.
Jesus paid it all — not just with His body, but with His soul in hell.
Death Includes Conscious Souls
We must understand what death happens to be. “For the wages of sin is death.” In this next set of Scripture, we’re going to see people that are called dead. Notice where they are located. And remember, we studied this recently. A dead soul is still conscious. We’re going all the way towards the very end of the Bible.
Revelation 20:11-12
And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Look at verse 12. “And I saw the dead.” Later in the verse, it says: “And the dead were judged.” So we see dead souls here. Where were they? Let’s look at the next verse.
Revelation 20:13
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Notice the Bible says, “And death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them.” Death is equal to the dead bodies and hell equals where the souls are located. The dead souls are in hell. Death is equal to physical and spiritual. Don’t leave out the spiritual things.
Propitiation Is the Satisfaction of the Wages We Earned
1 John 2:2
And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
The word propitiation means a full and satisfying payment that turns away wrath.
“For the wages of sin is death.”
Wages are what we earned. Propitiation is how that payment was made and received. Jesus is the propitiation for our sins. Propitiation means a full, satisfying payment that turns away wrath. Jesus took the full wages of sin which is death.
If you earned death, and Jesus is the propitiation, that means He fully satisfied those wages — not by canceling the wages, but by receiving them. The wrath of God that we earned through sin wasn’t ignored — it was poured out fully on Jesus. He took our paycheck of death: physical, spiritual, and eternal. And God accepted that offering as just and complete.
So in summary:
- Wages = what we earned through sin
- Propitiation = how Jesus paid and satisfied that debt completely
He took our place, received what we were due, and satisfied the justice of God.
Conclusion: Jesus Took Our Death — Fully
The wages of sin is not just physical death — it’s also spiritual and eternal death.
That includes hell, the second death, the lake of fire. Jesus didn’t just die physically on the cross — He took the full wage: He suffered spiritual separation, His soul went to hell, and He conquered it all.
That’s why the resurrection is more than just victory — it’s proof that the payment was finished.
If death means both body and soul punishment, then Jesus had to suffer both to pay our wages. And He did.
So now, through faith in Him — we don’t get what we earned, which is death. We get what He earned, which is life. He got our wages. We got His wages.
And some might say that Jesus didn’t suffer in hell. But we’ve studied through the Scriptures as well. And we will continue to study through the Scriptures. We must base our doctrine on the actual Scriptures.
Let’s pray.
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