And maybe we have to consider this evening the last verse of the chapter, verse 23. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

So I said to you on the Lord's Day there are some verses which shine out of the scriptures which are really beyond human understanding to be able to be grasped by the human mind and therefore the spirit gives us faith to believe and trust what is written in the scriptures and we saw on the Lord's day. of the unity that there is between the Lord Jesus Christ and his people that he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified they are one and for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren.

And here we have what we were, what we have reaped, what we have produced over the course of our lives, the wages of our sin. It is death. The scripture tells us that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. And that sin is heaped up as we continue to live in this life as a wage. It is what we receive as a as a reward of our sins, as wages.

You think naturally of our wages as we go to work is something that is given to us because of how we have laboured, we have given our time and therefore those who are above us, our bosses, they give us our wages, that which is due to us. And the scripture says we will receive our wages from this life. We will receive the wages due to us because of the sins that we have committed.

The way that we came into this world was through natural means. We came, each of us, we were delivered into this world by our mothers. We were born of women into this world. This is the only way that the person may enter into this world. Even the Lord Jesus Christ came through the virgin birth. The angels that come to visit, who bring messages to the Lord's people, they are outside of the sphere of the human race. They are from a different realm.

But the Bible tells us that we are made a little lower than the angels. We've been given authority over the things of this world and the way that we enter into this world is through natural birth. Because we enter into this world through natural birth we are subject to the law of God and as we are housed, our souls are housed in a body, a human body that has been corrupted by sin.

The Bible tells us that as we are under the headship of Adam, that we have all sinned. That as Adam sinned, as he rebelled against God, he corrupted the human race. He could say he contaminated the DNA so that we are prone now to sin. We cannot choose that which is right, we always choose that which is evil. We go against God and we have no desire for the things of God and because we continue on in that pathway we heap up sin against ourselves and the scripture tells us that the wages of sin, it is death.

Our time on this earth, it is limited. The way in is through birth, but the way out is through death. There is no other way unless the Lord Jesus Christ comes again. There has only been a few people in the scriptures who have not experienced death itself, who have been translated, who have been taken from this time into eternity by not experiencing death itself, but the normal way For someone to leave this earth is for death. It's for our bodies to cease working and our souls are separated from our bodies. Our bodies are left behind and our souls enter into that eternal state.

So the way in is by birth but the way out is by death. We don't know our time. The Bible tells us that our lives are fleeting, they are fragile and we each know that the circumstances of life can change very quickly and none of us know our time. I was speaking to my auntie this morning, and she believed that she was going to die. She's in hospital at the moment, but she seems to have bounced back, as we say. This is the second time she's cried out to the Lord, Lord, please take me. I'm ready to go. But then he's spared her life for a few more months.

And so none of us know, even when we come to that point where we believe that we're going to be taken, the Lord may not take us. Some people never even come out of the womb. Some people live for a few minutes. Some people live for a few hours. Some people live for a few days, a few months, a few years. The scripture tells us that the normal length, the average length of man's life is 70 years.

Then we live constantly under the shadow of death. The wages of our sin, it is death. We will receive the judgment due to us because of the disobedience of Adam that our bodies are contaminated by sin and therefore they must die. Dust we are, the scripture says, and to dust we shall return. But as our bodies are corrupted and therefore must die, we know that no sin is able to enter into the presence of God. And so this mortal body that we have can never enter into the presence of a holy God because it's contaminated. It is contaminated by sin.

But our souls are also dead by nature. that we are spiritually dead, unable to receive the things of God. We are separated from God. And hell is the reward, the wage that will be received for the soul that never comes to see its need of Christ, the soul that remains dead until death. will receive the wages of its sin, which is eternal punishment in hell. And so our bodies must die. Our bodies must go back to the grave, go back to the ground. But our souls will continue to live for eternity. And that soul, that continues to heap up sin against itself will experience the wrath of God, the judgment of God for all eternity.

The death of our bodies cannot be escaped unless the Lord Jesus Christ comes again. Give it a hundred years and all of us, we won't exist. Our bodies will be laid in the grave. That cannot be escaped. Our bodies are contaminated and corrupted, therefore they must die. We walk through the valley of the shadow of death. But the death of the soul, the separation from God for all eternity can be escaped by trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ.

So our wages are what we are to receive from God. What is due to us and that is death. God would be unjust if he didn't pay us our wages. He says the soul that sins it must die. and therefore to be just he must punish sin. If we go to hell we have nobody else to blame but ourselves because we will receive the just reward for our sin that we have sinned against God. The Bible tells us that sin is falling short of God's glory. It's not reaching the mark, the standard. It's missing the goal. So if we go to hell, we're there because we deserve to be there. We receive the just wages for our sinful lives.

The beauty of the gospel The beauty of this time of year when we come to focus upon the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ is that God doesn't stop there. God tells us you're sinners and if you continue on in your sin you will die the double death. But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. And so as we come to this time of year, Christmas, we begin to focus again on the incarnation of Christ. It's not just a normal little baby being born into the world. It's the fulfilment of great prophecy regarding the anointed one of God that would come to reverse the curse of death upon the human race. It's not just a little baby with no significance but it's the son of God, the only begotten of the Father. The angel sang at his birth. He is God's gift.

So at Christmas time The focus is upon the Lord Jesus Christ as a babe in the manger. But the gospel doesn't just centre around the Lord Jesus Christ as a baby in a manger. It's far greater than a baby in a manger. The baby in the manger is Christ coming down from glory, condescending and putting on flesh. Like we saw on the Lord's day, he made himself like unto his brethren.

But the Gospel incorporates all of Christ, what he was, where he was, which makes it so amazing that he came from glory. He was seated at the right hand of the Father. He always has existed. All the world was created by him and through him and for him. But he made himself a little lower than the angels to redeem his people.

Coming down from a position is a very naturally hard thing to do. Nobody likes to be at the top, to be respected and to have authority and power and then to come down to be at the bottom of society, seen in culture as a shameful thing. Oh, that one there, he was once a great man, but now look at him, living on the streets, having nothing, fail.

The Lord Jesus Christ, the King of glory in heaven, added to himself human flesh that he may live under the law of God to be the perfect substitute for his people. And the way into this world was through the virgin birth. So it focuses on what he was, then what he became for his people.

the Messiah, the anointed one of God, the one with whom the whole of the salvation of his elect people rested upon the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Sometimes at the moment, especially in my own life, I have a lot of pressure. There are things, there are deadlines that need to be met and the expectation of family and expectation of people looking on and the weight of it. It adds a lot of pressure to life. You think of Christ, the weight that rested upon him, the salvation of millions and millions of people, all was resting upon Christ Jesus.

If he failed in his task, if he was unable to fulfil the whole law of God, if he was unable to experience the full wrath of God, then every single person must just continue on on the broad road that leads to destruction and reap the reward for their sin, the wages for their sin. If Christ had failed, then there would be no salvation for any single person.

And so the weight that rested upon Christ was immense. That's what he came to do. He came to do the will of his father that none of those whom the father had given to him, that he would lose any of them. that he would bring them safely through and give to them eternal life.

So what he became, a man. We saw in the Lord's day a man that is able to understand the weaknesses of our flesh. Verily he took not on him the nature of angels, but took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him, or it was necessary for him, to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of his people. For in that he himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to help them that are tempted. That is why Jesus Christ had to come and to become man. He was the God man. So he could experience all of that, all that is in the temptations of the human flesh, the weaknesses of the human flesh, so he could be that great high priest.

But what he did, what he was, what he became and what he did. He did what none of you and I could ever do, to live a whole life in obedience to the whole law of God. The Bible tells us that one of our sins is enough to send us to hell for all eternity. Yet Christ Jesus came to fulfil the whole law of God, so that he could live the life that you and I couldn't live. the walk in complete obedience to the Father.

And as we've seen, as we've gone through the miracles of Christ, that he not only loved God, but he loved his neighbour as himself. What he became, what he did, by his birth and his life and his death and his resurrection. But it doesn't stop there.

the Lord Jesus Christ. He didn't just ascend into heaven and then vanish out of sight. No, he became the mediator of the new covenant. He became the mediator between God and man. He's the life. as the high priest of his people at the right hand of the throne of God, which is why we can come today, this evening, to the throne of grace and talk with our creator through the Lord Jesus Christ, through his finished work, his blood that he shed upon Calvary made this possible for us.

If we've ever had an answer to our prayers, it's because it's gone through the Lord Jesus. and that our prayer was nipped together with God's will and we received those answers to our requests. Did we deserve them? No, but by grace he inclined his ear unto us because of his beloved son. And so what he is continually doing today is mediating the go-between between God and man and the Lord Jesus Christ.

And then it goes on to what he will do. What will the Lord Jesus Christ do? We are waiting for that day. The day when the Lord Jesus Christ will come again, put a stop to time and will gather up his people to be with him for ever and ever and they will experience what Christ has done for them in giving to them eternal life, that they will live forever, ever with the Lord. And all of that is part of God's gift to his people. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life.

through Jesus Christ our Lord, that he was what he became, what he did, what he accomplished, what he is doing and what he will do. It's all part of this wonderful gospel in which we preach, this wonderful salvation which the Lord Jesus Christ has given to each one of his dear people.

At this time of year, I doubt you children, your mum and dad will say to you, what do you want? What do you want? You may think in your mind, I really like this gift, or I really like that gift. And you will tell them, well this is what I want. What do you want from God? Do you want your wages? Or do you want God's gift? Do you want what you deserve? Or do you want God's gift?

In Isaiah, it tells us there, about Isaiah 55, it says, ho, listen, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters. And he that hath no money, come ye buy and eat. Yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which satisfies not? hearken diligently unto me and eat ye that which is good and let your soul delight itself in fatness incline your ear and come unto me here and your soul shall live and I will make an everlasting covenant with you even the sure mercies of David

so he says here listen to what I am saying if you are thirsty come to the water, come and drink, come and be satisfied for this offer that is given, this free gift that is given. You don't have any money? Then come. You don't have any good works? Then come. But what can you bring? If you want to go and to be cleansed, you've got to go dirty. And so what you bring to God It is your sin. Your gift to the Lord Jesus Christ is your sin. Nothing else will do any good. He doesn't want your good works. He doesn't want your religion. He doesn't want anything that you believe would gain you merit for heaven. He wants your sin.

That is why the Lord Jesus Christ came into this world to die for sinners, sinful people who have no option other than to receive the gift of God, which is eternal life through Jesus Christ. And so you can give your wages to Jesus. Your gift to him. is sin, but the gift you receive from Christ Jesus is eternal life.

Remember recently we looked at Esther and the king said to Esther, what wilt thou, Queen Esther? What do you want, Queen Esther? Do you remember when we looked at the miracle of the blind man in Mark? Jesus says to him, What wilt thou have me to do for you? And he says, Lord, that I might receive my sight. Essentially, this is the gospel message that God says, the wages of sin, it is death. This is what you will receive justly for your living on this earth outside of Christ. but God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. That through the Lord Jesus Christ, this death may be reversed because Christ has paid the penalty upon the cross. He received the just reward for the sins of his people. He drank up the cup of wrath. He took death. He defeated death by rising again on the third day. And so through Christ Jesus, we are able to receive eternal life.

And as Esther asked the king, what will thou, as the king asked Esther, what do you want me to do for you? What gift do you want? As the blind man said to the Lord Jesus, you're able to make me, as Jesus said to the blind man, what do you want me to do for you? Lord, that I might receive my sight. What present would you like from God this Christmas? Your wages, death, or the gift of God, which is eternal life through the Lord Jesus Christ.

And examine yourself, see your sin. Your sin won't get you to heaven. Your sin will take you to hell. But Jesus Christ is the only way. As many as receive him, to them he gave the power to become the sons of God. May the Lord bless these few remarks to us and help us to have that true faith to lay hold of Christ as the perfect gift, the perfect gift for this Christmas, who was and is and always will be the perfect son of God and the only way by which man can have a relationship with his creator through the Lord Jesus. Amen.

Our next hymn is from a hymn to worship again, 145.

Before the throne of God above,
I have a strong and perfect plea.
A great high priest whose name is love,
whoever lives and pleads for me.

My name is graven in his hands.
My name is written on his heart.
I know that while in heaven he stands,
no tongue can bid me thence depart.

Hymn 145 to the tune 385. of God above. I have a song, how perfect be. How great thy praise to tell is of whoever lives and pleads for me. in this house. My name is written on his heart. I look at all me to this tale, and tells me all the tales within. Upward I look, and see him there, who laid her bed upon My sinful soul is pounded free, For other justice's sake. My perfect solace, I'm to sing a great old joke. My heart is filled with