I was drying dishes when Romans 6:23 popped into my mind unexpectedly. That was a verse I had memorized as a little kid. Suddenly the thought struck me that Rom.6:23 is a suitcase -- yes, a suitcase which contains all the wonderful treasures of chapters 6, 7 and 8. Everything we need for life's journey is in that suitcase if we will only unpack it.
Part A: The wages of sin is death -- hopelessness and doom.
Part B: The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord -- incredible wonder.
What happened between parts A and B? One of God's amazing BUTs. I open the suitcase and start unpacking. The first thing I see is a thick document which bears my name. Each page is bordered heavily in black and lists charges against me. The first page begins with my deadly inheritance from fallen Adam and the several remaining pages accurately outline my sins, iniquities, transgressions -- all the outrageous affronts against a holy Sovereign God. Each succeeding page brought greater heaviness and fear until I came to the second last page. There my account was tallied and far beyond all my ability to reconcile. The total showed that what the record had earned for me was DEATH. There's no escaping the inevitable -- those wages must be paid.
With a trembling hand I turned to the last page and could scarcely believe what I saw. There were only three words on that page, three words written in crimson, three words written in huge letters which filled the page -- "PAID IN FULL!"
What? How? Where?
Then I noticed a hole in the upper corner of the bulky document; it looked like a nail hole, as if the document had at some time been nailed to something (Colossians 2:14). I turned back to the first page and to my amazement saw that the black border had turned to gold and the pages were now blank except for one phrase following my name -- Accepted in the Beloved. A fresh start, a new beginning, a liberated life can now be recorded on these shining pages. How could this be? Death is always a consequence of sin but the wages of sin were fully paid on the Cross. Christ received the full wages of sin and sin owes Him nothing. One baptism by the Spirit into Christ and I became a participant in His death, burial and resurrection. The wages of sin is death -- and I paid in Christ. God legally counts it as though it happened to me. Therefore sin owes me nothing; is no longer my master.
I dig deeper in the suitcase and find an official paper. Joyfully I read that my citizenship has been changed and the old country has no authority over me. I have been transferred out of the control and dominion of the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of God's Son (Colossians 1:13). Satan is no longer master and cannot make me sin. Now I live under a higher law -- not legalism, not license, (both are human ways); but LIFE -- God in me playing His music and the commands of the Law become the promises of the Spirit.
Now that my new citizenship is established, I am uncomfortable in my soiled clothes. I need to find the proper attire for the new Kingdom.
Further probing in the suitcase reveals rich garments (Zechariah 3:5). In deep humility and wonder I realize that as the garments of righteousness cover me, I have been clothed with Christ (Galatians 3:27).
This is FREEDOM -- the Resurrection Life of Jesus in me reflecting the character of God. What a life! What a suitcase!
I'm just about to close down the lid when I spy a little note tucked in the corner. Eagerly I read -- "You've barely scratched the surface. There are many priceless jewels yet to be discovered in the Rom.6:23 suitcase and trunks full of more treasures are readily available to anyone who will take the time to unpack them."