Romans 6:23
The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
What Romans 6:23 means
The verse is built on a deliberate contrast between two words. Wages are earned — sin pays what it owes. A gift is not earned by definition, or it stops being a gift.
That single antithesis holds the gospel in miniature, which is why it appears in almost every summary of the Christian message. Memorising it gives you both halves: the honest diagnosis and the undeserved remedy.
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Questions about Romans 6:23
What does Romans 6:23 mean?
It means sin earns death as a wage, while eternal life is a free gift from God given in Christ Jesus — one is payment, the other is grace.
Why contrast ‘wages’ with ‘gift’?
To make the difference unmistakable. Wages are owed for work done; a gift is given without being earned. Salvation belongs firmly in the second category.