John 3:16
About this verseGod loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, and everyone who trusts in him receives life that never ends — the whole gospel in one sentence.
Romans 6:23
Sin pays out death, but God gives eternal life as a free gift through Christ Jesus.
The wages sin pays are death, but God’s free gift is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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Say the verse aloud, filling in each blank. Tap a blank for a hint.
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.