For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
COMMENTARY
For the wages of sin is death
Previously we examined how we are all cut off from direct connection with God. This sort of severance is called a spiritual death in the scriptures. It falls on us universally, both because of the Fall of Adam and Eve, and also because of our own failure to keep God’s commandments perfectly. Thus, twice-fold, the wages of sin truly are death, and we would forever be cast off from God if there was no intervention.
But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me
I am a Christian, because I believe that this separation from God can only be overcome through Jesus Christ. I therefore call him my Savior. There is a more generic term that can be used, though, that of the Messiah. Messiah is a title which means one who saves or reclaims a people, and it turns out that belief in a Messiah is present in many world religions.
The Jews are waiting for a yet-unnamed Messiah, one who will be king of Israel, born from the royal line of David. Several branches of Islam await the coming of one Mahdi, who will finally reunite all people under one faith. Maitreya is a figure in Buddhist teaching, who will come and renew the teaching of pure dharma after the world has forgotten it.
Thus the major world religions might respectfully disagree on the exact identity of the Messiah, but they do agree that one exists. I find it very telling that this idea is so universally accepted. We all agree that we have come to a darkness, and that someone will come to bring us the light. Someone must close the divide and bring us back to the throne of God.