How can one sin equal so much suffering?

Read Romans 6:23.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1.) What does sin deserve?

2.) How bad do you think a sin needs to be to deserve that? Why?

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It’s worth considering how the severity of the crime depends on the identity of the victim.

If you slap your best friend, they might forgive you. But what if you slapped a cop? Or slapped the Prime Minister? Or slapped the Queen? What punishment would you face?

Therefore, look at this picture of God from Isaiah 6:1-5.

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
    the whole earth is full of his glory.”

4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”

1.) How would you feel if you saw this with your own eyes?

2.) Do you think rebelling against this God is a big deal? Why/why not?

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Now, how would you answer our original question?