One of the biggest understatements in the Bible is: "The wages of sin is death" (Rm 6:23). That's putting it mildly. The wages of sin is mega-death. After David committed one of his lesser sins, the prophet Gad proposed three possible wages for David's sin: three years of famine, three months of fleeing the enemy in a war, or three days of pestilence (2 Sm 24:13). David chose the three days, not because they were the briefest wages but because David realized that God could extend His mercy in the pestilence without being hindered by men. David was right. The Lord extended His mercy, and only 70,000 people died in three days.

70,000 dead in three days! And this was less wages than David deserved from one of his lesser sins. The wages of sin is much more than death. A sin is worse than hundreds of calamities combined.

Jesus has saved us from sin (see 1 Tm 1:15). He "is the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world!" (Jn 1:29) Do you realize what Jesus has done for us and what He has saved us from? Thank Jesus constantly and forever for saving us from sin and its wages. Love Jesus. Give your life to Jesus. Worship Jesus. Tell the world the good news of salvation. We have a Savior from the mega-death of sin!

Nihil Obstat:  Reverend Robert L. Hagedorn, July 26, 1997

Imprimatur:  †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, July 29, 1997