Audio commentary on this verse

Note 3 at Rom. 6:23: The dictionary defines "wages" as "a fitting return; recompense; requital." Sin has a wage that it pays and no one can avoid "payday" without faith in Jesus.

As explained in note 9 at Romans 5:21, page 775, the sin spoken of here is not an individual act of sin but rather the sin nature or old man itself. Anyone who does not receive the new birth (see note 2 at Jn. 3:3, p. 92) will be held liable for all the wrongs committed as a result of their sinful nature (see note 4 at Mk. 3:29, p. 186). However, for those who receive the new birth through faith in Jesus, they don't have a sin nature (see note 8 at Rom. 6:6, p. 778) and will therefore not receive this payment of death.

The physical death of our bodies is not really what is being spoken of here. Physical death as well as every result of the sin nature (i.e. sickness, depression, fear, etc.) are only by-products of the spiritual death that was already present on the inside of us. The Lord told Adam that in the day he ate of the forbidden tree, he would surely die (Gen. 2:17). Adam didn't die physically that day but he did die spiritually. Physical death came 930 years later for Adam (Gen. 5:5) as a by-product of spiritual death.

The wages (plural) of death that those who are not born again will receive, can be broken into two categories. The Bible speaks of a second death (Rev. 2:11; 20:6,14; 21:8) which is banishment to the lake of fire (see note 4 at Mk. 3:29, p. 186) on judgment day. The first death is this separation from God (or spiritual death) which was inherited through Adam (see note 4 at Rom. 5:16, p. 774 and note 6 at Rom. 5:19, p. 774).

So this verse is specifically speaking of the spiritual death that was inherited through Adam and then the second death which is eternal banishment from God and torment in the lake of fire. However, any negative result of sin which was not a part of God's original plan for man can also be included in the term, death, since they are a direct result of this spiritual death.

Note 4 at Rom. 6:23: Eternal life (see note 94 at Jn. 17:3, p. 503) is a gift. The dictionary defines gift as "something that is bestowed voluntarily and without compensation; a present." We have nothing to do with earning this gift. Eternal life would cease to be a gift if we earned it (Rom. 11:6). We simply receive it by faith.