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should not be regarded as the penalty of sin, but rather as the natural result of the physical
constitution of man. But the Bible knows of no such exception. It acquaints us with the
threatened penalty, which is death in the comprehensive sense of the word, and it informs us
that death entered the world through sin (Rom. 5:12), and that the wages of sin is death (Rom.
6:23). The penalty of sin certainly includes physical death, but it includes much more than that.
Making the distinction to which we have grown accustomed, we may say that it includes the
following:
1. SPIRITUAL DEATH.
There is a profound truth in the saying of Augustine that sin is also the
punishment of sin. This means that the sinful state and condition in which man is born by
nature form part of the penalty of sin. They are, it is true, the immediate consequences of sin,
but they are also a part of the threatened penalty. Sin separates man from God, and that means
death, for it is only in communion with the living God that man can truly live. In the state of
death, which resulted from the entrance of sin into the world, we are burdened with the guilt
of sin, a guilt that can only be removed by the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. We are
therefore under obligation to bear the sufferings that result from transgression of the law. The
natural man carries the sense of the liability to punishment with him wherever he goes.
Conscience is a constant reminder of his guilt, and the fear of punishment often fills the heart.
Spiritual death means not only guilt, but also pollution. Sin is always a corrupting influence in
life, and this is a part of our death. We are by nature not only unrighteous in the sight of God,
but also unholy. And this unholiness manifests itself in our thoughts, in our words, and in our
deeds. It is always active within us like a poisoned fountain polluting the streams of life. And if it
were not for the restraining influence of the common grace of God, it would render social life
entirely impossible.
2. THE SUFFERINGS OF LIFE.
The sufferings of life, which are the result of the entrance of sin
into the world, are also included in the penalty of sin. Sin brought disturbance in the entire life
of man. His physical life fell a prey to weaknesses and diseases, which result in discomforts and
often in agonizing pains; and his mental life became subject to distressing disturbances, which
often rob him of the joy of life, disqualify him for his daily task, and sometimes entirely destroy
his mental equilibrium. His very soul has become a battle-field of conflicting thoughts, passions,
and desires. The will refuses to follow the judgment of the intellect, and the passions run riot
without the control of an intelligent will. The true harmony of life is destroyed, and makes way
for the curse of the divided life. Man is in a state of dissolution, which often carries with it the
most poignant sufferings. And not only that, but with and on account of man the whole
creation was made subject to vanity and to the bondage of corruption. The evolutionists
especially have taught us to look upon nature as “red in tooth and claw.” Destructive forces are
often released in earthquakes, cyclones, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, and floods, which bring