²¹ And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom.

³² They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.

⁵ When we were controlled by our old nature,^[a] sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death.

²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Living as Children of God

²⁸ And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame.

⁸ But if a field bears thorns and thistles, it is useless. The farmer will soon condemn that field and burn it.

² Many of those whose bodies lie dead and buried will rise up, some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting disgrace.

¹⁴ Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death.