 But let's face it, if death were always the punishment for sin, none of us would be here today, would we? So he can't be primarily thinking about physical death. Some people say, well, maybe he's talking about eternal death. Eternal death is the separation of our spirit from God for all eternity. If we die without having confessed Christ as Savior, we're separated from God. Is that what he's talking about? I don't think so. Because after all, James is writing to Christians here.