I have been thinking a lot lately about sin and it’s consequences. Because of Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden every man suffers. We are not responsible for his sin and will not answer for it, neither do we inherit his sin, but we do suffer from the consequences of his sin (Ezekiel 18:19–20). Romans 5:12 says, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.”
Because of Adam’s sin in the Garden I will die physically (Ecclesiastes 12:7; Hebrews 9:27). But because of my own sin I am separated from God (Isaiah 59:1–2). The first I can deal with, the second I cannot! Today I am thankful for a God that is good and merciful!
King David sinned against God when he committed adultery with Bathsheba and killed Uriah. The consequences of his sin followed him for the rest of his life. Saul of Tarsus wreaked havoc upon the church and considered himself the “chief of all sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). Yet both of these men are considered to be lofty examples of the kind of men we are suppose to be.
Is my sin any greater, or any less offensive to God than theirs? How can I have comfort of heart and mind in light of the awfulness of my sin? Two things need to be remembered:
One, David and Saul both were remorseful for their sins, repented, and did their best to live faithful lives before God. When Nathan confronted David with his sin in 2 Samuel 12 David recognized his wrong and was moved with godly sorrow. When Christ confronted Saul on the road to Damascus he recognized his error and sought forgiveness. In Acts 22:16 Ananias responds to Saul’s heart, “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.”
We too must come to realize the great offense of sin and the hopelessness associated with it as it pertains to our relationship to God and our eternal destiny. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). We need to come to Christ in godly sorrow (2 Corinthians 7:10). We must repent and turn from the sin that separates us from God (2 Peter 3:9). We must confess our faith in Christ (Matthew 10:32–33; John 14:6; Romans 10:10). We must be immersed in water in order to have our sins washed away (Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16). And we must live lives of faithfulness (Revelation 2:10).
Second, we need to realize and be thankful that our God is a good and merciful God (Psalm 107:1). While He is indeed just (Isaiah 45:21), His justice is not without mercy. He is rich in mercy (Ephesians 2:4). The Hebrew writer says that God is merciful to our unrighteousness and our sinful deeds he no longer remembers (Hebrews 8:12).
No, I can deal with the consequences of my sins. I have to! We all do. But I need Christ’s sacrifice and God’s love and mercy to deal with the affects of my sins. I am thankful today that there is now “no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:1).
I love you! Be faithful!