Let’s get right to the point. THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES TO SIN.
“But, as a Christian, I’m forgiven, right? When I sin, all I have to do is confess my wrongdoing to God and He forgives me.” Yes, but…
We may think that because we ask forgiveness that we will not only be forgiven but we should escape the aftermath and effects of our sin and can then absolve ourselves from anything that may come as a consequence to our disobedience. We can rest assured that when we confess our sin, God will and DOES forgive us (see 1 John 1:9 for that assurance), but there will be fallout from our actions.
As an example, take a look at the account of the nation of Israel after they had been freed from the bondage of Egypt and were sent on their way to the Promised Land. In Numbers 21, we see that Israel had become impatient with God because it was taking way too much time for His promise to unfold and decided to lodge a complaint against Him. The problem was not their complaint, but the refusal to believe in God’s promise to them. “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?” (Numbers 21:4)
As a result of their disobedience, God sent poisonous snakes throughout the entire population. Many people were bit and died as a result. They finally came to their senses and admitted their sin and confessed it, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD…” (Numbers 21:7). That should have been the end of it, right? I mean, come on, they confessed their sin to God and felt remorse for what they did. Shouldn’t they be able to just go on without any aftereffects?
God did, in fact, provide a remedy and we find it in Numbers 21:8, “And the LORD said to Moses, ‘Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.’” There you have it! All they had to do is look on the serpent that God commanded Moses to make and they would live! There it is — God’s forgiveness. All we need to do is confess our sin and we can get on with our life!
Hold on a moment. Let’s finish the ENTIRE reference. “So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.” (Numbers 21:9). You’re probably thinking, “So? It’s just repeating what God said would happen. They looked, they were healed. What’s your point?” The point is this: they were STILL BITTEN. Although repentance brings about a restoration to our relationship with God, there are going to be repercussions to our actions.
Take note of the fact that God did not take the serpents away. They were still there, doing their “snake thing,” biting anyone who was close enough to sink their fangs into. But, God provided a way for their healing. That’s what God does. When we disobey Him, He provides a way for our relationship to be restored. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9, ESV).
We need to come to terms with the fact that confession does not remove consequences. We can rejoice in our forgiveness but should not be surprised when we must ride out the wave of our disobedience. And, as we deal with whatever comes our way, God is right there beside us, loving us and guiding us.
