Consequences For Sin

Consequences For Sin

Many people today believe that anything goes; that there is no absolute right and wrong. Because of this position, people don’t even think of sinning as being sinful, so they sure don’t think about the consequences for sin. But there are consequences for your sins. 

2 Chronicles 21:4-7 says: Now when Jehoram was risen up to the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself, and slew all his brethren with the sword, and divers also of the princes of Israel. Jehoram was thirty and two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.

And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, like as did the house of Ahab: for he had the daughter of Ahab to wife: and he wrought that which was evil in the eyes of the Lord. Howbeit the Lord would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that he had made with David, and as he promised to give a light to him and to his sons for ever.

2 Chronicles 21:12-20 states: And there came a writing to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, Thus saith the Lord God of David thy father, Because thou hast not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat thy father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah, But hast walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and hast made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to go a whoring, like to the whoredoms of the house of Ahab, and also hast slain thy brethren of thy father’s house, which were better than thyself:

Behold, with a great plague will the Lord smite thy people, and thy children, and thy wives, and all thy goods: And thou shalt have great sickness by disease of thy bowels, until thy bowels fall out by reason of the sickness day by day. Moreover the Lord stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines, and of the Arabians, that were near the Ethiopians:

And they came up into Judah, and brake into it, and carried away all the substance that was found in the king’s house, and his sons also, and his wives; so that there was never a son left him, save Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons. And after all this the Lord smote him in his bowels with an incurable disease.

And it came to pass, that in process of time, after the end of two years, his bowels fell out by reason of his sickness: so he died of sore diseases. And his people made no burning for him, like the burning of his fathers. Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years, and departed without being desired. Howbeit they buried him in the city of David, but not in the sepulchres of the kings.

I read these verses to remind you that God does punish sinners and there are consequences for sin. Jehoram was a wicked king of Judah thousands of years ago. As soon as he became king, he killed all of his brothers as well as some of the  leaders of Israel. He did evil in the sight of the LORD. He caused the people of Judah to go a whoring after false gods.

Penalty For Sin

So what did God do? He caused the neighboring countries to attack Judah and Jehoram’s wives and sons were taken captive and all of his sons were killed except for the youngest son. He also lost his wealth. Then God even took his health from him. Jehoram died a slow, painful death after being afflicted two years. The king would not repent and turn to the LORD, so God took everything that Jehoram had, including his very life.

Many people foolishly believe that God does not punish sinners, but He does. He did in the past, He currently punishes sinners and the terrible tribulation prophesied in the book of Revelation is still yet to come. God punishes sinners and make no mistake, there are consequences for your sins. Sometimes those consequences are immediate. Like a drunk driver for instance. Sometimes a drunk driver is killed immediately during a car crash. Other times, the punishment takes longer. Take a person with AIDS. They can take medication to slow down the destruction, but the deadly disease still takes them in the end.

Maybe you have a deep dark secret that you don’t want anyone else to find out or know about. You’ve kept it hidden for years. You may even think that you have “gotten away with your sin.” But you haven’t. The soul that sins, it shall die. It’s appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment (Hebrews 9:27). You have not gotten away with your sin. God is all powerful, ever present and all knowing. He knows your very thought life.

Every dirty, rotten, wicked thought that’s ever crossed your mind, God knows about it. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil (Ecclesiastes 12:14). God knows every sin that you have ever thought, spoken and committed. Can you imagine how many times you have sinned in your whole life?  If you commit just one sin a day and live to be 80 years old, that’s over 29,000 sins in your life time.

Most people commit more than one sin a day. The mountain of sin debt that you have accumulated is piling up higher and higher. What are you going to do with your sins on Judgment Day? It will be too late to say sorry on that great and terrible day of the LORD. It will be too late to repent and trust Jesus on Judgment Day. Oh, you will bow the knee and confess with your tongue that Jesus Christ is Lord, but you will receive no mercy on Judgment Day. You will only receive God’s righteous wrath.

Eternal Consequences For Sin

That’s the worst part of the consequences for sin for those who die in their sins, they will suffer the torments of Hell forever and ever. There will be no end to their punishment. No end to their agony and torments. They will suffer for all eternity. Unrepentant sinners will gnash their teeth forever. There are most definitely consequences for sin and the consequences last forever. There are eternal consequences for unforgiven sin.

Oh but you don’t have to foolishly die in your sins. You don’t have to face God’s righteous wrath on Judgment Day. Your sins can be forgiven. Your sins can be wiped out. The mountain of sin debt that you have accumulated in your life can be destroyed. You can be forgiven. If you repent and trust Jesus. Not just being sorry that you got caught. Not just being sorry that you are facing eternal suffering. No, genuine repentance. Repentance is a change of heart and a change of mind (these are gifts from God) that lead to a change of action.

You can’t clean yourself up for God to save you. You cannot make yourself holy and righteous. All you can do is admit that you are a sinner and cry out for God to have mercy upon your very soul. Repentance is godly sorrow over your sins and godly sorrow works repentance to salvation.

In addition to repentance – godly sorrow over your sins, you need to trust Jesus. Trust Him with all your heart, soul and mind. Surrender your life fully and completely to Him. Too many people are counting on a one-time religious experience to keep them out of Hell. But a saved life is a changed life. If Jesus hasn’t cleaned you up (and I’m not talking about sinless perfectionism), then you aren’t truly saved.

When you meet the risen Savior, your life is never the same. The apostle Paul went from being a Christian killer to a Christian martyr. When you truly meet Jesus, He cleans you up. He convicts you over your sins through the power of the Holy Spirit. If you are still the same old dirty, rotten sinner you were before you claimed to become a Christian then you really are the same old dirty, rotten sinner that you’ve always been. A saved life is a changed life. No change, no salvation.

One way you can tell if you are really saved is this: does it grieve you when you sin against God? True followers of Jesus are grieved over their sins. Think of Peter when he denied Christ three times. He went out and wept bitterly. That was a man that was grieved over his sin. Oh, but if you justify your sins, if you defend your sins, then you are not saved. If you say things like the Bible is just written by men or the Bible was for old times, not for today then you are not saved.

If you say God accepts your sinful ways then you are not saved. God is the same yesterday, today and forever. He never changes. What God hated in the past, He still hates today. If you are pro-choice, you are pro-abortion, you are pro-murder, then you absolutely are not saved. God called child sacrifice an abomination in the Old Testament and abortion is still an abomination to God today.

God called sodomy an abomination in the Old Testament and He still considers homosexuality an abomination today. God doesn’t care if the former president and the Supreme Court supports a sinful lifestyle, that doesn’t keep it from being a sin.  Sin is sin to our Holy and righteous God and all sin is exceedingly sinful to Him.

God Abhors Sin

God abhors sin so much, that it took His only begotten Son to overcome sin. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). God hates sin so much, He was willing to pour out His righteous wrath over sin upon His own sinless Son as Jesus hung on the cruel cross. Jesus took the punishment that you and I deserve. He died on the cross and rose from the dead three days later. God offers eternal life to those who repent and put their faith in Jesus.

Is this you today? Are you willing to confess and forsake your sins? Are you willing to repent and surrender your life to Jesus? If so, your sins can be forgiven. Jesus took your sins upon Himself as He hung on the cross, if you repent and trust Him. Will you surrender your life to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords? If so, the penalty for your sin has been taken away. The sin debt has been paid in full. But only if you repent and surrender your life to the Lord Jesus Christ.

If you are unwilling to submit to King Jesus, then you will still suffer the consequences for your sins. Just like King Jehoram, you will suffer consequences in this life and you will suffer them for all eternity. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him (John 3:36).

You Can Receive Eternal Life

You can receive eternal life today through repentance and faith in Jesus or you can foolishly continue barreling down the broad road to destruction with God’s wrath abiding upon you. And you will split Hell wide open after you die and join all the other unrepentant sinners in Hell, just like King Jehoram. Which is it going to be? Repentance and faith that leads to eternal life or continued rebellion against God and your suffering the consequences for sin forever?

It’s one or the other, but it cannot be both. You are either saved or lost. You’ve been born again or you are still dead in your trespasses and sins. You are alive in Christ or spiritually dead. You have been redeemed or the guilt of your sin remains upon you. You are a brother or sister in Christ or you are still a Hell-bound sinner who has made yourself an enemy to God. Has your sin debt been paid or do you have eternity to continue paying the debt yourself? Don’t die in your sins and go to Hell. Repent and believe the Gospel. Call upon the name of the Lord and be saved. Be saved today. Repent and cry out to Jesus to save you. Surrender your life to Christ Jesus.

(This message was proclaimed at Missouri State University on April 19, 2017)