Question 1

What are the consequences of sin?

Accepted Answer

Ezekiel 3:20“If righteous people turn away from their righteous behavior and ignore the obstacles I put in their way, they will die.”Romans 5:12When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.Romans 6:23The wages of sin is death.The greatest consequence of sin is death, which leads to eternal separation from God.Genesis 3:6-7, 16-17The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. . . . Then [God] said to the woman, “I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy, and in pain you will give birth. And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you.” And to the man he said, “Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it.”Galatians 6:7Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.Sin has been wrong since the first two people disobeyed in Eden, and it always produces bad consequences in the end. Hardship and difficulty are just some of the earthly consequences of sin. Are you willing to pay the price for a sinful action? God does not prevent you from acting foolishly, but he allows you to experience the consequences of your foolishness.Jeremiah 11:8“‘Your ancestors did not listen or even pay attention. Instead, they stubbornly followed their own evil desires. And because they refused to obey, I brought upon them all the curses described in this covenant.’”Sin invites the full impact of God’s warnings, which often includes his punishment. Sometimes God’s punishment is immediate; sometimes he delays it.Psalm 7:14-16The wicked conceive evil; they are pregnant with trouble and give birth to lies. They dig a deep pit to trap others, then fall into it themselves. The trouble they make for others backfires on them. The violence they plan falls on their own heads.If you plan evil for someone else, one consequence may be that it will come back around to destroy you.Proverbs 18:21The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.James 3:2-6Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.Harmful words against someone else usually come back to condemn you.

Question 2

Does sin always have negative consequences?

Accepted Answer

Isaiah 30:12-13This is the reply of the Holy One of Israel: “Because you despise what I tell you and trust instead in oppression and lies, calamity will come upon you suddenly—like a bulging wall that bursts and falls. In an instant it will collapse and come crashing down.”Lamentations 1:9She defiled herself with immorality and gave no thought to her future. Now she lies in the gutter with no one to lift her out. “Lord, see my misery,” she cries. “The enemy has triumphed.”Micah 2:3This is what the Lord says: “I will reward your evil with evil; you won’t be able to pull your neck out of the noose. You will no longer walk around proudly, for it will be a terrible time.”Galatians 6:7Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.It may seem for a time that your sin does not have consequences, but they always come, sooner or later.Galatians 6:8Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.Sin always has negative consequences, but the reverse is also true: living to please God always has positive consequences.

Question 3

Do I ever suffer the consequences of another person’s sin?

Accepted Answer

Joshua 7:25Then Joshua said to Achan, “Why have you brought trouble on us?”Sin very often affects others, even innocent people. The most extreme example is murder. The family of the innocent victim suffers greatly, and no punishment can take it away. Your sinful actions affect more people than just yourself. Beware of the temptation to rationalize your sins by saying they are too small or too personal to hurt anyone but you.Leviticus 19:17“Do not nurse hatred in your heart for any of your relatives. Confront people directly so you will not be held guilty for their sin.”You are guilty before God if you remain silent when you should warn a fellow believer of the consequences of their wrong actions.Romans 5:12When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.Everyone still suffers the consequences of Adam’s sin, but you too have sinned and deserve the same punishment as Adam.Isaiah 10:1-2What sorrow awaits the unjust judges and those who issue unfair laws. They deprive the poor of justice and deny the rights of the needy among my people. They prey on widows and take advantage of orphans.The poor, widows, and orphans are sometimes further hurt by others’ sins, but God will make certain that justice is done and that those who oppress the needy bear the consequences of their injustice.Ezekiel 18:20“The person who sins is the one who will die. The child will not be punished for the parent’s sins, and the parent will not be punished for the child’s sins. Righteous people will be rewarded for their own righteous behavior, and wicked people will be punished for their own wickedness.”While you may suffer the consequences of another’s sins, be assured that the one who sins against you will also reap the consequences.

Question 4

Can forgiveness of sin stop sin’s consequences?

Accepted Answer

2 Samuel 12:13-14Then David confessed to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan replied, “Yes, but the Lord has forgiven you, and you won’t die for this sin. Nevertheless, because you have shown utter contempt for the word of the Lord by doing this, your child will die.”David was forgiven of his sins against Bathsheba and Uriah, but there remained consequences—in this case, the death of the child of the adultery. Believers no longer face condemnation for sin (because of Jesus’ sacrifice), but they must face their sin’s consequences, which are often irreversible. God often allows the natural consequences of your actions to happen. These consequences should serve as a powerful reminder for you when you face temptation again.1 Chronicles 21:7-14God was very displeased with the census, and he punished Israel for it. Then David said to God, “I have sinned greatly by taking this census. Please forgive my guilt for doing this foolish thing.” Then the Lord spoke to Gad, David’s seer. This was the message: “Go and say to David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I will give you three choices. Choose one of these punishments, and I will inflict it on you.’” So Gad came to David and said, “These are the choices the Lord has given you. You may choose three years of famine, three months of destruction by the sword of your enemies, or three days of severe plague as the angel of the Lord brings devastation throughout the land of Israel. Decide what answer I should give the Lord who sent me.” “I’m in a desperate situation!” David replied to Gad. “But let me fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is very great. Do not let me fall into human hands.” So the Lord sent a plague upon Israel, and 70,000 people died as a result.King David knew he wasn’t supposed to take a census, but he took one anyway—not thinking about the consequences of sinning against God. Sometimes you can justify sinful behavior in your mind, but instead of doing that, consider the consequences of what you’re about to do—the short-term and long-term results. Doing this before you sin should be enough incentive to help you avoid the sin altogether.

Question 5

Can the consequences of what I say be just as significant as the consequences of what I do?

Accepted Answer

Proverbs 18:21The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.Mark 14:66-72One of the servant girls who worked for the high priest came by and noticed Peter warming himself at the fire. She looked at him closely and said, “You were one of those with Jesus of Nazareth.” But Peter denied it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, and he went out into the entryway. Just then, a rooster crowed. When the servant girl saw him standing there, she began telling the others, “This man is definitely one of them!” But Peter denied it again. A little later some of the other bystanders confronted Peter and said, “You must be one of them, because you are a Galilean.” Peter swore, “A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know this man you’re talking about!” And immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And he broke down and wept.James 3:3-6We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.The consequences of your words can be just as dire as the consequences of your actions. You might not literally kill someone, but harsh words can hurt another person deeply—affecting the rest of their lives. And, like Peter, your words can also hurt you as well—affecting you, your life, and those around you. So watch your words. They can condemn you as vigorously as your actions.

Question 6

Are there any benefits that come from the consequences of sin?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 25:18Feel my pain and see my trouble. Forgive all my sins.God uses the consequences of sin to draw you back to repentance and a relationship with him. He is not just trying to punish you or get even with you. When trouble strikes, search your heart to see if the problem might be a result of your own wrongdoing. If it is, confess your wrong and ask God’s help in dealing with it. If it isn’t, you still have the benefit of drawing closer to God during a time of difficulty.Hebrews 12:5-8Have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, “My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all.God promises forgiveness when you repent, but he also allows you to experience the consequences of your sins because they serve as training and guidance. Like a loving father teaching his children, so God teaches us. He knows that sometimes the best training is learning the hard way.

Question 7

What are some actions that have positive consequences?

Accepted Answer

John 3:16“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”Hebrews 3:14If we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ.When you accept Jesus Christ as Savior and live faithfully for him, you will experience the positive consequences of eternal life as well as heavenly rewards.Psalm 128:1How joyful are those who fear the Lord—all who follow his ways!Psalm 146:5Joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God.Jeremiah 17:7“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.”A life focused on God brings joy to God and many blessings to you. The more you trust and obey God, the more you will experience the blessings he gives.Hebrews 11:6It is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.Seeking God brings the reward of experiencing his presence.

Consequences