Consequences of Sin

Sin is serious. It is a malignancy. It is repugnant to God, and carries with it unpleasant consequences. The children of Israel in Isaiah's day were complaining about God's remoteness. Isaiah answered them by writing, "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear" (Isaiah 59:1-2). This is an important point. God is the giver of life. Sin, in separating you from God, separates you from life. That is why Paul rejoiced in Colossians 2:13 that, "You, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses." All are "dead" in their trespasses until they receive forgiveness. 


To remain in sin, and to die physically without having sin forgiven, is to consign yourself to an eternal death and punishment.

The Old Testament provides a litany of examples regarding the consequences of sin.

* Adam and Eve were driven out of Paradise, and denied access to the tree of life because of their sin (Genesis 3).

* The ancient world was destroyed by a great Flood as a result of the wickedness of the day (Genesis 6-8).

* The ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by fire and brimstone from heaven because of the abomination of homosexuality (Genesis 19).

* Nadab and Abihu were consumed by fire which "went out from the Lord", because they offered up as a part of their worship fire not authorized by God (Leviticus 10).

* Israel was sentenced to wander in the wilderness for a generation because they refused to enter Canaan (Numbers 14).

* Moses was not allowed to enter Canaan after he presumptuously disobeyed God by striking the rock at Kadesh (Numbers 20).

* Israel was defeated in her battle with the small city of Ai as punishment for Achan's disobedience in stealing forbidden treasure (Joshua 7).

* The pattern stated in Judges 2:11, after the death of Joshua, "The children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served the Baals", was repeated many times throughout the nation's history. This resulted in many judgments and punishments of the nation by Jehovah.

We are told that these events are recorded for us to serve as examples. Note Jude's statement, "But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the  Lord,  having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own habitation, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, ARE SET FORTH AS AN EXAMPLE, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire" (Jude 1:5-7).