Choices and consequences…

A radio preacher tells of a conversation with a person who thought she was neutral about faith in Christ. He tried to explain that if we have a choice, we are already in one of the choices. That is, she was saying NO to Jesus during the time she was not saying YES. She didn’t get that and insisted she would make a choice later. Finally the preacher said to her, “You can choose whatever you wish, but you cannot choose the consequences.”

How true. The OT is filled with examples. I read yesterday how Solomon began to serve as Israel’s king with faith and wisdom. However, he later chose many women outside of the people of God. Then, as God warned him, they led him from his faith and he began to worship idols. 

Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and did not wholly follow the Lord, as David his father had done. . . .  Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this has been your practice and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes that I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant. (1 Kings 11:6-11)

This man had been warned but he wanted what he wanted and lost all blessings from the Lord. As Piper says, doing our own thing can feel good in the process. Had Solomon experienced pain or sorrow, he would not have strayed. His story, and much of the OT is filled with reasons for remaining true to God. 

if you spurn my statutes, and if your soul abhors my rules, so that you will not do all my commandments, but break my covenant, then I will do this to you: I will visit you with panic, with wasting disease and fever that consume the eyes and make the heart ache. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. (Leviticus 26:15–16)

God’s OT people were repeatedly warned, yet they continually forgot God and did their own thing. What about the NT? Does the sacrifice of Christ for sin free me to do what I please? Some think so, but the truth is, even though God's forgiveness and grace keep us in His forever family, we still face the consequences of our choices.

The main thing sin does is mess with my relationship with God to the point that I’m not talking to Him or relying on Him. I miss out on the benefits that go with being close to Him and able to rely on His help. This is not God pulling away from me, but me pulling away from God. 

Another consequence is shame. It may not visit me right away, but guilt does that. It also puts me under another task-master…

What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? (Romans 6:15–16)

Trusting Christ sets me free from sin. It seems senseless to go back to it. However, the human heart is deceitful. So are the lies of Satan and the lures of the world. The NT says repeatedly that my old nature is dead to God and must be treated that way, put off, ignored. If the danger was not there, God would not keep warning His people.

As for the consequences, this is an ‘if-then’ thing. My actions bring results, some in this life that bring blessing or sorrow, guilt, and unwanted events. Some are dealt later when God evaluates me at His judgment seat, not for faith but for the quality of my deeds. 

Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. (1 Corinthians 3:12–15)

If I live for self, all such ‘works’ will be lost. Just as we say about money and possessions, ‘you cannot take it with you.’ The consequences of running my own life is having all of that burn up because it is rejected by the Lord. Only what is done in obedience will remain. 

PRAY: Jesus, this is both a relief and a warning. All my days are filled with choices. Following Your lead is important, not only for this life but for what will survive purging at the “Bema” seat where consequences are sorted out. Give me wisdom for each day. Your Word says if I “Trust in the Lord with all my heart, and do not lean on my own understanding, and in all my ways acknowledge You, that You will make straight my paths.” (Proverbs 3:5–6) This is a great assurance that good consequences will follow.