Consequences

Today’s devotional makes me think about consequences, cause and effect, and the spiritual laws that God has created. As the Bible says, we reap what we sow.

But how does that work? I know people who do whatever they please and never seem to face consequences. Morally, their lives mock God but He has not struck them with lightning. The best biblical responses are that God is being merciful, or that they are piling up wrath. People can fill their shopping cart with whatever junk they find, but someday they will go through the check-out. Consequences will happen later.

The psalms have several sections about this. Most of them say something like this:

“Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.” (Psalm 37:1–2)

The idea is that those who do evil without repentance will eventually pay the price. The NT calls this the law of sin and death.

For Christians, Jesus eliminated that eternal consequence. That is, for every sin I commit Jesus suffered the price at the check-out. He wrote “It is finished” on the debt I owe by taking my place and paying it.

But what about the consequences in this life? If I robbed a bank, does the death and resurrection of my Savior keep me out of jail? Hardly. If I cheat and lie, will I prosper? Not so. The Scriptures are clear; God rebukes and corrects His children when we violate His will:

“For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives. It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:6–11)

Consequences, and the quicker the better, are one of God’s ways to bring my life into obedience. Like any child, if I’m allowed to get away with my rebellion, then what? These verses suggest that without discipline I cannot claim to be in God’s family. Getting away with sin is the mark of those who do not believe or belong to Him!

“Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.” (Romans 2:4–5)

No immediate consequence for sin is merciful in that God can use this to lead sinful people to Him, but anyone who keeps at their ungodly behavior is not thinking about eternal consequences. They are taking mercy for granted, and that is dangerous.

Tozer uses this verse: “Good sense wins favor, but the way of the treacherous is their ruin.” (Proverbs 13:15) The Holy Spirit tells me that I need to work with the spiritual laws of God. I cannot change them by presumption. If I want His favor in my life, then I cannot mess around. Knowing Christ died for my sin is not going to avoid repercussions in this life. If I presume so, I will suffer losses of some kind, losses that rob me of the full joy of my salvation. Would I want this to be any other way? I don’t think so. I want God to be serious about sin.

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Lord Jesus, I hate this awareness of ‘gloom and doom’ but need to think about it lest I step off the path of righteousness into unprofitable paths. In You, I am free from the law of sin and death, but not free from the effects of deliberate sin. Thank You for grace and mercy. Thank You also for being serious about my sin.

Staying on the right road . . .

Driving around the Calgary ring road is simple, at least going south, but returning on the north route not so much. Two times out of four, I take a wrong exit somewhere and wind up going through most of the middle of the city. My problem is lack of familiarity since I make that trip two times a year at most, not enough for me to automatically know where I am going.

Walking with Christ is like that. In the beginning, the route seems clear, but taking a wrong turn was far easier than I first realized. Now, after many years of becoming familiar with the way, I know what it looks like and am more quickly aware when I drift off on some other trail. The following passage of Scripture has become a road map for me . . .

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:16–25)

For instance, if impure thoughts enter my head, or I am jealous of someone, I know that I’m either on the edge of a slippery slope or already walking in the flesh (taking my own route).

The Bible has several lists like this one. Some include gossip, slander, lying, self-indulgence, selfish ambition — enough to cover most of the sins that I now know the Holy Spirit would never initiate. They all come from my old nature and are prompted by temptations from the world, the flesh and the devil.

In the above passage, the second list is what the Holy Spirit produces. If these qualities are in my life, I know I am on the right track. I might not have a clue what comes next, but God will give me the right attitude to keep my hand in His and do whatever that situation might require. This is called ‘walking in the Spirit’ but it is also described in other ways. Galatians 6 expands on the idea of fruitfulness by depicting a sower of seed.

“Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” (Galatians 6:7–10)

If I sow the seed of spiritual fruit, then my life displays the stuff of eternal life, the fruit of the Spirit, the things that please God. This is evidence that I’m walking on the right path, walking with Jesus and not going my own way.

If I sow the stuff of the flesh, all that is will come from that is called “corruption” — a word that describes decomposition, rottenness, stuff that will not last forever but is separated from God and dead to Him. In other words, these verses DO NOT describe eternal life as something I make happen, but something that God produces in me — and it becomes evident when I am filled with the Holy Spirit and walking on the right path. Then I am like a sower of good seed and out of that comes the fruits of eternal life, something I already have in Christ, but must walk in to make it appear and grow.

The best part is that when that happens, I don’t need to think about it or work at it. I go along in life with His love and joy, alert to His voice and alert to any danger of going off the path.

^^^^^^^^^^^

Jesus, walking with You is delightful. I know that when that delight is replaced by worry, grumbling, anger, or any other fleshy stuff, then I have strayed off the path. I also know that if I confess it, You refill me with Your Spirit and bring me right back to where You want me to be. This is a walk of faith not sight. I am to keep my thoughts on You and not myself, yet have the mirrors of Your Word and You to show me when I get lost. You call me by grace into forgiveness and point the way so I can get back on track where I belong. 

A sheep on the path

My father was a grain farmer who had a few milk cows and a few feed cattle. We never had sheep, but while on my own land, I did buy a small flock — once. They are not easy to care for but that experiment helps me better understand the way of sheep. They follow each other. 
 

In fact, sheep are notorious path takers. They walk on a trail and stay on the trail, the same trail, walking it over and over until that trail becomes a path, then a gully. Their herd instinct makes them easy to lead. 

In one sense, we are like that. When we says, “Everybody's doing it” we show our sheep likeness, at least until something better comes along and attracts our attention, or something scares us and we bolt off in all directions. 

David wrote the 23^rd Psalm with sheep and our likeness to them in mind. The “something better” that should attract us is the Lord, and instead of instinct, fear, or copying others, He urges us along the best path.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. (Psalm 23:1–3)

As I read this, I think about a literal path. It is not a destination, but the way I travel to a specific place. The path may be wide, narrow, marked or unclear. In the psalm, it is a “path of righteousness” indicating how God wants me to live as I travel toward my destination. This means my path should never include anything that God’s Word forbids, no murder, adultery, fornication, gluttony, slander, cheating and so on. These road signs are unmistakable in Scripture and any "sheep" can read them! The entire flock is supposed to live righteously.

Does this promise of His leading include individual plans for specific Christians? Some say yes. Others argue that God is not as concerned about our decisions concerning college, career, or marriage as He is about morality and the attitudes of our hearts. He wants  me to stay off destructive paths, following Him instead of “falling in with the many to do evil” (Exodus 23:2). Jesus warns also,

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:13–14).

However, these paths could mean two types of guidance, spiritual and circumstantial. Spiritual guidance concerns my moral life, living the way God desires. For instance, the Bible says, “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification,” and “Give thanks in all things for this is the will of God concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 4:13; 5:18). These are ways or paths that obedient Christians walk.  

Circumstantial paths are more about those daily practical decisions, and come in varying ranges of importance. What job do I take? Which store do I shop in? How do I decide today’s routine? Since the psalm says “paths of righteousness” then righteousness is my first consideration. He knows my heart and my motivations. I could make some decisions like a sheep, basing what I want to do by what feels good, what appeals to me, what everyone else is doing, what builds my ego, and a host of other inner motivations that a sheep largely ignores. 

Yet God does not me to be oblivious to my motivations. When I’m at a crossroads, He wants my heart set to do His will. If not, He may reveal to me my own heart on the choices before me. By that, I can see that one choice is simply a temptation and the other is a righteous path. 

He also may reveal His heart on the matter. He uses His Word, but also the emotions of Christ who lives in me. if the peace of Christ prevails, I will sense that and know which path His will. However, if I’m not at rest, it is often because the Spirit who lives in me is agitating me about the path ahead, warning me to turn aside. 

No matter how He gets me to the right path, I also have some responsibilities. One is to trust Him totally. Sheep who are planning their own course get themselves in trouble. I’m not to be like that. Jesus never loses His sheep and I need to remember His faithfulness.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. (Proverbs 3:5–7)

I’m also to, “Pray without ceasing,” and “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls” (Jeremiah 6:16). I can know the right path if I am continually seeking God and staying open to His leading.

This openness means humility, the opposite of being wise in my own eyes. The sheep who think like that can so easily become a predator’s breakfast. To stay safe, I must acknowledge that I am not my own shepherd, listen for His leading, and then do with He says.

He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies. (Psalm 25:9–10)

The bottom line about the will of God is always asking for whom am I doing this? Why do I walk this path? Am I wanting whatever might be in it for me, or am I more concerned that God is honored and glorified? 

David wrote, “. . . . for His name’s sake” because my life is to conform to the Lord’s path and the Lord’s plan. It is for His glory, not mine, His character and reputation, not mine. The path that I take will reflect on Him, and even though right choices will make me more like Christ, that also is for His glory. 

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Lord, sometimes Psalm 23 runs through my mind as it likely does with many people. We memorized it as children, hear it often at life events. Today, You use it to remind me that You will guide me through this day to walk on Your path. You may not reveal Your overall plan, but You will show me the next step and keep my feet moving toward the goal set before me — shaping me into the image of Your Son and leading me to eternal glory, bringing glory to Yourself in the process. 

(Photo credit)