Living with The Consequences Of Sin

"For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us." - Psalm 103:11-12

What a great promise and fact. When we are born again by faith in Jesus, our sins are forgiven - past, present and future. It is all by God's grace and mercy, nothing we did to earn our pardon. Not only are we forgiven, but our "record" has been expunged. The slate wiped clean. But ... there are consequences that persist that are not undone ... consequences that persist across generations even.  Some consequences  that are not overcome with time. 

Consequences I am referring to may be those that affect you directly, but are also those that affect other people. Those people may or may not be Christians. It may be that you can make restitution - restore what was taken or harmed and it may be that only God can do that. Particularly when it comes to relationships.

It is a natural thing - wired into our being that children want to be connected to their mother and father. But that is not always the case. In the United States as of 2021 there were over 11 million families with a single parent. 80 percent were headed by single mothers. Of course there are a multitude of reasons for that statistic. Some by choice - never married (about 1/2) - some by divorce (about 1/3) - by death or abandonment of the spouse (the rest). What is my point? Apart from death of the spouse, sin is at the root. The biological parents can find forgiveness through salvation. But even then, the family might not be restored.  It is a mess isn't it!  

So what about other people who have been affected by consequences of someone else's sins. Money is not the answer to sin. Reconciliation is a beginning. But apart from salvation - there will be no true restoration. The answer for those people is found in Jesus. He can mend what has been broken by sin. It may not be your parents getting back together or your spouse having a change of heart and wanting to restore the relationship. It may be like that amputee accepting the loss and moving on with life. But in this case our hope is not in other people but in the God who forgives. The God who is the source of our comfort no matter what the affliction.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too" - 2 Corinthians 1:3-5

We live in a world that is broken by sin. That sin affects all of us. But there is Hope through faith in Jesus.  There are over 11 million single parents struggling with life. I don't know how many are Christians. And of those how many have lost their way and are living, once again, as if they were not born again. But I do know that Jesus is the answer.  There is a song --- surprised?

I made a slight change [in brackets] to the chorus in the song "You Are The Reason" Form Jesus' perspective.

"I'd climb every mountain

And swim every ocean

Just to be with you

And fix [what's been] broken

Oh, 'cause I need you to see

That you are the reason [that I went to the Cross]"

Who do you know that is living with the consequences of sin? They need Jesus. And if they have been born again, then they need to be reminded that God is the God of all comfort and they need to draw closer.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone