Sin Always Has Consequences

Numbers 14; Numbers 15; Numbers 16; Mark 3
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Scripture

Numbers 14

17 “Please, Lord, prove that your power is as great as you have claimed. For you said, 18 ‘The LORD is slow to anger and filled with unfailing love, forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion. But he does not excuse the guilty. He lays the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations.’ 19 In keeping with your magnificent, unfailing love, please pardon the sins of this people, just as you have forgiven them ever since they left Egypt.”

20 Then the LORD said, “I will pardon them as you have requested. 21 But as surely as I live, and as surely as the earth is filled with the LORD’s glory, 22 not one of these people will ever enter that land. They have all seen my glorious presence and the miraculous signs I performed both in Egypt and in the wilderness, but again and again, they have tested me by refusing to listen to my voice. 23 They will never even see the land I swore to give their ancestors. None of those who have treated me with contempt will ever see it. 24 But my servant Caleb has a different attitude than the others have. He has remained loyal to me, so I will bring him into the land he explored. His descendants will possess their full share of that land. 25 Now turn around, and don’t go on toward the land where the Amalekites and Canaanites live. Tomorrow you must set out for the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea.

Observation

Consequences of our sin don’t only affect us but it affects those around us. Hammer a nail into the back of a wooden door and then pull it out the nail is gone but the wood is scarred. The nail can be removed but the scar is still there. Sin does the same thing. It always leaves a scar. God can and will forgive us of a sin when we ask Him but He does not take away the consequences.

One of the biggest sins I see in our country and all around Tampa is the sin of pleasure. Pleasure has become the number one god in the USA. For an example look at how people turn to illegal substance abuse just for the sake of the moment of pleasure. The god of pleasure drives us to addiction. The consequences of the god of pleasure are destruction. The person thinks that it will only affect them. It is a lie straight from the pit of hell. The sin of pleasure has consequences for everyone that is surrounded by someone worshipping this god. Every person close to them pays an enormous price for their moment of pleasure.

The Israelites paid a huge price for the sin of unbelief. It cost them the Promise Land. God did forgive them in response to Moses prayer for them, but the consequence for what they did was severe.

God says to put Him first. He is the only true God. Any other god that you follow will lead you down a road that has severe consequences. Trust me; I know first hand what I am talking about.

Application

I will help those stuck in the destructive cycle of addiction because one day they will hit rock bottom and turn to the Lord. At least I know that some will repent and look up!

Prayer

Heavenly Father, help me love those that cause so much pain and so much damage because of their addictions. Give me the ability to love them like You love them. Thank you for giving me people like Linda and Orville Renner and those in Celebrate Recovery that are showing folks how they can overcome hurts, hang ups, and habits by their example.

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