Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus, because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. 

Romans 8:1-2 (CSB)

Earlier this week, I left us meditating on Galatians 5:13, 1 John 3:9, and Romans 7:21-25, using a set of reflection questions to guide our time in God’s Word.

As I reflected on those verses and questions, I was reminded of a post I wrote earlier this year titled “When Bad Things Happen” that I later refined and placed in Walking in Truth: God Desires a Close Relationship with You. In it, I explored the differences between discipline, punishment, and consequence. For a fuller context of what’s coming below, I hope you’ll check the original post linked above or the full devotional now in print/e-book on Amazon.

Today, I’d like us to narrow in on consequence as it relates to our exploration of “no condemnation for those in Christ”.

Let’s start with what we know:

We know that Romans 6:23 tells us that the wages of sin is death; the ultimate consequence or result of sin in our lives is death.

We know that in Christ we are free from the eternal consequence of sin (John 3:16; Romans 6:23).

But what about the earthly consequences of sin? What are they? Can we be free from those too?

Those are questions that Bible teachers and discipleship authors spend lifetimes studying. I don’t have all of the answers to those questions, but I have some and I’m hoping they inspire you to reflect on those questions as they apply to your own life.

It has been my experience that the consequence of sin is always some kind of death. It may be a seemingly small death, like a good night’s sleep killed by tossing and turning and fretting over hard words you spoke the day before. It may be a deeper felt death, like the death of a relationship from too many hard words spoken in bitterness or anger over time. Death of peace, of joy, of financial security. While we in Christ are free from the consequence of eternal death, the earthly consequence of sin will always carry death of some kind.

The scale of the consequence of death is why, in our human wisdom, we often try to reason with God or with others claiming some sins aren’t that bad and why we find ourselves comparing sins and believing some are worse than others, usually the ones committed by other people. Ouch.

While we may try to weigh sin by its earthly consequences, we know that God hates all sin and desires us to be free of sin entirely and has given us His Son Jesus to do just that, to enable us to practice righteousness, not sin (1 John 3:9).

What’s the most obvious way to be free from the earthly consequences of sin?

• Don’t practice sinning.

Don’t intentionally put yourself in a position to do something God has said is a sin in His Word and don’t actively rebel against or ignore God’s commands or calling for you personally. Practice righteousness. Not sin.

What about when our practice of righteousness isn’t perfect?

• Confess and repent.

No one’s practice of righteousness has ever been perfect except for Jesus’. Make the practice of confession to God a regular rhythm in your life. Ask Him daily to search your heart and repent (turn around) when Holy Spirit calls you out on sin in your life. These are practices that God uses to redeem even the earthly consequences of sin and preserve our peace and our joy, our mental, emotional, and oftentimes physical health.

What about earthly consequences that don’t redeem so quickly?

• Oh, that’s a little harder to answer, isn’t it?

Sweet friend, some sins have long-lasting physical, emotional, mental, or relational consequences. We know that we will be free of those consequences in Heaven, but what do we do with them today? Are there some consequences that we just have to suffer through or walk with for life?

Remember, God loved us while we were yet sinners, and there is no condemnation for those in Christ. It is always God’s desire for us to experience renewal, redemption, restoration; it is always His plan to use what the enemy meant for evil for good.

Beloved, I wish I could give you an answer that would erase those long-lasting consequences you carry with you. I wish I had a way to erase the ones I carry too. I don’t have the answer, but I know the One who does.

Whatever sin still haunts you because the consequences are still present, whether it was your sin or someone else’s or a combination, can I encourage you to try shifting your perspective?

Try shifting your perspective from, “God, please take this or make this go away” to “God, please use this for Your glory.”

Can God use the earthly consequences of sin for His glory?

Absolutely He can.

My own testimony consists of time and again that God has used the negative fallout from my sin, or someone else’s, to draw me closer to Him, to give me experiences with Him that I can share with others to help them know His love more or give them wisdom to avoid similar situations. I’m learning day by day that just because God doesn’t remove a consequence, doesn’t mean He can’t redeem a relationship or a life through it. I am living proof of that.

Ask God today how He can use consequences in your life to bring redemption to you and to others and to bring glory to His name. He desires you to have life and life more abundant and free; let Him show you how, even while consequences remain.

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