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SIN HAS CONSEQUENCES “His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.” — Proverbs 5:22 KJV Sin makes promises it cannot keep. It promises pleasure without pain, freedom without bondage, and choices without consequences. But sooner or later, sin sends a bill—and somebody has to pay it. We sometimes think only about the immediate pleasure of sin and never consider what follows it. Yet Scripture warns: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” — Galatians 6:7 KJV You may choose what you sow, but you do not get to choose what that seed eventually produces. Sin can bring judgment. For the lost, there is ultimately the judgment of God and eternal punishment. For the saved, sin does not undo salvation, but God does chasten His children. “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth...” — Hebrews 12:6 Sin can also bring the loss of blessings. A person may remain God's child and yet throw away opportunities, usefulness, fellowship, testimony, peace, and rewards because he refuses to deal with sin. David remained God's man, but his sin brought consequences into his house that lasted for years. Sin produces guilt. -- David described what unconfessed sin did to him: “When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.” — Psalm 32:3 Sin produces fear. Adam sinned and then said, “I was afraid” (Genesis 3:10). Before sin, Adam enjoyed God's presence. After sin, he hid from it. Sin will make a man hide from the very God he desperately needs. And the consequences keep spreading. Sin can bring shame, broken trust, damaged relationships, ruined testimony, financial loss, bitterness, anxiety, bondage, weakened influence, missed opportunities, chastening, physical consequences, and sometimes even premature physical death. One sin may be committed in minutes while its consequences remain for years. That is why repentance matters. “Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:” — Matthew 3:8 Repentance is not merely being sorry that sin hurt us. It is agreeing with God about our sin and turning from it. Too many people want God to remove the consequences while they continue embracing the cause. We want peace while protecting the sin that produces guilt. We want blessings while continuing the conduct that forfeits them. We want freedom while feeding the habit that enslaves us. We want God's protection while refusing God's correction.There comes a time when we must quit blaming circumstances, other people, or even the Devil and ask: What am I refusing to repent of? You cannot cling to sin and then complain because sin behaves exactly as God warned it would. “The way of transgressors is hard.” — Proverbs 13:15 KJV Sin always costs more than it promises. Repentance may be painful today, but continuing in sin can make tomorrow far more painful.