16th October 2025
Consequences
For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, it is much more certain, having been reconciled, that we will be saved [from the consequences of sin] by His life [that is, we will be saved because Christ lives today].
Romans 5:10 (AMP)
Have you ever played Consequences? It goes like this: players take it in turns to write a phrase or a sentence in a story, then fold the paper so no one sees what they have written and pass it to the next player. The last player writes some imaginative consequences. Finally it’s read out – and the outcome can be very funny.
Having a laugh on an evening’s get-together is one thing, but the consequences of our life’s decisions may not be at all funny and can have disastrous outcomes.
A succinct example that illustrates that well is when David ordered the Ark of the Covenant to be moved up to Jerusalem. The Levitical carriers chose to put it on a cart. Bad decision. It was contrary to God’s instructions that they were to carry it on poles and not touch it, otherwise they might die. They were not to be casual about sacred things and treat them as if they were just household goods. The journey was about ten miles up to Jerusalem. Maybe they decided that it was just too far and too tiring to carry it on poles. But that decision set up the possibility of the Ark falling off. At some point the oxen stumbled. As the Ark began to slide, one of the men took hold of the Ark to stop it tumbling. God took his life.
Thankfully it’s very rare for God to intervene this way. But it’s a striking pictorial illustration of death as the consequence of sin. The apostle Paul summarises our life-changing choices and their outcome briefly as, ‘the wages of sin is death’ (Romans 6:23).
Happily for us, God’s own decisions also have consequences – and to our benefit. The Father loved us so much that he chose to give his Son for us. The Son willingly gave his life for us, and died for us, to take away our sin and then rose to live for us.
Regardless of the poor choices and decisions that we make, which can have both short term and long-term consequences, the decisions made by God have consequences that last for eternity.
Prayer
Heavenly and Almighty Father, you choose to save us from ourselves and from all the things we think and do that are contrary to you, and lead only to death. Through the outcome of Jesus’s death for us, you have given us life. As we respond to your love, help us to make right decisions as we walk with you each day. Amen.
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Study by: Hilary Buck About the author: |
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Local congregation:
Grace Communion in Lewes
The House of Friendship
208 High Street
Lewes
BN7 2NS
Meeting time:
Sunday 11:00 am
Local congregational contact:
Hilary Buck
Email: lewes@gracecom.church
Like us on www.facebook.com/Grace Communion Lewes
Word of Life contact:
wordoflife@gracecom.church