Sin | a 4-Day Skate Church Movement Devotionalنموونە

consequences of sin

“Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God.” Luke 13:3

All skateboarders, no matter how young or old, have a goal they want to reach. They dream of grinding their first handrail or taking a new flip trick down a big set of stairs. They know there is some risk to it, but all of that is worth it if they overcome their fear and pull it off. However, if they are not confident and have not practiced getting the basics down on a flat bar in their driveway, the chance of grinding a 15 rail first try without taking a serious slam is slim to none. As skateboarders, we have to know that there is a risk when attempting the bigger tricks. There is a consequence if we make a mistake, whether that be physical or mental. We must prepare ourselves in every way before attempting something if we hope to escape the risk of injury. In the same way, as Christians, we must know that there are consequences of sin for both ourselves as followers of Jesus and for non-believers. Jesus had compassion on sinners, but He never dulled down the seriousness of sin. He made sure that His hatred of sin–along with the Father’s hatred of sin–was made known to everybody. In Luke 13:3, Jesus says that “you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God.”

Jesus is saying here that the consequence of sin is death. Jesus also said in Mark 9:43 that “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand than to go into the unquenchable fires of Hell with two hands.” Jesus is speaking pretty seriously here (yet metaphorically), stating that the consequence of sin is nothing to take lightly.

What Jesus is saying is that we should take serious and drastic measures against our sin. Why? Because sin will severely harm us, as well as others around us. Even the tiniest, small sins that we don’t think matter truly do, and they all have consequences both in this life and in eternity.

As Christians, we who have truly put our full faith and trust in Jesus Christ have the promise that Jesus Himself bore our sins and took the punishment we deserve on the Cross. (2 Corinthians 5:12, Romans 8:1) This means that while it is true that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, those who do not know Jesus Christ–those who reject God’s pardon of Sin through Jesus–will indeed be condemned. This is the ultimate consequence of sin: death and eternal separation from God. It is our mission as Christians to go and share the Good News that Jesus has made a way for us to avoid the consequences of sin because He bore our sins on the cross!

I want to encourage everybody with James 2:13: “Mercy triumphs over judgment.” Our Lord is so loving that He says Himself that His mercy is greater than judgment. Although the consequence of sin is great, His forgiveness is greater, and He is willing to forgive and embrace all of those who turn to Jesus Christ in faith.

pushing further

1. Do you believe you’ve sinned against God?
2. How do you feel when people sin against you?
3. Why do you think God made a way to save us in spite of our sin?

Want more content like this? We adapted this Plan from a 52-week Skate Church Movement Devotional Book. Get your book at skatechurchmovement.com.