Christian Family Services Ministry

3-10-2017 – A Word to the Wise: Aftermath – I acknowledge that a rather dark picture has been painted of the consequences of immorality. Some may wonder if there is any hope. Yes, there is, but perhaps not in the direction one would think. Frequently, I give my clients an analogy to help them understand the difference between forgiveness and the price one pays. Let’s say someone gets into an argument with his or her spouse, gets very angry, leaves the house, and drives reckless hitting a bridge abutment. In the accident, the individual loses an arm and a spleen. The person is remorseful, asking forgiveness of the spouse and others. The forgiveness is granted. Does the arm then grow back? Does the spleen regenerate itself? No, the person will have to live with those losses. So it is with immorality. Once convicted by the Lord, one might not repeat the sin, but the consequences remain. The consequences are often so great that one says never again—that sin. Furthermore, of all the sins we may commit, it seems to me that immorality, once forgiven, is least likely to be repeated. Let me explain. With immorality, a person knows they have sinned. It is black or white. One is either moral or immoral. In contrast, with other sins, the dividing line may not be as clear, and frequently repentance is either seen as unnecessary or rejected all together. Take bitterness, for example. Most of us would deny being bitter. Even if we are convicted of it, there is a tendency to quickly justify or excuse it. Jesus spends nearly the whole chapter of Matthew 18 dealing with the subject. Finally, He closes the chapter by warning of the torment (anxiety, depression, and financial loss) one will suffer by holding onto bitterness.