Of Sin and Consequence

When I was a boy I had a strong sense of the law of God and the fear of dread that possessed me when I violated it. Some would say I had an overly sensitive conscience. Interestingly, that didn’t prevent me from sinning; it just worsened my guilt and increased my expectation of punishment. In fact, there was one day that I went home from a friend’s house and I stopped to watch my father mow the yard. He had one of those old Snapper riding lawn mowers. Well, I was feeling guilty about my behavior at the friend’s house… I had cursed a lot and used the Lord’s name in vain. Anyway, as I stood there, my father ran over a piece of concrete and a shard went through my left eye. My vision immediately blurred and blood running down my cheek, I went wailing to my mother; who, despite my father insisting that I would be fine… yes, just put a wet rag on it, he said; she took me to the hospital.  Miraculously, and I mean that, I didn’t lose the eye or my sight. I am convinced that God answered my mother’s prayers, and those lifted heavenward by members of her church. I have no idea what my father did after she whisked me off to St. John’s Hospital in Jacksonville, FL. At the time, we lived in the Wesconnett section; just off 103rd Street on Jammes Road. Let’s just say that I deserved what happened, but not the healing.

Today, I wonder if we haven’t lost much of our awareness and sensitivity to God’s law. Certainly, our culture is more exceedingly liberal and there seems to be little expectation with respect to God’s judgment. Wasn’t it Solomon who observed that simply because a man sins a hundred times and isn’t immediately punished, he thinks he can get away with it? In light of that truth, I appreciate the Lord showing me kindness in His chastening and allowing me to experience the consequences of my sin… now, as opposed to later. While I know some folks are so sensitive of their sin they can’t find closure with Christ because they cannot believe His blood was sufficient as payment in full, others have dulled senses of God’s holiness because of their liberality and scoffing of sin. A proper understanding of the rigidity and the perfection of the law heightens the sense of God’s perfections and excellences.  Without this, some find it laughable thinking that God would or could exact punishment for every breach; jot and tittle of the law violated. There will likely be those who will go to their death, and if they do appear before God, they think they will be treated as if they were in an earthy court where the punishment would fit their diminished sense of crimes, and even those would be subject to leniency from a loving God. Indeed, I can imagine the cries of protest upon hearing God’s judgment: “How can it be I’ve been given life imprisonment? For what? An errant thought? You kidding?”