Bible Insights

Maybe you’ve wondered, ‘If God has really forgiven me, why do I still have consequences for my sin?’ Today we’re going to look at why we sometimes still face consequences when God has forgiven us.

Mistakes that you’ve made, things you’ve done, words you’ve said, these choices sometimes bring painful consequences in our lives that don’t fade quickly. But the Bible shows us that these consequences don’t mean that God hasn’t forgiven us. Consequences and forgiveness are two different things.

According to First John 1:9, when a Christian confesses their sin to God, He forgives us fully and immediately. It says, “If you confess your sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” That means that when you admit to God that what you’ve done is wrong and agree withHim about that, which is what confession means, then He forgives you and washes you clean in the blood of Jesus. Like Romans 8:1 says, there is no condemnation to those who are in Jesus.

But the Bible also shows us that sometimes there are still consequences that come because of the things we’ve done. The story of David in the Bible shows us that forgiveness doesn’t always cancel our consequences. His story shows us that even when God fully forgives us, sometimes we still face the consequences of our action. …

Right in the middle of the Garden of Eden were two trees. One was called the tree of life and one was called the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God gave Adam and Eve an instruction and a warning. He told them not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because He told them if they ate of that tree, they would die.

One day Satan visited the garden. He told Eve that if she ate the fruit of that tree of the knowledge of good and evil, she wouldn’t die. It was the exact opposite of what God had said. There weren’t subtle differences here. God said, “If you eat it, you’ll die.” And Satan said, “If you eat it, you won’t die.” They had to decide who they would believe.

Sadly for them and all of us, they chose to believe Satan even though he was lying. They ate the fruit and then found out that God had been right. Because right then they started to die.

But God didn’t want people to choose death. He wanted them to choose life. That’s why He had warned them and instructed them not to eat of that tree. So God sent Jesus, His own Son, to reopen that choice of life so that we can choose life today. …

Maybe you’ve heard that God wants to set you free from fear, anxiety, anger, hatred, addictions, lust, jealousy, unforgiveness, and whatever else is holding you captive. But you wonder, how does God set a person free? Today we’re going to look at what the Bible says about how you can find real freedom in Jesus.

In John 8:31-32, Jesus tells us how we can be free. He says, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

In these verses, Jesus promises that there is a way for you to be free. And He tells you how to find it. …