You Won't Get Away With It

God's rules are not only beneficial boundaries, they're also absolute truth.  And guess what:  truth has consequences; translated:  you won't get away with it!

I’m amazed, however, how many of us believe we will get away with it.   It’s the other person who will have the heart attack if they keep eating fried bacon and cream-filled donuts for breakfast -- it’s the other person who will lose their career and reputation if they keep lusting and committing adultery.

But it’s not just the other person who will bear the consequences; over time, you will bear the consequences.   Moses says it best in Numbers 32:  “…and you may be sure that your sin will find you out…” (Numbers 32:23).  Or literally in the Hebrew: “you will suffer for your sin.” Thus, Paul admonishes in Colossians 3:  “put to death…what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire and covetousness…On account of these the wrath of God is coming” (Col. 3:5, 6).  Translated:  you can run, but you cannot hide; you will be found-out.

Until the day he died, my Dad never had gray hair.  Now frankly I thought that was a little fishy, especially since gray hair clearly runs in our family.  But I could never find proof of hair coloring, or dye, or any other color-altering substance.  But then a few days after my Dad died, as I was emptying out Dad’s house, I started to clean-out Dad’s medicine cabinet.  And as I did, I pressed up against the back wall of the cabinet, and presto: a secret door swung open, revealing a secret compartment filled with, you guessed it -- a whole stash of hair coloring – to be precise: extra strength, Grecian Formula Plus! And my Dad was exposed! 

But in fairness to my Dad, we all have our secret compartments, don’t we?  And so an ouchy question:  what is your secret compartment – what are you hiding?  I want to encourage you:  come clean.  I mean you will be found out -- so reveal things now.  

   

It’s inspiring to see Nehemiah doing that in Nehemiah 1 – “I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself…have committed against you [O God].  We have acted very wickedly toward you.  We have not obeyed the commandments, decrees and laws you have given your servant Moses…”  (Nehemiah 1:6-7).   

And God’s response to Nehemiah’s candor?  A sarcastic scolding – a ridiculing rebuke – a terrorizing thunderbolt?  No, none of the above!  Rather God gives an embrace -- as God renews His covenant of love (Nehemiah 1:5), gathering the Hebrew people -- bringing “…them to the place [He has] chosen as a dwelling for [His] Name…”  (Nehemiah 1:9).  

And so there’s every advantage to ‘coming clean’ – of not hiding – of trusting God -- for our God is a God of covenant, who always keeps His Word.  Most prominently: a Word of forgiveness – grace – compassion – and mercy!.