The Long Term Consequences of Sin Gal 6:8 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO

You need to be able to see the long term consequences of sin.  You need to look beyond the immediate pleasure and you also need to look beyond the immediate consequences [like a hangover].  You need to look all the way down the road to where you can see the corruption Paul mentions in Gal 6:8.  If you can see that far down the road, then you will have a stronger resolve to keep from sinning today.

You need to see the:

The physical toll on you – Gal 6:8 – Corruption.  Advertisers never show you anything beyond the pleasure of sin.  They obviously never show you lung cancer from smoking, psoriasis of the liver from drinking, death from drug use and overdoses, hepatitis from drug use and so forth.  These are the corruptions that follow sowing to the flesh.

The emotional toll on you – Gen 47:9 – Regret.  You may laugh and marvel at your sinful exploits and excesses today.  But there is coming a day when you will regret some of your past and you will give anything to have the memory erased from your heart and mind… anything!  If you are saved, you will be forgiven but you won’t ever forget.

The collateral toll on your loved ones – Prov 17:25 – Heartache.  You will never know the heartache you are causing your parents until you are a parent of a child who does the same thing that you are doing to your parents.  Then you will know.  And then it will be too late to make it up to them.

The spiritual toll on you – Matt 25:41 – Judgment.  You will face the judgment of Jesus Christ who will pronounce you “cursed” if you are lost.  And if you are saved he will pronounce your judgment against you at the judgment seat of Christ, “saved yet so as by fire,” [1 Cor 3:11-15].  You will give account of everything done in your body [2 Cor 5:10-11, 1 Cor 6:19-20].  And you will suffer the loss of all that was done in unrighteousness [1 Cor 6:9-11].

The eternal toll on you – Lk 16:23-24 – Fire.  If you are lost you will spend eternity in the lake of fire.  You will feel the darkness, the flames, the torment, and the lack of rest.  And there will be nothing you can do to stop it.

Conclusion: There’s no one who ever loved you like the Lord.  He has given you strength in Jesus Christ to turn from sin.  And if the view far down the road has convinced you to stop, then stop, trust him and let him give you the strength to escape.