And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And he awoke from his sleep and said, “I will go out as at other times and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him. -Judges 16:20
We are masters of justifying our sins and lying, not only to others, but to ourselves. We, at times, feel that our sins, though forgiven and paid for, do not have consequences.
When it comes to the consequences of our actions, the Bible is very clear. Galatians 6:7 says, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” We also read in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death.”
Consequences are outcomes, either negative or positive, of our actions. There are always consequences to our actions or lack of actions. When we first encounter a temptation, it is either immediately dismissed or entertained. While entertained,the first thing we usually do is deny or convince ourselves that there will be no consequences.
This sermon will cover foolish decisions and consequences as well as the Lord’s restoration and faithfulness. God’s will is sovereign and cannot be thwarted. Though it is preferable that His will be accomplished from our obedience, surely our disobedience and sin cannot stop His plans. As we will see from the story of Samson, his desires, lusts, bad decisions, and violations of his Nazarite vow lead to dire consequences, even though God’s will of deliverance from the Philistines is still achieved.
However, there is hope as God’s Grace is revealed in the story of Samson. When he cries out to the Lord in his time of weakness and blindness, his prayer is answered and the Philistines are decimated. Our sins are never too much for the Lord, but they do have consequences, especially if we ignore the warnings.