Articles
Forgiveness and Sin's Consequences
Not long after Israel departed from Mt. Sinai, Miriam and Aaron came forward and challenged Moses. They said their complaint was about his Cushite wife; the real problem was that they were jealous of his position.
The Lord summoned them to the tent of meeting where He rebuked Moses’ siblings. When the cloud depicting God’s presence departed, Miriam was left leprous. Aaron acknowledged their sin and asked Moses to pray for their sister. Moses did, and God agreed to heal her. But not immediately. He explained, “If her father had but spit in her face, would she not bear her shame for seven days? Let her be shut up for seven days outside the camp, and afterward she may be received again” (Numbers 12:14). The entire camp of Israel was held up for a week, awaiting Miriam.
This is just one of many Bible illustrations of an important principle: forgiveness does not remove all the consequences of one’s sin. It takes away the worst one: severed fellowship with God and its eternal implications. But God never promised that forgiveness, by Him or by man, would remove all of sin’s effects.
A liar loses credibility. He may apologize and be forgiven, but that does not make others instantly trust everything he says from now on.
An adulterer violates the trust of mankind’s most intimate relationship. His sin is such that it is the lone basis on which the Lord said one may divorce (Matthew 5:32). His mate may forgive him, but that does not necessarily translate into a continued relationship. Even when it does, that relationship will not be the same, at least for a long time. While we are on this application, nowhere does the Bible suggest that forgiveness removes the remarriage restrictions on one who disregards divine law about divorce.
Civil penalties do not disappear simply because one repents. Neither do the physical effects of sins such as drunkenness and drug abuse. Any publicly known sin damages one’s reputation, at least for a time, apologies notwithstanding.
Remember what Moses warned Israel: “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23).
