Re: Sin and its consequences
Submitted by F.O.D. on May 12 2000 21:07:43
In reply to Sin and its consequences submitted by Jules on May 08 2000 16:50:42
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I would hate to think that any of my Protestant brothers here feel they don't need to bother too much because 'it will all be well in the end' - when the world God has made isn't like that. God's grace is infinite in forgiving us and granting us eternal life, but we live in a universe of moral consequences, in this life and the next. In the next life we will be in perfect fellowship with God, but somehow we also take with us something of what we have done. I tend to think of it like this - the worse my life has been, the more remorse I will feel as I enter eternity, seeing God as he is and knowing that in his grace he has overlooked all my sin. If that is I think this is fair enough. I am reminded also of Jesus' parable of the talents, where one servant, given 10 talents, put them to work and earnt 10 more. When his master returned, he said "well done, you've been faithful with what I gave you, now I will put you in charge of 10 cities." I think it's a particularly unfortunate consequence of Calvinist thought, which says "God chooses his own, so it really doesn't matter how I live". Paul addresses the question effectively when he says in Rom 6, "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" It's his love for us that, in overthrowing our sin, gives us the hope to no longer continue sinning, gives us the power to treat others in the good way with love. It's in response to that love of his that we seek do to what is right today, for, as you said, his glory. I'm not too sure about "regret" in the next world, though. The "reward" there may be commensurate with how well we got it right here, but I'm not sure how much room there will be for remorse over having got less, even though that may be the consequence of your life here. The verse I'm thinking of is in Isaiah, "the former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind". Our reward will be larger or smaller according to what we can handle, but nevertheless the prime attitude should, I think, be one of seeking how we may best bring honour to God, rather than seeking how much honour we can earn in the next life. Respects, Fod |
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