There are consequences for all actions, yes all actions. When you take positive action, the consequence is a positive result. When you take negative actions, the consequence is a negative result. We seem to think of consequences as only negative and when negative does not come, then we think we are in the clear.
Biblical consequences occur and we seem to find them polarizing. We seem to look at the negative consequences to our actions with God to be unjust and we think that positive consequences should be the result of not taking negative actions. See below for the view that John has as the New Heaven and New Earth are revealed to him.
“6And he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.’” – Revelation 21:6-8 (ESV)
Verses six and seven speak to the consequences to the actions taken to glorify and honor God, whereas verse eight the consequences to the opposite. Notice that the positive consequences to be full life and communion with God, whereas the negative consequence is casting out and “the second death”. The negative consequences seem so much more dramatic, when in actual application both the positive and negative are equally spectacular.
You see, we don’t see the positive consequences really at all. We don’t think of positive results of our actions because we have come to only think of consequences as negative and when they don’t come we just pass them off as continuing on with things. But, look closely at verses six and seven above. See the result, quenched thirst and heir with Jesus and for what, turning to and accepting God for who He is and what He gives to us. We are conquerors of this world thanks to the redeeming grace of God the Father.
But, negative consequences we know all to well. We notice them at every turn. When things don’t turn out the we planned we look to place blame. We do not accept that we may have done something to be rewarded with the negative consequence. The reality is that our actions have generated a result and that result is negative and we push back at acceptance of the result. With God, the negative result/consequence is quite something, “the second death” as noted in verse eight above. See the actions and the breadth of those actions that generate the result. From lying to being faithless all generate the negative consequence of “the second death”.
We look at things so differently in our lives. We do not see consequences for our actions the same way. We barely notice the consequence to positive action and we blame negative consequences on someone else entirely. In reality, positive and negative consequences are there exclusively based on the actions, or even inaction that we take each day. For bringing glory to and leaning on the LORD the consequence is the quenching of our thirst and life in the presence of God. For thinking only of self, we are rewarded with “the second death” and will spend eternity in lake of fire. All actions have consequences.
What is your view of consequences? Do you really only think of negative consequences or results? What if you were to look to the positive consequences of your actions as you bring glory to and lean on God?
Trevor's Thoughts 