How Bad Could It Be?

Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means!

We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?

Romans 6:1-2

Our students had a short handwriting assignment for homework. One girl reported that she had been too tired to do it. I told her she would have to miss recess. She responded quickly with, “Oh well, how bad could it be?”

How bad could it be? My mind began figuring out how bad. She could sit out during center time. She could work on her assignment during recess. When she finished it she could stand on the wall until recess was over.

By the end of the day, she knew “how bad it could be.” The next day she turned in her homework with no complaints.

As a Christian sometimes I must think the same thing as my student. If I do this sin, how bad could it be? Fortunately for me, God does not sit around and try to make my day worse for the sins I have committed. He does, however, allow me to go through the natural consequences of my sin.

Thankfully, just as my student did, I can learn from my shortcomings and flat out deliberate sins. Because of the blood of Jesus Christ, I can confess my sins and He promises to forgive me.

Forgiveness does not give me an excuse to go on sinning, but when I realize what I have done it gives me a chance to be finished with my past sin. Hopefully, as I am confronted daily with a deluge of choices, I will remember that forgiveness and choose to do the right thing as much as possible.

If my actions reflect God’s Word and his Holy Spirit living in me then I might ask,

“how bad could it be?”

And the answer -- not bad at all!

Thank you God for forgiveness through the blood of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Susan P.