THE LAW OF CONSEQUENCE
.jpg) |
| Rev & Pst Mrs Alfred Azogu during church service |
Laws are like guidelines or guide-lights on how to conduct ourselves rightly, orderly and decently in accordance with generally accepted standards or norms of any organization, group, school or church. Once one breaks a law, there is bound to be a repercussion or consequences of it. This obtains in every society. However for Christians, the scriptures tell us that we are under a unique law of God, the law of righteousness otherwise called the “law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1-2). This is different from the general laws meant for the lawless under the world system (flesh) which law is called the law of retributive justice, basically known as the law of sin and death. It is the law for those who live their lives in the flesh, lusting after the things of the world. They are identified by their fruits (Galatians 5:19-20). The Christian is he or she that lives his or her life in the spirit and no longer fulfill the lust of the flesh but rather has crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts. The Christian is a tree of righteousness planted by God (Isaiah 61:3b). He bears righteous fruits that human law cannot come against. (Galatians 5:22-23). The law binding the Christian is the one of righteousness called the law of Christ or the “Royal Law” it admonishes the Christian to “Do unto others as you would want them to do unto you” otherwise put “love your neighbor as yourself”
The law of consequence is an umbrella law that examines and rewards people; the fruits they bear (character they exhibit) whether they are Christians or not, but according with the law they operate. Now, fruits here connote character, disposition, behaviour or attitude people show when relating with others across boundaries of religion or social interactions. The law of consequence rewards (positively or negatively) man according to the nature of his or her disposition or character towards others or the church or towards God and His commandments. The secular world refers to it as the law of retribution justice- (pays you with your own coin). The book of Galatians states “Be not deceived, God is not mocked…” (Gal.6-7) this is actually the law of sowing and reaping. It is a universal law and the same as the law of consequence. It equally affects man in every facet of life, be one a Christian or not. For instance, a Police man who had the habit of extorting money on the high way met his waterloo when he stopped a medical Doctor over his driving particulars, which he said he forgot while hurrying off. And pleas to let him go fell on deaf ears. Unknown to the Police Officer, the patient the doctor was to attend to died and that patient was the pregnant wife of the very police officer. Regret was too late. Wife and baby died as a result of late arrival of the doctor-this is the law of consequence. God is a loving Father, who made the law of consequence for our benefit. One decision in life determines what we reap. We are given the opportunity to choose between what is right and what is wrong. (Deuteronomy 30:15-20). King David messed up pretty badly when he coveted one of his lieutenant’s wife, Bathsheba, slept with her, got her impregnated (2 Samuel 11:2-5), killed her husband Uriah, (2 Samuel 11:14-17). Despite his confession and God’s forgiveness, he suffered the CONSEQUENCES. Loss of child (2 Samuel12: 10-14). The decision can impact others, so before you act, you need to consider who will hurt the fallout of your decision. Will it be your children, your spouse, colleagues, friends or the church? Forgiveness may not cancel the CONSEQUENCES of your actions. God will hear your confession, freely forgiving you and expunge the record of your sin, but the law of sowing and reaping will persist effectively. So if you do not want to reap evil, do not sow evil
