As a pastor and teacher I hear myself saying a lot of the same things time and time again.
One of my regular sayings is that our sin has no eternal consequences any more but does have consequences here on earth.
I think this verse in the Gospel of John helps highlight this.
We can see that the man was made whole before Jesus spoke about his sin.
The sin had no effect on Jesus’ relationship with the man and whether or not he would be healed and made whole.
We could say the same about abundance, acceptance, mercy and compassion, indeed anything that Jesus gives to us.
We could say the same about our salvation in fact; our sin has no effect on this eternal consequence.
However after he was healed the man was warned about sin in case something worse happened to him.
This shows us that sin has consequences to us here on earth.
We can be hurt by our sin as we open a door to the enemy, our family and friends can be hurt by our sin, but it has no effect on God or our eternal destiny.
God cannot even see this sin anymore according to Hebrews 10 v 17.
The ‘grace message’ does not advocate that we can sin, God forbid Paul says!
But the ‘grace message’ (or what I prefer to call the Gospel or the truth) assures us that if we should fall we are not lost and do not lose our relationship with the Lord.
Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord for the finished work of Jesus and thank you that ALL my sin has been dealt with at an eternal level”.
John 5 v 14…..Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee
Heilan Word Ministries 