Rebellion. Disobedience. Disrespect. These words are often used to describe the actions of teenagers as they progress through those adolescent years. As parents, we know the signs. We know that our children are going to exhibit this qualities. As Christians, though, do we associate these words with our own actions? I believe that at some point in every Christian's life, you will go through a sort of adolescence. There will be something in your life, whether an old habit or a new temptation, that is going to make you behave just like that rebellious teenager. You know very well that what you want to do is wrong. It goes against everything you believe, every value you stand on and every thing you've ever taken a stand against. You know it's wrong. And yet, you blatantly and openly choose to do it anyway. It doesn't matter what it is; the specifics are immaterial. It is the attitude.
When this happens, how do you react? God promises that for every temptation offered, a way is provided. Will you take it? If you choose to act upon whatever temptation or sin is in your way, do you understand that there will be consequences? Are you willing to risk what those consequences are going to be?
God will not force you to obey. He is the ideal parent figure and He will tell you the rules. He will establish the boundaries that define your life. You already know His standard is perfection and that you need the saving grace offered by Jesus to be seen as that perfect standard. You know what you are supposed to do. You choose, however, to fly in the face of right and do wrong. I'm not talking about the normal everyday slips and slides we all have. I'm talking about a deliberate choice to do that which is sin. Will grace cover that? Does grace cover deliberate disobedience?
I believe the short answer is 'yes' because Scripture promises forgiveness of not only all sins, but forgiveness of the sin nature itself. The long answer is a little less cut and dried. Ultimately, in the big picture of eternity, yes, those sins are forgiven. In the here and now, however, you could be letting yourself in for a world of hurt. When you choose deliberate sin, you step outside of the Father's protective hand. You choose to put yourself in a position of harm. Not from God. He will never harm you. He will not make bad things happen to you or cause the bad things in your life. But He may allow those things. You have chosen to step away from Him and that is a dangerous place to be. God also will not make you obey. He allows you free will. You choose to obey or not.
If you find yourself facing this situation think of a few things before you make a decision you can't turn back from . Remember, most things in life cannot be undone. There is no delete button, no do-overs, no mulligans. Once you commit that sin, it's done. You are now in the position of having to deal with the consequences. The problem is, those consequences may not manifest themselves until much later down the road of your life. Rest assured though that your choices will come back to bite you. Recognize that God does not tolerate deliberate disobedience. There will be consequences. You will be disciplined if you step out of His will.
Make sure you understand what you are letting yourself in for before you make that choice to be deliberately disobedient. There will be a way out. If you choose not to take it, don't whine and cry and shout 'not fair' when the hammer falls and you have to deal with those consequences.If you choose deliberate disobedience, you better take your medicine silently and thank God that His grace is as complete as it is. Is that sin worth the risk? Only you can answer that.
