If there was ever a generation of people that takes sin lightly, it is this generation of Americans. We seem to think that we can ignore or even spurn the laws of God and men and walk away clean without confronting any consequences at all. It may be that some governmental treatment of law-breaking encourages this attitude. Witness, for example the leniency that is being extended to those who are guilty of supposed “minor drug offenses” as a case in point.

The present administration considers these legal breaches to be insignificant and unworthy of any sort of punishment, and so at the federal level they are being ignored continuously. Sale of marijuana takes place in the open in several states, in breech of federal law. The same sort of laissez faire view was taken recently in several cities where rioters and looters destroyed millions of dollars in property and robbed businesses of their inventories and stocks of goods. All of this happened while police stood by and watched helplessly. Most of the looters and thieves waltzed away from the scene of their crimes without being arrested and to this day have faced no punishment for their lawless deeds.

Such incidences as these give the impression, on the surface at least, that men and women may do evil things without consequences. But that would be a conclusion that would not consider all of the evidence of the case. Yes, sometimes people seem to escape the consequences of their wicked actions. But to argue from this that human beings always walk away without suffering any consequences from their evil doings would be to take these cases too far and ignore altogether what others might show. Jails and prisons are filled with people who could testify to the fact that eventually we all must “pay the piper” if we decide to dance to that tune.  The law breaker at first is emboldened because he escapes the penalty of his first infraction of the law, and so he does it again, and perhaps again. And so in each instance he increases the odds that he can and will be caught. So at last he is caught, and when that happens he must pay the price for his behavior.

In the realm of the relationship between God and man, it is much the same. We may skirt the laws of God for a time, seemingly without consequence. But eventually we will be brought to judgment. A case in point is ancient Israel, the Lord’s greatest illustration of both his mercy and his judgment. In his prayer of national confession to God, Ezra openly admitted Israel’s many sins before God, and wondered at the Lord’s longsuffering in the face of their evils. But he also noted that a time finally came when God’s patience was exhausted, and he gave them up to the unfortunate but well-deserved consequences of their bad behavior. He said:

“Oh my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to you, my God; for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up to the heavens. Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass up to this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, have been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is this day…” (Ezra 9:6, 7).

Israel’s greatest scribe recognized that sin, which is spiritual law-breaking, cannot go long unpunished, and in the end thereof has harsh consequences. For a time it may seem to go unnoticed. But this only emboldens the sinner to do worse yet. And that only pushes God toward more severe judgment when it is meted out. Israel’s past glory was forever lost. Jerusalem was a burnt-out skeletal ruin. The great Temple of God was sacked and wrecked. Her great cities and towns had all been brought to destruction, put to the torch. Her kings were captives of greater monarchs. Israel had been enslaved for 70 years.

This illustrates an eternal principle. It is no different for people in any age. That is precisely the message of the sacred history of old Israel. Sin will not escape punishment. It may seem for a time that it might do so, but time will eventually tell the rest of the tale. God is very merciful and gracious to his people when they recognize the evil of their deeds and repent. But he will bring us to utter ruin if we think that we can flaunt his laws and ignore his will!

Modern America is no different. The church of the twenty-first century is no different. God will bring our sins into judgment and he will do so with amazing ferocity and power when he does, just as he did with his chosen people Israel in days gone by. Only repentance and prayer will avert disaster for a lawless and sinful generation. The word “retribution” is a frightening term. But it describes precisely the actions taken by God in the past as he dealt with the evils of nations that were once glorious and strong. How can we believe that we will be an exception to this general rule in his dealings with nations and states?