Devotionals by Pastor Chuck Swindoll

But the man who commits adultery is an utter fool, 

for he destroys himself. 

He will be wounded and disgraced. 

His shame will never be erased. 

(Proverbs 6:32–33)

Yesterday covered two important facts from God’s Word related to the subject of abortion. Below is the third of four.

Fact three: Some sins incur greater consequences than others. Yes, sin is sin, but not all sins lead to the same consequences. Some sins are private, unknown, and impact no one other than the person who committed them. You deal with them and they are secretly confessed and swiftly forgiven, never to hurt another soul. It happens daily.

Other sins are public and become known, which means they impact many. Some sins are scandalous and shameful, hurtful to our own spirit, and damaging to our health. For example, the complications and consequences of adultery are discussed throughout the book of Proverbs.

Can a man scoop a flame into his lap and not have his clothes catch on fire? Can he walk on hot coals and not blister his feet? So it is with the man who sleeps with another man’s wife. He who embraces her will not go unpunished. (Proverbs 6:27–29)

Under the general category of sexual sins or immorality there is a lingering consequence or series of consequences that are inescapable. The scars remain. Sexually related sins are in a category unto themselves in Scripture. If the following statement says anything, it certainly suggests that thought:

Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. (1 Corinthians 6:18)

Yes, sin is sin. God understands and is willing to forgive. Forgiven or not, there are some sins that have lingering effects. Those sins can create within us and others an extremely lengthy and sad series of consequences.

I have met women who speak of similar feelings after they had an abortion. The event may be over but the “groaning” lingers. There is still that recurring cycle of grief and depression, which does not automatically go away.

Charles R. Swindoll. Copyright 1990 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc.

Used with permission. All rights reserved.

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