“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Rom. 1:18, NKJV).
 Everything we do has a consequence. If you stand in the hot sun with ice cream, it will certainly melt. Cause and effect always go together. And no matter how desperately we may want things to be different, it is the same with sin. It always reaps consequences. It is not that God sits in heaven wondering what terrible things He could do to people who sin; no, sin itself comes with its own built-in consequences.

 The problem is that many times we think that we can somehow outwit God, and sin without experiencing the consequences. It never happens. Paul makes it very clear that sinning has consequences not only for eternity but painful and distressing consequences today.

 In Romans 1:21-32, Paul describes the process of people falling into sin and the consequences of those sins. Read these verses prayerfully and carefully and summarize the essence of what Paul is saying, focusing specifically on the stages of sin and the consequences.

 A couple of verses earlier Paul describes these consequences as the “wrath of God” (Rom. 1:18). God’s wrath in this passage is simply God’s allowing human beings to reap what they sow. Even for Christians, God does not always intervene immediately to remove the pain that results from our own actions. Many times He allows us to experience the consequences of our actions in order for us to understand how deeply damaging and offensive our sin is.

 We have been considering the consequences of breaking God’s moral laws. But what about breaking God’s health laws? Our bodies are God’s home. If we abuse our bodies by failing to eat healthfully or to exercise, or if we regularly overwork, this is also sin against God. And this has consequences that can create the conditions of a crucible.