Every one of us feels rebellions at times, and there are times we actually did it, and thereafter we regretted and repented. But there are those times, when some people went against God’s commands, and never repented of it, they would reap the consequences. The bible speaks clearly about reaping what you sowed.

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. (Galatians 6:7-8)

It says God is not mocked; you can’t get away from what you sowed. Everything points back to God. Isn’t it interesting that, when people have trouble, a lot of non-believers and Christians get mad with God, and many in the world indeed curse the name of Jesus! And when they have success, they barely thank God, but bottom line, it’s true that God is the center of gravity. 

But most impactful on me that stirred me to write this article is from what Calvin wrote:

Nor would the obtuseness (slow in perception, intellect) of the whole Jewish nation today in awaiting the Messiah’s earthly kingdom be less monstrous, had the scriptures not foretold long before that they would receive this punishment for having rejected the gospel. –John Calvin [1]

Such sharp comment by Calvin on the state of the Jewish nation still waiting for their messiah even today. But it’s true that they would receive punishment for having rejected the gospel as in:

2 Corinthians 3:13-15 not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts.

This is saying to this day, when the law of Moses is read to them, a veil lies over their hearts. In other words, they can’t see the Lord, as their hearts were hardened, and still are. Hardened heart is the hardest thing to crack, to help someone to come to know Christ. It’s not the intellectual head knowledge, but the heart condition. But why?

The words” punishment for rejected the gospel, or Jesus” of Calvin rings aloud. But is punishment part of God? Isn’t He a God of love and forgiveness? That’s true, but he is also a God of justice, and righteousness and holiness.

Calvin writes: For it so pleased God in righteous judgment to strike blind the minds of those who by refusing the offered light of heaven voluntarily brought darkness upon themselves. Therefore, they read Moses and continually ponder his writings, but they are hampered by a veil from seeing the light shining in his face. (2 Cor 3:13-15)

Did you see that God struck blind the minds of those who refused the light of heaven, and as a result, they brought voluntarily darkness upon themselves. My key point here is that God initiated a punishment, judgment, in response to their refusal and rejection of Christ as the Savior of the world. To say that God is long suffering, and patient, and kind, and forgiving, and hence take advantage of his patience, is not only wrong, but also dead dangerous. There will be prices to pay. There will be consequences. Just like this in the case of the Jewish nation, they paid the price, just like they shouted in Matt 27 And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” It’s a horrendous thing to say, and to have said that to the Son of God himself!

And God swiftly responded as in 2 Cor 13: But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted…. As a result of that their hearts were hardened. Hardened hearts will never respond to God, until the mercy of God comes around.

Romans 11 Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,

You see that hardening is partial, until a certain number, and then all Israel will be saved. My thesis in this article is that, any rebellion against God’s Word will carry a price tag. There will be consequences. For the Jewish nation, it’s the partial hardening, with a veil over their hearts when Moses is read. By rejecting the Messiah, this is a consequence. It’s a deadly price to pay. More severe, and dark than anything you could imagine, to see literally generations gone without seeing the true Messiah and hence salvation.

Bring it back to today’s situation in America and round the world. Individually, if a Christian walks away from the Lord, there is a drastic horror awaits.

Hebrews 6 For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.

Someone who has been enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, and tasted the goodness of God and the powers of the age to come, and fallen away, will be impossible for them to come back to Christ, as they crucified the Son of God once again and hold Christ up to contempt. Wow, a big warning. A warning that’s less preached in pulpit today, but it’s so important to teach it.

What about corporate church fallout? Like what we just seen the splitting of the United Methodist church this week. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/03/us/methodist-split-gay-marriage.html

United Methodist churches split because of gay marriage. We have heard that before with the PCA & PCUSA (Presbyterian USA & America). I consider the issue of homosexuality, gay marriage is the most potent force to cause church split, historically, statistically, and there is no doubt. But what I am saying is that those who walk away from the scriptures will pay the price. There will be consequences on a massive scale. The Bible is clear on this:

1 Cor 6 ⁹ Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men ¹⁰ nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

There is no doubt consequences await those who walk away from God’s Word.

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[1] John Calvin, Institutes of Christian Religion p 449