And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die.”
2 Samuel 12:13-14
One of the hardest but most valuable lessons for children to learn is that there are consequences for their sins. Sins may be forgiven, but the impact of the sin does not disappear with forgiveness. If an older child willfully breaks a toy belonging to a younger sibling, the guilty child can be forgiven, but there will be a consequence. He will have to use his weekly allowance to purchase a replacement toy. Mercy is the biblical term for not getting the punishment we deserve. But mercy does not do away with consequences. Even though God is “longsuffering and abundant in mercy,” He reserved the right to visit the consequences of sin on future generations (Numbers 14:18). Even though David was forgiven for his double sins of adultery and murder, the consequence of his sins would be the death of the child conceived in immorality.
Mercy spares you from punishment. But it doesn’t always spare you or others from the consequences of your sin.
We are free to choose, but not free to choose the consequences of our choice.
