Consequences of Rebellion

For because of the anger of the Lord this happened in Jerusalem and Judah, that He finally cast them out from His presence. Then Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. 2 Kings 24:20 (NKJV)

The final three kings of Judah were all evil and the nation followed them, so the Lord used Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon to lead them into captivity. The king and the people had been warned through various prophets that if they continued in their evil way, God would remove His protection and cast them from His presence. They did not head the Lord's warning, so God used the nations around them to raid and remove them from the promised land.

Like Judah, rebellion separates us from God today. Drugs, alcohol, gambling, pornography, co-dependency, money, or anything that is put before God, can control us and keep us separated from Him. That is why He sent His only Son to die on the cross for us. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." We have a Savior that chose to die for all that keeps us separated from God. When we accept the work that Jesus did on the cross for us, God no longer sees the things that are separating us from Him and welcomes us into His kingdom. Even though we are saved, we still struggle with the things of this world, so we need to admit our rebellious state, and give our hurt, habits, and hangups to Jesus.

Choose to join a faith-based recovery program like Celebrate Recovery. Join with other believers and say, "my sin will no longer control who I am, it is Jesus who defines me!" Step away from rebellion and admit that a sin has control on you. Choose to give that sin to Jesus and let Him take it like all the rest that He took on the cross. Say, "I am a grateful believer, who struggles with sin, but I have recovery because of what Jesus did for me." The consequence of rebellion is death, but we have a Savior who gives us eternal life.