sin - consequences of

In his Turning Point Daily Devotional for June 21, 2005, David Jeremiah points out that sin always has unintended consequences. Take the Seattle man, for example, who tried to steal gasoline from a motor home. Attaching a siphoning hose to the vehicle, he started to work; but police found him shortly afterward writhing in agony in the street. Seems he had attached the hose, not to the gasoline tank, but to the motor home's sewage tank! The owner declined to press charges; he was too busy laughing. (http://www.globe-rider.com/bull1e.html accessed on February 20, 2005.)
Facing the consequences of our sins, however, is no laughing matter. Colossians 3:25 says, "He who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done" (NASV). Some people think when they confess their sins to God, He dismisses the consequences; but that's not always the case. He does forgive the guilt, and He forgives freely; but sometimes the consequences remain. When we sin, it's important to confess it and accept God's pardon. But better to avoid sin in the first place.
It's impossible to get away with sin; but it's also impossible to get away from God's love. Remain close to Him, trust His forgiveness, and keep the sewage of sin out of your soul.