​Comfortable With Sin
Part Five
Scripture (1) makes it clear in black and white that the wages (divine pay back)  for ANYTHING that the Bible labels as sin, is DEATH.  Such death(s) can come in one form or another, in time here on Earth, or in Eternity.
Those who choose to disbelieve when presented with the unadulterated Gospel Message, encapsulated in John 3: 16, 18, will suffer spiritual death for all of eternity future. 
Spiritual death is NOT a state of non-existence, but existing while being separated from God.
Since the Fall of Man, we all come into this world physically alive, but spiritually dead, in need of being  born-again, resulting in the regeneration of what had been our dead spirit (2). Unbelievers, leaving this world spiritually dead will eventually spend ALL of eternity future in what the Bible calls the lake of fire, following the Rev. 20: 13-15 event.
Born-again believers who choose to commit post (after) salvation sin will suffer divine discipline (3) here on Earth.  The consequences of post salvation sin can involve anything from having to live with a guilty conscience, up to and including, physical death. The classic example of physical death being imposed is the case of Ananias and Sapphira, documented in Acts 5.
If the consequences of the sin(s) we commit only hurt ourselves, that would be one thing, but our sin(s) can hurt many others, as well.
At one time, the sins of David, resulted in the death of his infant son (4).  
Note that this David, was a man that generally speaking, had a heart for God, and daily walked with Him for most of his life.  David pleaded with God to spare  the life of his innocent son, but the answer was “No.”
There was another time, when 70,000 Jews lost their lives during  a national plague that was brought on by another sin that David committed (5). 
The unfathomable and inexhaustible grace and mercy of God reaches out offering forgiveness to everyone, based on the unlimited atonement noted in 1John 2:2.
But God has no favorites when it comes to His Justice (6). Be it in time or in eternity future, we will all reap the crop, good or bad, that we have sown. 
Divine forgiveness does not mean that all of the corresponding consequences are going to go away (7).
There are many born-again believers who do not enter into or remain in post (after) salvation Biblical discipleship.  It is much more comfortable to just check in once a week for a weekly worship service, and then “just do the best one can” for the rest of the week.  It is much more comfortable to spend 1 hour, in Church, amounting to less than 1% of the 168 hours that God gives to each one of us for His glory, than it is to be a disciple 24/7.
As a result, they remain saved (8), but fail to grow up spiritually themselves, and do not participate in the Great Commission, evangelizing or edifying others. 
Spiritual maturity is measured by the amount of accurate doctrine that one possesses, and one’s willingness to apply it, no matter where one is or what one is otherwise doing.  99% of the life of discipleship is spent outside of the walls or otherwise connected to a local assembly, as one goes about his or her daily activities.
Failure to embrace or remain in Biblical Discipleship is a willful act of disobedience to the commands (not options) of 2Pet. 3: 18 and Matt. 28: 19, 20, resulting in the death (end) of the Mark 4: 19 type of productivity. 
This sin of omission results in God being denied the glory that He would have otherwise received, and believer forfeiting the type of  heavenly reward and privileges that he or she  would have otherwise received, that are reserved for advancing disciples.
Bringing glory to God is the Biblical answer to the Age-old question, “Why did God create me, and for what reason am I here on Earth?”.  
The first time one glorifies God is when one is born again.  After that, God is glorified each and every time an advancing disciple applies the Biblical principles that he or she has learned.  This is especially true when done in the face of great adversity, or when tempted to do the opposite.
Many  believers are comfortable with “going to Church,” jumping through the hoops and going through the motions of their chosen denomination on a regular basis,  but are no further along the road to spiritual maturity than what they were 6 months, or 60 years ago.  They have been entrapped, taken captive, and removed from the battlefield of spiritual combat, here in the Church Age.
In their captivity, they have become comfortable with things being just as they are, having no desire to conduct any 2Cor. 13: 5 self-examinations, or make any changes that such examinations would require.
“Because you say, “I am (earthly) rich, and have become wealthy (prosperous), and have no need of anything ” (… but) you do not know that you are (spiritually) wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked (Rev. 3: 17 NASB parenthesis mine).”
In this, the devil is well-pleased.
The woman, later names Eve, applying human rationalization, was deceived into thinking that the eating of the forbidden fruit would improve things (9) for she and Adam.
We all know how that worked out.
Anytime we do something that God forbids, or fail to do something that God requires, we have been deceived and are on the road to divine discipline.
In the times we are presently living, many rationalize and justify their own behaviors by saying, “Everyone is doing it.” 
The truth is that everyone is NOT doing it, and that ones that are doing it are responsible for much of the mess that we, as a society, a nation, and a world presently find ourselves.  
There was a time, when except for Noah and his family, everyone was “doing it,”  as well.  Then one day, it started to rain!
One is not going to win any elections or popularity contests by taking a godly stand on issues here in the devil’s (10)  world.  
In these times, elections and re-elections are won by telling enough people what they want to hear, coupled with what they see as human solutions. 
What the majority of people want to hear is what lines up with their own human reasoning and personal goals, being totally blind to the deep spiritual issues behind the headlines that need to be addressed.
The more of a godly stand you take, with family, friends, and beyond, the more often you will find yourself in the same scenario as did the Apostle Paul who rhetorically asked, “ So have I become your enemy by telling you the truth (Gal. 4: 16 NASB2020)?”
The truth will always “rattle the cage” of the comfort zone that human rationalization has established in ourselves or in others around us, but if you are not a part of the solution, you inevitably will become a part of the problem.
End of Part 5
End of Series
(1) Rom. 6: 23 (2) John 3: 7/Titus 3: 5 (3) Heb. 12:6 (4) 2Sam.12: 14  (5)  2Sam. 24: 15 (6) Gal. 6: 7 (7) 2Sam 12: 10, 12, 14 (8) Rom. 8: 1 (9) Gen. 3: 6 (10) Luke 4: 6