God won't stop you from choosing to sin

It was during his reign that Hiel, a man from Bethel, rebuilt Jericho. When he laid its foundations, it cost him the life of his oldest son, Abiram. And when he completed it and set up its gates, it cost him the life of his youngest son, Segub. This all happened according to the message from the Lord concerning Jericho spoken by Joshua son of Nun. (1 Kings 16:34)

I mean, practically speaking, nothing happens. Whatever that thing is simply goes into a category of “Things God Says Are Wrong” in my brain, at least. That doesn’t mean anyone else responds that way, and it certainly doesn’t mean that action or belief or thought has an automatic neon sign attached to it that warns us not to do it. That would be easier, honestly.

God doesn’t prevent us from doing what is wrong, most of the time. I’m sure there are some times when He has adjusted events in our lives to encourage us to do the right thing, but He doesn’t control our choices. We do. Each of us has our own free will to make our own decisions, no matter how it might disappoint God.

Basically, just because God says something is wrong doesn’t make that thing “un-doable.” We have a choice whether to do it or not. But there’s something we all need to be very clear about: God may not prevent us from doing something He has said is wrong, but He will hold us accountable for our choices. Every choice we make has a consequence, either a good consequence or a bad one, and if our choices have led to negative consequences, God may just let us walk through them.

Sometimes He softens the blow. Sometimes He takes us on paths that make them easier to bear. Other times, He doesn’t. If He has clearly told us that an action goes against His Will and His Character, and we choose to do it anyway, the only way we could possibly learn is to experience the consequences unfiltered.

This verse in 1 Kings is relatively obscure, easily overlooked and dismissed. On the surface, it doesn’t seem to have a lot of relevance to a modern audience, but it points to an aspect of God’s character that Christians like to forget exists.

When God curses something, we need to stay away from it. Now before we get all weird about curses, let’s get clear about what God’s curse is. It’s a prediction of a bad outcome. When God curses someone or something, He is proclaiming that whatever they are doing, whatever it is associated with, will have a bad future.

Now, I don’t know why this dude Hiel decided that he needed to rebuild Jericho, but God had made it very clear several hundred years earlier that doing so was a bad idea. Joshua, the leader God had chosen to replace Moses in bringing the Israelites into the Promised Land, had spoken this against Jericho after God had brought the walls crumbling down:

At that time Joshua invoked this curse: “May the curse of the Lord fall on anyone who tries to rebuild the town of Jericho. At the cost of his firstborn son, he will lay its foundation. At the cost of his youngest son, he will set up its gates.” (Joshua 6:26)

Regardless of why Hiel decided to rebuild Jericho, in the end, what he was actually doing went against God. Hiel looked at something God had said never to do and decided he would do it anyway. Basically Hiel flipped God off. Hiel’s attitude was that he could rebuild Jericho if he wanted to, so that’s what he did.

Have you ever been there? Where you want something that God has said is bad for you? Where you want a relationship on your own terms rather than ones God says are healthy? Where you want to be physically and emotionally satisfied even though it requires spiritual compromise?

Not pointing fingers. I’m asking myself, because the answer is yes. All of us face choices like this. The world is broken, and we have an enemy who wants us to cut ourselves to pieces on its jagged edges.

God won’t prevent you from making a choice, but He isn’t bound to save you from the consequences of your actions. If you choose to do something God has said is wrong, you will face disappointment, you will be hurt, and you will come out the other side with scars you didn’t have to accumulate.

You can’t bless what God has cursed. You can’t flip God off and win.

Does the wrong choice eliminate mercy? Of course not. Does intentional sin negate grace? No. But God’s grace should never be considered a license to sin, and God’s mercy takes many forms. Protection rarely feels like protection, and His kindness is rarely nice.

Do yourself a favor. If you are doing something God has said is wrong, stop. Whatever it is, stop now before you dig yourself so deep you convince yourself you can’t get out. And if you haven’t crossed the line yet, don’t.

Choosing to do what God says is wrong might be pleasant and fun for a brief moment, but when the bill comes due, you will regret it. Every time. And the bill always comes due.

• What is so attractive about doing what God says we shouldn’t do?

• Why do you think God gives us free will to make our own choices?

• Why would God choose to let us face the consequences of our actions?