Daniel 6:24

The king then gave orders, and they brought those men who had maliciously accused Daniel, and they cast them, their children and their wives into the lions’ den; and they had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

Actions have consequences. It is almost cliche to talk about the teacher dressing down his students. Some might argue that they have the right or the freedom to not take a given test.  The teacher calmly replies, “That is your right. And it is my right to fail you.” Yes, it is possible for said students to not take the test. They could not show up that day, or even refuse to write anything down if they are there. It really does not matter. But just because it is possible does not mean it is for the best. Any student who would excercise that option would quickly learn that their actions do in fact have consequences.

Our sin is the same way. Sadly those consequences do not just affect us. It is sometimes easy for us to assume that we live in a vacuum. We might argue that we have the right or the ability to sin because it is our lives and we can do what we want. Yet we must always keep in mind the consequences. Our sin, wether it be lying, stealing, adultery, etc., will hurt other people. Sometimes the hurt is minor, other times it is life shattering. But everything we do affects those around us.

In Daniel 6, it is quite sad to see that those who sinned caused the death of those closest to them. By their foolish actions,  the ones they loved were thrown to a pit of ravenous lions. The same can be said in our lives. Often times our sinful behavior hurts those around us in more subtle ways. How often does a parent, due to their secret sin, put off talking or teaching their children about the word of God? Do they avoid setting the example of prayer? How does it affect their spouse, their friend, their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ? When we are spiritually bankrupt ourselves, we lack the ability to encourage others and make them stronger. Our lack of helping is often times detrimental. So while we may argue that we have the “right” to sin in our own lives, we should consider the collateral damage we will cause to our loved ones.

The king then gave orders, and they brought those men who had maliciously accused Daniel, and they cast them, their children and their wives into the lions’ den; and they had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.