The Aftermath

Jeremiah 52:7
“Then the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled, and went forth out of the city by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king’s garden; (now the Chaldeans were by the city round about:) and they went by the way of the plain.”

Several years ago, I was preaching in Oklahoma City for my predecessor, Pastor Charley O’Daniel. It was right after one of the big tornadoes that had come through the area. One of the men in his church had his pilot’s license, and he asked me if I would like to go flying with him to see the aftermath of the tornadoes that swept through the state of Oklahoma. What a destructive path those tornadoes left! The aftermath of those tornadoes left destruction and death.

The aftermath of those tornadoes is a great reminder of how sin leaves every person. There is always a conclusion to every story and an ending to every beginning. Too many people throughout history have always looked at the bright beginning of sin without observing sin’s destructive paths. In Jeremiah 52, God shows the aftermath of sin that should be a vivid picture for every believer to look at before deciding to go into sin. Let me show you the aftermath of sin’s path.

First, sin always leaves you broken. The verse above says, “Then the city was broken up…” Sin’s pathway has left a trail of broken lives, and yet people still choose to foolishly go down that path thinking they won’t be the next victim. My friend, if you could see the broken lives of sin, you would realize you are no match for the power of sin. You must never think you are the exception to this pathway because everyone in sin’s pathway had that same thought.

Second, sin always leaves you fearful. In the verse above, the once strong city is now fleeing in fear. Sin always robs the believer of confidence. Sin will cause you to always look over your shoulder wondering who is going to reveal what others don’t know about. Some of the most confident people in the Christian walk have become fearful people because of sin’s aftermath.

Third, sin always leaves you vulnerable. Sin has a way of breaking down the walls in your life like it did to Jerusalem. Doing right is the best protection from vulnerability. Sin will leave you open to disease, financial destruction, and mental attacks that will follow you for the rest of your life.

Fourth, sin always leaves you overtaken by the enemy. Those who hated you will one day have their day of victory if you succumb to sin’s temptation. Many people have become the topic of the enemy’s broadcast because of sin. The enemy will publish everything they can about your fall if you choose to go the way of sin. You must realize that the enemy does not want you to be like them; they simply want you to fall so they can say they were right.

Fifth, sin always leads your children down the same destructive pathway. Sadly, the children of Zedekiah lost their lives because of their dad’s sin. Many children have learned sinful habits from a parent’s life of sin to their destruction. If you love your children, never go down the destructive path of sin because they will follow you.

Sixth, sin’s aftermath is filled with blindness and bondage. Many people have had to live with the bondage of sin for the rest of their lives because of sin’s consequences. My friend, never take sin’s first offer if you want to avoid the aftermath of its destructive pathway.

Author: Allen Domelle