Divine Consequences?

The Bible teaches us that sin has its consequences. We have all sinned and continue to do so although a Christian believer, while not sinless, as it's been said, should sin less. We have an advocate when we do sin, but sin has its consequences - the Bible also says that as we sow, we shall reap. That is true certainly individually, but I think we should consider that collectively that is so, as well. Galatians 6 says:
7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

A recent piece at The Western Journal by a C. Douglas Golden opened this way:

On Jan. 5, the Golden Globes took place in Los Angeles. Hollywood royalty arrived to be roasted by host Nikki Glaser, to see and to be seen, and to hopefully pick up a trophy on the way.

About halfway through the ceremony, Glaser noted who’d gotten thanked.

Most often: cast and crew. Second least-often: Mario Lopez of “Access Hollywood.” Least-often: God.

Glaser noted, “It’s no surprise in this godless town..."  Obviously, that was played for laughs.  But, when you think about it, it is no laughing matter.  The article points out:

On Jan. 7, the California wildfires started, burning down the homes of thousands of residents, but — unusually for natural disasters — seeming to target the rich and famous particularly.

Coincidence?  Maybe, maybe not.  Consequences?  Divine judgment? X users chimed in to offer that possibility. Well...here's what Golden had to say:

The morally unhinged “Emilia Pérez” — about how a Mexican drug lord basically became a secular saint merely by identifying as a transgender woman — won “Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy” over pictures like “Anora” and “The Substance.”

I mention those two because the fact they both earned R ratings as opposed to NC-17, proof the Motion Picture Association of America has just given up trying at this point.

This is what we might call a conversation starter, so the writer has given us something to think about.  Golden wrote:

Now, whether or not this was some sort of divine plan — I doubt God was simply provoked by Glaser’s words, not having realized the state of California was a modern Babylon, but it could be a not-so-gentle reminder that God shall not be mocked — is way above my pay grade, as they say.

Golden also stated:

...it’s worth noting that the four major fires formed a semicircle around the Beverly Hilton, where the awards were held.

And it’s worth noting that Hollywood is a town that consistently thumbs its nose at God — which, well, we’ve seen how that worked out for Sodom and Gomorrah.

We love to talk about the love and grace of God, and we can be thankful that He sent His Son to die for our sins to spare us from the wrath of God.  But, it doesn't mean that the wrath of God isn't real, and for those who are unrepentant sinners, they are unprotected from God's mercy, even though it is available.  That should produce the fear of God in a person's life and drive him or her to believe on Jesus and repent.  

Erwin Lutzer was a guest on The Meeting House just yesterday.  Regarding the book, The Eclipse of God, he told WORLD Magazine:

I was motivated by an article in The Economist that said God is becoming more liberal: He is beginning to approve of same-sex marriage. It said almost nobody believes in the “smitey Almighty” of the Old Testament. In other words, the God we used to believe in is irrelevant. What I do in the book is to help people understand where this eclipse of God, this darkness, came from, and why we have to get back to the Biblical concept of God and not the gods of popular culture.

Lutzer adds: "In America today, even among evangelicals, God has been domesticated. He’s been brought down and made much more sin-friendly. Americans don’t mind saying that they believe in 'God' as long as they can choose the god in whom they believe. And oftentimes this god turns out to be their own consciousness."

And, regarding the wrath of God, he shares: "We have essentially said that in the New Testament era, it is safe to sin because we live under grace and not under law. It’s an overemphasis on the love of God, which needs to be preached, but where’s the wrath of God? There are two doctrines that destroy the church: the essential goodness of man and the endless tolerance of a nonjudgmental God. I think in some instances, those doctrines have come into the evangelical church, and when they have, the essence of the gospel is lost."

So, God has not changed - and God will not be mocked.  One way that I believe that we see the judgment of God is that he turns people over to what is called in Romans 1 - New Testament - a "debased mind," or as other translations say, a "reprobate mind."  The consequences of their choices; the victimization of their own self-pursuit.  And, perhaps even our choices, as Bible-believing Christians, can cause us pain when we don't submit ourselves to Almighty God.  

The principle of sowing and reaping is certainly alive and well, and while we should always love God and devote ourselves to Him, we should be mindful that we were under judgment for our sins, and a God who is active in the operation of humanity is certainly capable of making Himself known, even in unpleasant ways, for the disobedient.  The Old Testament reminds us that even though His own people disobeyed Him and rebelled against Him, He did not completely forsake them, and to this day, He reaches out in His mercy, so that human beings would come to know Him.