“Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life” (Galatians 6:7-8).
I am blessed to have a good number of conversations with atheists, and a while back some atheists and I were discussing free will. For the most part, they were good with the idea of free will and making decisions for themselves, until we started discussing the consequences of bad choices. The fact of the matter that there is personal responsibility in the decisions we all make.
I asked, “Who should pay the bill, if two people who chose to have sex outside of marriage get an STD, because one of the people in this union is unfaithful sexually to the other person?”
I was accused of being a homophobe, even though I never even brought up homosexuality and in fact already made it clear that I was not talking about homosexual sex. I had stated, “Whether it be a man with a man, woman with a woman, man with a woman, whatever.”
One person then went into how we should take care of each other though and said, “So are you saying people who get stuck underground while working in mines should be just left there? After all, it’s just a consequence to their actions.”
Here’s the answer: Of course, we should help them, just as we should help people with STDs. The only question that needs to be answered is, who should pay for the consequences?
In the question of the miners the answer is an easy one: the company that employs the miners are responsible for getting those people out of there safely.
Regarding the couple with the STD, they are responsible. Society is not and should not be responsible to pay for their consequence. Now, should these people be restrained from getting adequate medicine and healthcare that is available to everyone? The answer is, of course, no. But, they are ultimately, personally responsible for their actions and the consequences physically, mentally, spiritually, and financially that follow.
As a Christian, it seems to me that Christians are called to do what God calls them to do to help people, with the provision that God has supplied for them. We are called to love people through their difficult times. Christians should pray for them and be there, telling them about the good news of Jesus Christ. Then each person can decide what to do regarding their relationship with Him.
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).
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