What other scriptures emphasize the consequences of unrepentant sin? Verse in Focus 1 Samuel 3:14 – “Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house shall never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’ ” Recurring Old Testament Warnings • Numbers 32:23 – “But if you fail to do this, you will have sinned against the LORD; and be sure—your sin will find you out.” • Deuteronomy 29:19-20 – The one who persists in sin “will never be willing to forgive him; indeed, the anger of the LORD… will burn against that man.” • Joshua 7:25 – Achan’s hidden sin leads to immediate judgment. • 2 Chronicles 36:16 – Repeated mockery of God’s messengers ends with “there was no remedy.” Wisdom Literature on Hard-Heartedness • Proverbs 29:1 – “A man who remains stiff-necked after much reproof will suddenly be broken beyond healing.” • Psalm 32:3-4 – Unconfessed sin drains strength and joy: “my bones wasted away… my vitality was drained as by the heat of summer.” • Ecclesiastes 8:11 – Delayed justice encourages deeper rebellion, yet judgment still comes. Prophetic Voices on Spiritual Separation • Isaiah 59:2 – “Your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.” • Jeremiah 11:11 – Calamity for those who refuse to listen: “Though they cry out to Me, I will not listen.” • Ezekiel 18:30 – “Repent and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your downfall.” Refusal brings personal ruin. New Testament Echoes • Matthew 12:36 – “On the day of judgment men will give account for every careless word.” • Luke 13:3 – “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” • John 3:36 – “Whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.” • Romans 2:5 – “Because of your stubborn and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself.” • Hebrews 10:26-27 – “If we deliberately go on sinning… no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment.” • Revelation 2:21-23 – Jezebel’s refusal to repent brings sickness, tribulation, and death. Consequences Reaching into Eternity • Romans 6:23 – “The wages of sin is death.” • 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 – Everlasting destruction for those who “do not obey the gospel.” • Revelation 21:8 – “The cowardly, the unbelieving, the detestable… will have their place in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur.” Hope Still Offered to the Repentant Even the sternest warnings are paired with grace for those who turn: • Isaiah 1:18 – “Though your sins are scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” • Ezekiel 33:11 – God finds no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but calls them to turn and live. • 1 John 1:9 – “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us.” The sweep of Scripture agrees with 1 Samuel 3:14: persistent, unrepentant sin invites certain judgment, while humble repentance keeps the door of mercy wide open. |
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