God’s Word Cannot Be Ignored
The wise person understands that knowledge provides power to an individual and that knowledge’s power comes with an array of attendant responsibilities. We don’t hold little toddlers to the same standard of accountability as adults, and rightly so. However, the moment you know something, it will make a demand on your life.
The word sin in our scripture above comes from the ancient Greek word that describes what happens when an archer shoots at a target and misses. Sin happens when he does not meet the expected standard of hitting the mark. Knowledge of right and wrong has an intended goal, namely that we will choose good over evil. When we intentionally miss that target, we sin against God’s best for our lives.
Knowing good and evil in life will introduce consequences when we violate the rules. Think about it. Once you understand the requirements of driving an automobile, you will be unable to get away with reckless driving. The police officer will pull you over and hand you a ticket that will cost you a lot of money.
The wise person understands that there is no hiding from the consequences of our actions. Consequences are the effect, result, or outcome of something occurring earlier. The consequence of tipping the first domino in a line of stacked dominoes will be that every adjacent domino will fall. The apostle Paul wrote the Galatian church the following warning: