Paul Wolfowitz has resigned from the World Bank, according to today's New York Times. The bank concluded that he violated ethical rules in giving preferential pay to his female companion. How does the Bible view his sin and ours?

To recap our weeklong series: God promises to forgive every sin we confess to him (1 John 1:9). Why, then, can we not sin and confess, sin and confess, sin and confess? For three reasons. One: such confession is not biblical. True contrition and repentance are essential to receiving the grace of God's forgiveness. Two: God rewards obedience eternally, but cannot reward sin. Disobedience cost us reward we can never regain.

What kind of "reward" does Scripture describe? Yesterday we discovered the "crown of life" which God gives those who are faithful under trial (James 1:12; Revelation 2:10); and the "crown of glory" given to faithful spiritual leaders (1 Peter 5:4). A third reward is the "crown of righteousness" given to all who fulfill God's call: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing" (1 Timothy 4:7-8). A fourth reward is the "soul-winner's crown": "For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy" (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20).

When we refuse temptation and are faithful under trial, fulfill our calling and lead others to Christ, we are rewarded forever. When we refuse such faithfulness, we can be forgiven for our sin but we can never regain our lost reward.

A third reason why we cannot simply sin and confess is that sin bears consequence. When I drive a nail into wood, you can remove the nail but the hole remains. Words cannot be unspoken any more than we can unring a bell. The body bears the results of substance abuse even when such sin is forgiven. Reputation is hard to regain; virginity is still lost; trust may never be restored. God can redeem any life, but the past cannot be undone. We will always associate Bathsheba with David, the serving girl with Peter.

So you and I must cultivate the reflex of praying first, the moment temptation finds us. If we ask God's help in defeating sin, it is ours (James 4:7). When we fall, we confess immediately with genuine contrition. And we claim God's forgiving grace before the disease spreads. Now, why is this series relevant to your life and soul today?

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