Andy Byron, CEO of the tech company Astronomer, is married with two children. But last week, he was caught on a “kiss cam” at a Coldplay concert, cozying up to another woman. The two quickly ducked out of the camera’s view—but it was too late. The clip went viral, and Byron is now at the center of a social media firestorm. His company has since placed him and Astronomer’s “Chief People Officer,” Kristin Cabot, on leave.

Online mockery came swiftly:

Question: “Andy, how much did those two concert tickets cost?”
Answer: “$1,000 plus my house and half my 401(k)!”
Or this one:
Question: “Who’s the most eligible woman in America?”
Answer: “Andy Byron’s soon-to-be ex-wife Megan—worth half a billion dollars!”

While we might feel a sense of justice and chuckle when marital cheaters are caught and publicly shamed, sin is no laughing matter. The Bible says Satan comes “to kill, steal, and destroy.” Sin can be pleasurable for a moment, but in the end, it creates havoc and results in tragedy. As the old saying goes:

“Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.”

J. Wallace Hamilton once asked, “Is a drunk young man staggering down the street comedy or tragedy?” Then he added, “If it’s my son—it’s not funny.” Sin is never a laughing matter. A powerful CEO’s affair getting exposed on a jumbotron may elicit jokes, but it’s not funny to the spouses, children, or others whose lives and reputations are affected.

Most importantly, sin is not funny to God, who sees all and warns that “the wages of sin is death”—eternal separation from Him in Hell for those who have not trusted in Christ for salvation (Romans 6:23).

Scripture also warns, “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23). Most of the time the consequences of sin are not exposed immediately. They may be concealed for months or even years. But as the old proverb says: “The wheels of God’s justice grind slowly, but they grind exceedingly fine.”

Consider how decades after prominent public figures engaged in illicit behavior on Jeffrey Epstein’s private island, the risk of public disclosure now haunts them. Their reputations, careers, and in some cases, freedom may still be at risk.

Robert Morris, former pastor of Gateway Church, a megachurch in Dallas, Texas, was indicted in March of this year on multiple counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child—stemming from alleged incidents when Morris was in his twenties. Over forty years later, at the peak of his ministry, those alleged sins have come to light. The behavior that haunted his victim for decades has now ruined his ministry, left his family and church devastated, and could result in him spending the rest of his life in prison.

When we accept Jesus as Lord, we are fully forgiven—completely cleansed of guilt and made new in Christ (see 2 Corinthians 5:17). But that doesn’t mean we escape the earthly consequences of sin. Years ago, a man was baptized in our church who had a tattoo of a naked woman on his forearm. He explained that he got the tattoo years earlier as a young man in the military, in a drunken stupor. Now, having given his life to Christ, he regretted it. When he was baptized, that tattoo didn’t wash away—it was permanent. So he had a tattoo artist paint a dress over the figure. Friends joked that it gave new meaning to the Scripture that tells us to feed the hungry and clothe the naked!

Sin often leaves scars—and not all of them can be covered over. Though salvation washes away sin in God’s sight, past disobedience can still result in long-term consequences. Moses struck a rock in anger even though God told him to speak to it. Though God welcomed him into eternity, that one sinful act of disobedience cost Moses entry into the Promised Land.

Sometimes our past sins can limit future options. If you cheat your way through school, you may lack the competence for your career. If you live recklessly in college, you may contract a disease or earn a poor reputation—or lose a relationship with someone you hoped to marry. If you get a DUI, you may be disqualified from certain opportunities. Decisions made while drunk, high, or impulsive can negatively impact the trajectory of your future.

The lesson?
King Solomon offers this sobering wisdom:

“Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, ‘I find no pleasure in them.’ …Here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:1, 13–14)

My professor, Dr. Lewis Foster, once summarized it this way:

“Good, though done with toil—the toil soon passes and the good long will remain. Evil, though done with pleasure—the pleasure soon passes, and the evil long will remain.”