Question 285: What Are The Consequences Of Sin?

An Anglican Catechism (Expanded Version)

Question 285: What are the consequences of sin?

The consequences of sin include guilt, separation from God, spiritual death, bondage to evil desires, and eventual physical death. Left unrepented, sin leads to eternal judgment. Yet for those who turn to Christ in faith and repentance, these consequences are overcome by grace, and eternal life is given. (Isaiah 59:2, Romans 6:23, John 8:34, Ephesians 2:1–3, Hebrews 9:27)

Full Scripture References

“But your iniquities have built barriers between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.” – Isaiah 59:2 (BSB)

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 6:23 (BSB)

“Jesus replied, ‘Truly, truly, I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.’” – John 8:34 (BSB)

“As for you, you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you used to walk when you conformed to the ways of this world… gratifying the cravings of our flesh… and were by nature children of wrath.” – Ephesians 2:1–3 (BSB)

“Just as man is appointed to die once, and after that to face judgment.” – Hebrews 9:27 (BSB)

Expanded Explanation of Catechism Question

Sin has deep and devastating consequences. It brings guilt before God, alienation from His presence, and spiritual death. As Bishop Stephen Hale (GAFCON, Australia) states, “Sin is not a surface wound—it is a fracture at the foundation. It separates us from the Source of life and cuts us off from true joy.” (Sin and Redemption, 2021)

Sin enslaves the heart and mind, leading to destructive patterns, relational harm, and moral blindness. Fr. Thomas James (Anglican Orthodox Church, St. Luke’s Mission, NC) explains, “We are not free when we sin—we are bound. The more we indulge sin, the more it dominates. Only grace can break that chain.” (Catechesis on the Nature of Sin, 2020)

The most serious consequence of sin is separation from God—both in this life and in eternity. Bishop Julian Dobbs (ACNA, Diocese of the Living Word) teaches, “Hell is not merely a place of punishment—it is the final outcome of refusing communion with the holy God. The consequence of unrepented sin is judgment.” (Preaching the Gospel in a Post-Truth World, 2022)

However, Anglican theology also emphasizes that while sin leads to death, grace leads to life. Canon Phil Ashey (ACNA, American Anglican Council) writes, “The gospel does not minimize sin; it conquers it. Christ bore the consequences of sin on the cross, so that those who repent may be forgiven and restored.” (Law, Grace, and Discipleship, 2018)

Fr. Matthew Munn (ACNA, Church of the Redeemer, NC) offers this pastoral reminder: “The consequences of sin are real, but they are not final for the repentant. Christ meets us in our ruin and rebuilds us with mercy. The cross is where judgment and hope meet.” (The Cross and Human Need, 2021)

Early Church Fathers On Catechism Question

“Sin is the sickness of the soul. If left untreated, it leads to death eternal. But Christ is the Physician who heals through repentance.” – Augustine of Hippo, Sermon on the Mount, c. 395 AD

“The sinner walks in darkness, far from the light of God. Without repentance, that darkness becomes eternal.” – John Chrysostom, Homily on Hebrews, c. 390 AD

“Every sin is a step away from God. The farther one walks, the harder the return—but never too hard for grace.” – Basil the Great, On Repentance, c. 370 AD

“The soul that sins is wounded and dead. But the mercy of God, if sought, raises it again to life.” – Cyprian of Carthage, Treatise on the Lapsed, c. 250 AD

An Anglican Catechism (Expanded Version)

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An Anglican Catechism (Expanded Version)