Consequences and Second Chances /// Emily Thullesen

 In Book XI of Paradise Lost, Milton writes about many visions that Michael let’s Adam experience. Most if the visions that occur reveal to Adam the sinfulness of the future generations and the corruption that became evident among the people as a result of his sinfulness. The last vision, however, shows Adam God’s promise in the form of the rainbow to show how there is still hope despite everything that had become of humanity. 

This section of Paradise Lost really stands out because the reader can infer the shame that Adam felt for his sinfulness. This thought is relatable because we as individuals also experience this same type of guilt and shame, but we do not always see the consequences ahead of us. This brought me to think about how people usually try to block out the thought of consequences. When people sin, they either do it blindly or knowingly, but either way there is a certain disregard for what will become of the situation due to fear or apathy. If we actually saw the consequences we would face, would we still make the same decisions in life? 

Even though Adam witnessed the corruption and sinfulness, God was still gracious enough to forgive him and show him a reminder of his promise. 2 Corinthians 1:20 says, “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken to us to the glory of God.” God wanted to show Adam the reality of his sin, but he made sure not to let him forget His goodness at the end of the day. 

I commented on Abigale Bell and Emma Landry’s posts. 

Comments

  1. Emma LandrySeptember 27, 2021 at 6:09 PM

    Great post! I especially liked the last statement you made. I feel like sometimes those in the Christian community can tend to focus solely on the goodness of God, therefore focusing less on the extent of their own sinful actions. While God is good to fulfill his promise of forgiving our sins through Jesus, we must be repentant as well. He loves us and is good, but that does not give us the license to live however we want. Also, I believe that we need to clearly see the entire picture of our sinfulness in order to fully appreciate God's all-encompassing love. -Emma Landry

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  2. Haylee LyndSeptember 27, 2021 at 8:34 PM

    I love this. And it is so so true that people are often all to apathetic to the consequences they will face as a result of their sin. Far more people believe in Heaven than they believe in Hell, and the reason being is people do not want to accept that there really are punishments for the sins one commits.

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