What the Bible says about Every Action Has a Reaction
(From Forerunner Commentary)

Deuteronomy 20:8 In battle there is a kind of "mob psychology." If one man breaks and runs because he is fearful, he is likely to set off a wholescale retreat because everybody else will be frightened by the one who was fearful. So the army is routed and defeated, because the action of one affects the attitude of all. The opposite works, too—the bravery of one can also inspire all. There are both sides of it. We must come to understand that, in every situation, we have a responsibility to the whole. We do not stand alone! There is individual responsibility, first, to be obedient to God, and second, to be faithful and loyal to the whole. If we go off and do something on our own, then we will bear the burden of our sin, but it is not going to end there because our sin will affect everybody else unless corrective action occurs. John W. Ritenbaugh Every Action Has a Reaction Related Topics: Chain Reaction of Fear | Every Action Has a Reaction | Fear | Fearfulness | Mob Psychology

Ezekiel 8:12 This is a mind at an exceedingly low spiritual level. It does not believe that God is aware of what is going on in His creation. "Because I'm just such a small entity here, He surely couldn't be concerned about what is going on in my life. And what I do doesn't even matter! So I can sin." John W. Ritenbaugh Every Action Has a Reaction Related Topics: Every Action Has a Reaction | God's Awareness | God's Awareness of His Creation | Ripple Effect of Morality | Ripple Effect of Sin

Ezekiel 8:17 The branch He mentions is probably an Asherah, a tree or a wooden pole that stood for the fertility goddess. It was essentially a phallic symbol. God says that their wickedness was the same as sticking that idol (and what they were doing) right in His nose—right in His face. However, we need to understand that they were committing their idolatry in private. In their minds, they thought it did not make any difference; it was not hurting anyone. If nobody could see them doing it, they thought, "Hey, I'm getting away with the perfect crime. I can have my cake and eat it too. I can go to the Temple and look like I'm really somebody in the community. But, you see, here in the dark nobody sees me bowing down and worshipping these idols." Does it make any difference? It makes a great difference to God! He was offended by what was going on. In this context, these people were in captivity because of what they were doing—it was a matter of cause and effect. What they sowed earned captivity. John W. Ritenbaugh Every Action Has a Reaction Related Topics: "Perfect Crime" | Ashera; Ashtoreth; Astarte | Cause and Effect Principle | Cause and Effect, Physical | Cause and Effect, Spiritual | Every Action Has a Reaction | Idolatry | Idolatry and Captivity | Idolatry leads to Captivity | Idols

Matthew 7:16-18 Combining the principle that whatever is sown will also be reaped (Galatians 6:7-8) with the tendency towards increase means that no matter what a person sows—unless somebody or something intervenes and interrupts the cycle—more will be produced than was sown. Living according to Christian standards, morals, and ethics can be faked for a while. Consider these verses: "Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit." Christian standards, morals, and ethics can be faked for a while, but no matter how guarded a person is, the fruits he produces will betray him. The principle Jesus teaches is also present in the Old Testament, written by Moses in Numbers 32:23, "Be sure your sin will find you out." Bitterness, divisiveness, envy, jealousy, lethargy, and other faults of character will eventually show. One cannot accurately predict how much fruit will be produced because too many variables are involved. However, because of the principle of increase over what was originally sown—whether good or evil—there is every likelihood that more will be produced than was sown. John W. Ritenbaugh Every Action Has a Reaction Related Topics: Bearing Fruit | Bitter Envy | Bitterness | Envy | Ethics | Every Action Has a Reaction | Fruit, Bearing | Fruits, Knowing by | Increase, Principle of | Jealousy | Knowing them by their Fruits | Lethargy | Principle of Increase | Reaping and Sowing | Reaping and Sowing Principle | Sowing and Reaping | Standards of Morality | Your Sin will Find You Out

 

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