I have personally experienced consequences to my sin. I made dumb decisions that lead to consequences. Whether it was a wrong financial decision, we had to live through what I decided. For some it might be a sexual sin that destroyed their marriage. And when we realized how we have wronged God and sinned against Him, we ask for His grace and forgiveness. And even if we know that Christ has paid for our sin and that there is no longer any punishment required for us to pay for our sin, we nevertheless live with the ramification of our sins.

What I mean is that when you commit pre-marital sex with your girlfriend and got her pregnant and you ask God to forgive you, He will but she will never be un-pregnant. Or maybe you were caught in adultery and you have repented of your sin but your spouse cannot trust you fully and you live with that thought every single day of your life until God does something to change her heart. Sin has its consequences BUT a person who he is awakened by the gospel sees the punishment of consequences as a severe mercy. It reminds us of sin’s damage and weight. At the same time, it reminds me that I have been forgiven and dearly loved by God in spite of my sin, even as we may not experience freedom from them in others or in our own bodies.

We are daily reminded of God’s sustaining grace.

The gospel wakened believer is best able to apprehend this, because he knows that it is for freedom that he has been set free. If you do not get the gospel, the consequences will always seem like more and more punishment from God upon you. – Jared Wilson

Galatians 5:1  For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.