Punishment

Punishment is the painful consequence of disobedience, but, let’s be clear, God is not sitting in heaven deciding how to make life difficult for His naughty children. He created an amazing world with critically important spiritual laws, which were planned by Him to make the life of man safe, satisfying and significant.

Unfortunately mankind has constantly rebelled against these laws and discovered that God was truthful in telling us the unpleasant consequence of disobedience: spiritual death and disorder. If I ignore a warning sign that says keep off the railway track and I get hit by a train, it would be foolish to blame the railway company for the punishing damage that I receive for my disobedience.

Thankfully man’s sin has not wiped out the human race because a divine Saviour has come to take the full punishment for every sinner, allowing each of us to know freedom and healing from all the consequence of our wrongdoing. Our part is to admit the wrong in our own lives, forgive others for their sin against us, and accept that Jesus has indeed taken all the punishment. If I choose to deny my sin or to deny that the death of Jesus on the cross was necessary or sufficient to pay all the cost of sin, then the enemy can take full advantage of my denial. He will seek to make sure that I receive the full measure of the punishment that is due.

God absolutely loves every sinner and deeply hates the destructive works of the enemy but it remains our choice as to whether we accept the wonderful offer of God’s saving love (John 3:16).

Prayer: Father, Your justice is always right and my ways are often wrong. Thank You so much for helping me to understand my disobedience and for saving me, through Jesus, from the punishment that is due to me. Amen.