punishment

Why, in what sense do you think it would help? Do you mean it would help condition you for the moment to avoid it?

I wonder, though. It seems like often we set up false punishments to prevent us from committing bad things. But then those false punishments get in the way when we want to do something good, that's "near the edge". It's tough to come up with examples, I think. But when we do/avoid things through fear of punishments that we set up on our own (and not from God's justice), we're actually not doing them for the right reasons.

Does that make sense?

I think that's why Paul said:

Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence. Col 2:21-20

Sometimes you should make amends as God leads you to - say for exmaple you told a lie to hurt someone because you were hurt and it caused a big mess - you should go to everyone involved and humble yourself and tell the truth.

Asking for forgiveness is sometimes enough - ie if you lose your temper and yell at someone - nothing more is required. But if it's an act that can be "undone" then we shouuld strive to take the steps to undo it if possible (ie, stealing, lying etc).

myquestions said:

i am wondering, what do you do to yourself if you do something wrong, eg: like hurt someone, but u felt bad and learnt from it afterwards?

some people just say forgiveness and apologises, but shouldn't we get punished because people get sent to jail. i knoe things like the example above, isn't as bad as like some crimes, but it is still something wrong.

what do you do to punish yourself?

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we reep what we sow...and much later and much more than what we sowed.
Jesus said to treat others the way that we would like to be treated.

forgiveness.

Its called karma and it acts like a boomerang, which will hit you back in the head if you do wrong upon others. There's justice in the universe, and what comes around goes around. Effectivly this means you have to do nothing to punish yourself,

I'll explain it to you how this whole punishing thing works.

God doesn't punish anyone, however just like you have laws of physics and nature, there are also laws of the spirit.

For instance Jesus teaches us about these spiritual laws,(like show the right cheek instead of answering with more evil) but if he didn't these laws would be unknown to us, so the laws of God are invisible like a spiders web, so if you get trapped in it by violating them, the big spider in the middle will make sure you get what you deserve, you see the universe acts like a mirror, whatever you cast in it gets casted back on you. If its hatred you cast in, you will get misery in return, if you put love in it, love and happyness will return back to you. So this is why you shouldn't punish yourself , rather forgive so that peace will be reflected back on you.

myquestions said:

if selfpunishment shouldn't occur, then how come there are jails for crimes? like some ppl that go to jail are truely sorri for their actions

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Yes. I would have to say, I think they're treated this way because it's the only way the Nation knows how to regulate immorality and evil among men. The nation can't redeem people (mine's tried for hundreds of years with no success). So it can only restrain evil, hoping that you and I get in there and begin to heal, begin to redeem the hurts made to lives.

And so the government imprisons people, restraining them from further evil.

God doesn't see it this way. A check of Ezekiel 18 & 33 shows God doesn't think this imprisonment for repenting people is right.

It's just that we can't find another way the nation's justice system will work. We can't gauge repentance properly as a nation.

myquestions said:

it seems too simple to just just forgive urself though.....like the other person may still be in pain..??

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Yes again, and I hope I haven't implied this as "cheap grace". You don't walk away from relationships or expect them to suddenly heal over just because you confess your mess. It takes more than tears to make things right. But if you've really experienced forgiveness, you can then see the actual soul hurt you've caused without your own fear intruding, trying to justify itself and hide its sin. You'd want to make amends, to heal the hurt. Because there's no reason to hide your sin any more.

And so through God's forgiveness of you, you can in turn offer help to others for the right reason: because it's right to heal for hurt as you've been healed by God the Father.

myquestions said:

i was thinking could u give up something of urs that that person u hurted is jealous of u, for example, to make it 'even'.sorri, if this sounds lame, but yeh.....

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I guess to me, "evening up" the bill of punishment doesn't heal. It doubles the hurt. "Eye for eye" takes two eyes instead of one. Redemption seeks to heal the eye that's damaged.

Is it tough to do? Absolutely. I know nothing about how to heal eyes! But it's always right to do. I think that's why it's the Way of Christ Jesus.

I guess I'd have to say, find the response that is right. Don't find the response that just gives back something they'd like -- find the response that actually does good to them, grows them, moves them along.

I realize you're seeing this as "come-uppins" for having wronged another -- but might you consider this, I think? The whole way of life, this way of "love" as it's translated from Greek, "agapae", is loving someone out of a deep concern for their well-being, even more than your own. That's very appropriate to do for those you've wronged in some way. Yes, it's utterly appropriate not to withhold self-sacrificing love for those who have endured your "bad".

But you'll find when you get beyond that list of "come-uppins", that it's really the way of carrying out life among all others, too. The God of the Universe set everything aside in favor of rescuing us. I think we should also be looking out for the well-being of others.

It's finally a little more complicated than simple self-sacrifice. We're not made into doormats by Christ. We love Christ back, and that means a concern for our own well-being through our relationship with Him. We shouldn't fight His own work for our good. But given that, our lives should also look to do things for the well-being of others.

The guilt won't go away by beating yourself up. Confess and repent to God, and He will forgive. Then do what you can to make things right, if you stole something , return it etc. Apologize to those that you wronged, and use the guilt you feel as a warning to not do so again.

Sometimes we do something that we can't repair. That is when it becomes the most apparent how much we rely on God's forgiveness and mercy. Punishing ourselves isn't going to change anything. Of course, maybe you shouldn't go out partying the same day, if you do something "bad", but sitting on needles won't eraze it either.

Be careful not to let the guilt drag you down either, God's forgiveness sets us free!

May God give you peace.

We have all been sentenced to DEATH already.
We have been given a reprieve and I for one am taking it.

Perphaps we should suffer consequences for actions, but I am sure thankful that God is merciful, if I had it as bad as I deserve, then I would have plaques of sickness and be in object poverty, but I am not. See..
it rains on the just and the unjust. Are you not glad? I am.