Why Does Sin Have to be Punished?

[jimmyjimmy]

Can't God grade on a curve? Must He be so stringent, when it comes to sin?

 

[Left]

I kind of feel like you might benefit reading the replies in this thread: Crucifixion and forgiveness, a non sequitur

 

[SkyWriting]

Can't God grade on a curve? Must He be so stringent, when it comes to sin?

It's really a pass fail test. Only Jesus passed.

7 It is rare indeed for anyone to die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.
8 But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Therefore, since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from wrath through Him!

 

[SkyWriting]

Can't God grade on a curve? Must He be so stringent, when it comes to sin?

But back to your headline, Sins don't get "punished" as they get what is comming to them.
The wages of sin is death.

What that means is Sin causes death. Sin results in death.
God is the Creator and separation from Him is death.
Anything you have experienced, other than death, is a gift from your Creator.
A gift you don't deserve but is given in Love.

 

[Far Side Of the Moon]

I kind of feel like you might benefit reading the replies in this thread: Crucifixion and forgiveness, a non sequitur

Hey your back

 

[Hammster]

Can't God grade on a curve? Must He be so stringent, when it comes to sin?

Yes, He must. His holiness demands it.

 

[Symph]

War broke out in Heaven. The bible doesn't tell us a whole lot about it, but we know it was before us. Seems logical that perhaps that's the reason for all of this. People say "Why didn't God make this place a paradise, why isn't perfect?" Well it sounds like he already did that. Sounds like there was an age of angels of perfect ecstacy with God, it may even explain alot of the anomalies we see in the universe. But war broke out in heaven, and I think God decided he had to make a universal point that would reverberate throughout creation for the rest of eternity. So he shrinks everything down into a containment system, a beautiful one with everything we need, but one where the creatures here can only do so much damage and are not the powerful entities they once were. Now he makes it incredibly clear the difference between Him, and Us, and lets us see both personally and historically that every time we have ever gone against God it ends in pain, suffering, torment, tragedy, and death.

Now we all know the gospel story, so it's not like that's all he did, he then saves us to demonstrate love and give us an abundance of thankfulness, and I think the whole point is when we are finally allowed back into heaven, and things are as they should be, both man and angel will be able to look at all that happened and say "I will NEVER doubt God again, I will never set myself up against him again, no matter how bright my light shines, I will never think it can shine like God's light". And war will never break out in heaven again.

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

Can't God grade on a curve? Must He be so stringent, when it comes to sin?

You are right. God is absolutely stringent when it comes to sin. He is so strict about it that all sin has to be punished without exception. So, in order to save us and spare us from eternal punishment, because even if all of us spent eternity in hell, we would never be punished enough, He put the complete punishment on His Son Jesus Christ when He died on the cross for us. I don't think we have any conception of the full extent of what Jesus suffered on the cross. He took the full and complete punishment for the whole world's sin, right from creation through to the second coming. That means that He was punished for the sins, past, present and future for billions of us throughout the whole history of the world. Of course only those who receive Christ as Saviour will receive the benefit of it and be released from the prison of sin.

What this means to every person who has received Christ as Saviour is that he or she is totally free from the domination, power, guilt, and punishment of and for every sin, past, present and future. When we do fall from grace and succumb to temptation we lose fellowship with God, but not our standing with Him. Using 1 John 1:9 immediately restores fellowship. This means that we can live for Christ without any sin consciousness at all, and when we "blow it" under temptation, we can know if we confess our sin (that is bring it to God's throne of Grace and be complete honest and open with Him about it) then He will forgive and cleanse us completely.

This is why the Gospel is such good news to lost sinners and struggling believers.

 

[jimmyjimmy]

Yes, He must. His holiness demands it.

Sorry to sound like a 5 year old, but, why?

 

[Hammster]

Sorry to sound like a 5 year old, but, why?

Because He said so.

 

[mkgal1]

I don't believe God *punishes* us for our sin......I believe, through His love and holiness, He will restore us to be more like Him. Not retributive justice.....but restorative justice. Sin carries its own consequences.....but that's not from God.

>>>>>>>>>>There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. The one who fears has not been perfected in love.~1st John 4:18​

 

[jimmyjimmy]

I don't believe God *punishes* us for our sin......I believe, through His love and holiness, He will restore us to be more like Him. Not retributive justice.....but restorative justice.

Universalism?

 

[Steven Calloway]

Put simply, God is a God of perfect justice. Which implies a righteous judgement on every unrighteous deed. We expect earthly judges to deal out justice according to the degree of the crime. We are upset when we feel a judge was to lenient on a particular sentence. Should not the God of the universe be upset when one of his creations transgress his infinite law?! I say THANK GOD he has perfect standards that NEVER change.

 

[mkgal1]

Universalism?

.....can I admit that here, if it were?

 

[jimmyjimmy]

Put simply, God is a God of perfect justice. Which implies a righteous judgement on every unrighteous deed. We expect earthly judges to deal out justice according to the degree of the crime. We are upset when we feel a judge was to lenient on a particular sentence. Should not the God of the universe be upset when one of his creations transgress his infinite law?! I say THANK GOD he has perfect standards that NEVER change.

Ultimately, it's only He who is offended. When I am offended, I forgive, and not just those who ask for forgiveness.

 

[Symph]

.....can I admit that here, if it were?

I don't want you to be alone. I lean toward a universalist theology as well, however I DO think he punishes the wicked when they won't repent, and I do think his punishments often go far beyond what the average human would call "harsh". However like you, I think the end result will be restoration, not destruction. But yeah... keep it on the DL.... lol

 

[Hammster]

Yes, He must. His holiness demands it.

But seriously

and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.

God considers sin worthy of death.

We can go through scripture and see where it says He's holy, righteous, just. And we can see that He deals harshly with sin (see: the Cross). So while I may not find the exact words about His holiness demanding justice, I think I could make a compelling theological argument.

 

[Steven Calloway]

10 My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart.

11 God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.

12 If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready.

 

[Steven Calloway]

My view of God is based on what HE has said in his word not based on what I am compelled to believe or think. Your liberal theology is simply not biblical theology.

 

[jimmyjimmy]

.....can I admit that here, if it were?

Nope.