This page is a permanent link to the reply below and its nested replies. See all post replies »
iluvmuffins
here it is right out of the book:
Romans 6:23 "for the wages of sin is death..."
2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 "He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might."
yes, we know God punishes people because they die. That was a part of the curse that humankind brought upon themselves (see Genesis 3). The curse not only brought the kind of death that returns us to dust, but also what the Bible calls "second death" (Revelation 20:14-15). we commonly refer to it as hell, a very literal, physical place (Luke 16:24, Jude 12-13, Revelation 19:20).
although everyone deserves to be punished (Romans 6:23), God has already sent his son Jesus Christ to be born, live, and die in our place as the perfect sacrifice (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). When he rose from the dead he conquered sin and its power of death over anyone who believes in him. Jesus himself said "...I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die... (John 11:25-26)."
For those who trust Christ to forgive their sin, God will NEVER punish them. Romans 8:1 says "therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." It it also says that God "... canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross." There is no punishment left for God's adopted children.
However, this does not mean that they will not suffer natural consequences of their actions (Galatians 6:7-8,1 Corinthians 3:10-15) or that only good things will happen to them (James 1:2-3, 1 Peter 3:13-17). God loves his children too much to allow them to continue in their sin which only brings death and pain. He allows hardship and discipline "for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it" (Hebrews 12:10-11).
Romans 6:23 "for the wages of sin is death..."
2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 "He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might."
yes, we know God punishes people because they die. That was a part of the curse that humankind brought upon themselves (see Genesis 3). The curse not only brought the kind of death that returns us to dust, but also what the Bible calls "second death" (Revelation 20:14-15). we commonly refer to it as hell, a very literal, physical place (Luke 16:24, Jude 12-13, Revelation 19:20).
although everyone deserves to be punished (Romans 6:23), God has already sent his son Jesus Christ to be born, live, and die in our place as the perfect sacrifice (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). When he rose from the dead he conquered sin and its power of death over anyone who believes in him. Jesus himself said "...I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die... (John 11:25-26)."
For those who trust Christ to forgive their sin, God will NEVER punish them. Romans 8:1 says "therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." It it also says that God "... canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross." There is no punishment left for God's adopted children.
However, this does not mean that they will not suffer natural consequences of their actions (Galatians 6:7-8,1 Corinthians 3:10-15) or that only good things will happen to them (James 1:2-3, 1 Peter 3:13-17). God loves his children too much to allow them to continue in their sin which only brings death and pain. He allows hardship and discipline "for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it" (Hebrews 12:10-11).