December 16, 2013

From Jim McGuiggan... Why God punishes (2)

Why God punishes (2)

God is not "a punishing machine" but the Bible everywhere insists that when God punishes the guilty that he does it in line with his holy loving character. There’s nothing vindictive about him so punishment administered by him is not a tit for tat response and however difficult it is for us to accept—especially when we’re enduring chastisement or reflecting on the pain and distress in the world—it is never overkill. He knows about the overkill complaint and responds to it in Isaiah 2:23-29.
So why does he punish? He punishes for a complex of reasons. He punishes as a deterrent—special and general. See Why God punishes. He lovingly punishes to discipline (Hebrews 12:4-13 and Revelation 3:19) and so forth.
Ultimately I suppose that God punishes to bring sinners back to himself that we might have life with him. And the "him" that he wants us to have life with lives in holy righteousness of which he himself is the source and standard. That means he cannot live in fellowship with sinners unless they pay homage to the holiness and righteousness of the God that alone can give them life. Let me say that again, God cannot offer life and fellowship to sinners at the expense of his holiness or that suggests he can fellowship impenitent evil! That is, God is light and impenitent sinners cannot have life with him because they choose to be darkness. There’s nothing arbitrary about it. In light of all this, then, God punishes to bring sinners to a moral state. They cannot be brought to sinlessness—it’s too late for that—but they can be brought to repentance and repentance is the sinner’s heartfelt homage to the righteousness that pursued him.
Elizabeth Moberly with a single incisive thrust bursts the balloon of much "wise" advice about dispensing with punishment and many half-baked notions on punishment. She reminds us that punishment or reward if they are to do what is best they will focus on righteousness and not reward or punishment. It’s all very well, she teaches us, to reward good behavior but we leave the door wide open for doing the right thing in order to get the reward so that goodness is sidelined and reward is the ultimate end. And unless punishment is carried out in the light of moral ends we invite people to do the right thing without any thought of righteousness. In one case it’s "let’s the reward" and in the other it’s "let’s avoid the punishment" and in no case is it being right and doing right because this is righteousness.
You understand that the biblical notion of righteousness is not some abstract framework—it is likeness to God who is the source and shape of righteousness. So the Christian would insist that it isn’t enough to say we should be righteous simply to be righteous. No, the Christian would say we’re to be like our Father in heaven if we want to be called the children of God (see Matthew 5:20,43-48, Luke 6:35-36 and John 14:9).
So the place of punishment administered by God in a sinful world is aimed at producing life that can only exist in relationship with him. And that relationship is only possible with him if holy righteousness is held to be of paramount importance. All the judgement that has fallen and falls on the world in light of sin comes to focus in Jesus Christ who shared that judgement with us.
©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.
Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

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