May 13

Punishment vs Discipline

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all.  ––Hebrews 12:7-8

Here’s a theological question that will rage on until Jesus returns: Does God punish us for our disobedience? On one side folks say, “Yes, because we are born with free will and just as a loving dad punishes his children when they do bad things, so does God.” On the other side theologians say, “All those who have accepted Christ as Savior are covered by His blood, and are no longer subject to God’s punishment.”

Punish? No. Discipline? Yes. Big difference. Punishment is about retribution for bad behavior; discipline is about emphasizing and teaching positive behavior. Punishment focuses on the wrong behavior committed; discipline focuses on correcting the behavior so the wrong behavior is eliminated. Using the loving dad analogy: God loves us all too much to allow us to remain stuck in the wilderness of our sins and addictions.

You may ask, “Isn’t that just semantics, Kenny?” No. Paul is clear about the purpose of discipline:

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 11:12

Man of God, when you accepted Jesus, you received His grace, which covers you from God’s wrath. God’s judgment didn’t go away—He’s still the same God who destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. But He’s also the same God who loves us so much that He sent Jesus to die for our sins. It’s called propitiation. Think of it as an umbrella of grace you stand under, with Jesus holding it over your head, protecting you from the deluge of God’s judgment.

We often view the reality of grace from the wrong angle: Jesus doesn’t eliminate God’s judgment each time we fall into sin; we were fallen and Jesus eliminated God’s judgment once and for all when we committed our lives to Him. Do we still sin? Definitely. But does God punish us for each new sin we commit? No.

Man of God, don’t get caught in the trap Satan wants to set for you. The enemy whispers: “You are a terrible sinner and deserve God’s punishment.” But Romans 8:1 tells us, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”

Father, thank You for loving me enough to send Your Son to die in my place. I embrace the power of my identity in Christ!