What Sins Will I Be Punished For?

What Sins Will I Be Punished For?

It has been a while since I blogged. Under the inspiration and prompting of the Holy Spirit, I have been writing another book. It is another “Wrong All Along” book. This one is titled Wrong All Along: Revelation Realigned. I think it is better than the first one. In the first book, the Holy Spirit had me write about the incorrect teachings and beliefs about Revelation. The second book is predominantly about the sequence of the events prophesied in Revelation. But I digress.

Several weeks ago, I had a disagreement with a very dear friend. He insists that God still punishes believers for their sins, like a father would discipline his children. Although I agree that it sounds good in principle, I have not found Biblical evidence of that. I wrote a blog a while back titled “Does God Punish Christians” and I explained my opinion and the Scriptural evidence I have found to support my position. This morning while I was praying about some of my many faults and weaknesses that I want to overcome, the Holy Spirit reminded me of some passages I could use to glean wisdom from. He reminded me of words that Jesus spoke more than once. In the book of Matthew, these instructions are recorded in chapters 5 and 18. If Jesus said the same thing twice, we should probably look into it with focused inspection and introspection. I want to focus on Matthew 18. I believe we can learn about the heart of the Father and find clarification on today’s topic by examining that passage.

[Matthew 18:1-3 NKJV] 1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" 2 Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, 3 and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

First, let’s establish that Jesus is talking about two different people groups here: believers and unbelievers. Jesus said unless you are converted you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. But He also said we must become like little children. Little children believe what their fathers say to them. Hold that thought.

[Matthew 18:4-7 NKJV] 4 "Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 "Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. 6 "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. 7 "Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!

Look at the focus of God’s wrath in verse 6. It is not on His child who sins. It is on the one that causes the child to sin. And the earlier verses emphasize that we are to be like children. The children Jesus is referring to is believers. He said, “who believe in me.” There is no mention of the children being punished even though the child has sinned. We know that Jesus suffered and died for all of our sins. Do you believe your Father in heaven? Do you fully trust that all of your sins were paid for on the cross?

[Matthew 18:8-9 NKJV] 8 "If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast [it] from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. 9 "And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast [it] from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.

Here is where I think we get the most profound evidence that God does not punish believers for their sins. Jesus put the responsibility on the believer to govern his own behavior. He instructed believers to discipline themselves. He did not say that if our hand causes us to sin, that God would cut it off. He did not say that if our eye causes us to sin that God would pluck it out. He said we are to take the initiative to govern our own actions. Jesus was stating that we determine where we will spend eternity, and we know that to be true. The onus is on us to let Jesus remove our sins from us but so is the discipline responsibility. Jesus did not say, “My Father will discipline you for your sins so that you learn your lesson.” But that is exactly what some Christians insist God will do when we fall short or sin.

Let me ask this question. What is the difference between a debt being forgiven versus a debt being paid? Or let me ask this way. If I pay my own debt, is my debt forgiven? No, it is not. It is paid. But if my debt is forgiven, that means I was released from the responsibility of the debt but at the expense of someone else. If I owe the bank $50,000 and my father, on his own volition, goes to the bank and pays the entire $50,000, do I owe anything to the bank? No. My father paid the entire debt for me. I no longer have any obligation to continue making payments to the bank. The balance owed is $0.00. Do I continue to make payments to the bank? No, nothing is owed. My debt has been forgiven because someone else paid it off. But if my father only paid off $25,000 of my debt, I would still owe the bank $25,000. That $25,000 is still my responsibility.

According to Psalm 103, Jesus paid for ALL of our sins, not just a portion.

[Psalm 103:1-10 NKJV] 1 [A Psalm] of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, [bless] His holy name! 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: 3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, 4 Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, 5 Who satisfies your mouth with good [things], [so that] your youth is renewed like the eagle's. 6 The LORD executes righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. 7 He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel. 8 The LORD [is] merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. 9 He will not always strive [with us], nor will He keep [His anger] forever. 10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities.

All means all. All does not mean some. And if it did, how are we to know which sins we are forgiven for, and which sins we are responsible for paying on our own? Do you see how confusing and contradictory to Scripture it is to insist that God punishes believers when they mess up? Let’s get back to Matthew 18.

Matthew 18:10-14; 10 "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven. 11 "For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. 12 "What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? 13 "And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that [sheep] than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. 14 "Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

Jesus gave the analogy of a man who lost his sheep. Did Jesus say that the man beat the sheep when he found it to teach it a lesson so as not to run away again? No. He said there was a celebration, not a disciplinary teaching moment. This is the heart of the Father; mercy, grace, and forgiveness.

[Matthew 18:15-17 NKJV] 15 "Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. 16 "But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.' 17 "And if he refuses to hear them, tell [it] to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.

I love verses 15-17 because to me, it demonstrates exactly how our Father chastises or guides his children.  First, let’s look at some verses that explain where we get our moral compass.

[Hebrews 10:16 NKJV] 16 "This [is] the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,"

[2 Timothy 3:16-17 NKJV] 16 All Scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

God said He would instill in us right from wrong. He said He would use His Word for reproof, correction, and instruction. He did not say He would use sickness, tragedy, affliction, difficulty or death to punish us. Now look again at Matthew 18:15-17. Jesus said that we should bring to attention an offense to the offender. Jesus does that by reminding us of His Word. His words are written in our minds. He is the Word. When we ignore those words, Jesus through the Holy Spirit, will move us to correct our own thoughts and behaviors, reminding us that we are the righteousness of God in Christ. We are His and we are not of this world. But if we ignore the Holy Spirit, grieve the Holy Spirit, He will leave us alone just like He instructed us to do in Matthew 18:17 with those that sin against us. Jesus does not ask us to do what He doesn’t do. He tells us what we should do and models it for us. Jesus did not say in Matthew 18: 15-17, that we should punish our brother for sinning against us. Neither does God punish believers for sinning against Him. He already punished Jesus for all of our sins. Now let’s pick up with Matthew 18:18.

[Matthew 18:18-22 NKJV] 18 "Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19 "Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. 20 "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them." 21 Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" 22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

When Peter asked Jesus how many times we are to forgive those that sin against us, He responded with an analogy that essentially meant “every time,” not just 490 times. In the same way, Jesus exhausted all the punishment for our sins. It is done and the debt has been erased, all of it.

Now let’s look at an example of the heart of Jesus toward the sinner.

[John 8:1-11 NKJV] 1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. 3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4 they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 "Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?" 6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have [something] of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with [His] finger, as though He did not hear. 7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first." 8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 Then those who heard [it], being convicted by [their] conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest [even] to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?" 11 She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more."

Did Jesus condemn the woman caught in adultery? No. Was she deserving of punishment according to the law of Moses? Yes. Was she a believer in Christ? No, she was not. If God demonstrates this kind of sin-debt forgiveness for the heathen, how much more will He show toward His children that have been washed in the precious blood of the Lamb? When we were saved, God already knew every sin we would ever commit, and He put them on Jesus at the cross 2000 years ago. Once you are saved, you don’t start over acquiring new debt for sins. If you did, Jesus would have to suffer and die again. All of our sins were punished 2000 years ago. There is no more justification for punishment for those that have been redeemed.

[Luke 19:1-10 NKJV] 1 Then [Jesus] entered and passed through Jericho. 2 Now behold, [there was] a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. 3 And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that [way]. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house." 6 So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. 7 But when they saw [it], they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner." 8 Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold." 9 And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; 10 "for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

Was Zacchaeus’ heart changed because Jesus admonished him for being a cheat and a thief or because Jesus showed him mercy and compassion? It was compassion, not punishment.

[Romans 2:3-4 NKJV] 3 And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

Ask yourself this, are you the “O man” in the above verse that is demanding punishment for sins? Ouch! That is a tough pill to swallow. I certainly don’t want to be held accountable for my sins. I emphatically release them all to Jesus.

[John 4:7-17 NKJV] 7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink." 8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. 9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. 10 Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." 11 The woman said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? 12 "Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?" 13 Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 "but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." 15 The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw." 16 Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here." 17 The woman answered and said, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You have well said, 'I have no husband,'

I love the above passage because it demonstrates Jesus’ compassion. He knew the woman was living in sin, but He did not point an accusatory finger at her and say, “Sinner! Adulteress!” Jesus graciously complemented her in acknowledging her sin. The word “well” in verse 17 in Greek is kalōs. It means “beautifully, finely, excellently, rightly.” How can you measure that kind of grace? She was living in adultery, and Jesus found a merciful way to make her feel good about herself in acknowledging He knew of her sinful lifestyle. If He treats those that have not been redeemed by His blood with such a profound demonstration of His grace, how much more mercy and forgiveness will He show toward those that He has redeemed? Can you find condemnation or punishment in His conversation with the adulteress woman? Nor can I. In fact, I cannot find any instances in Scripture where Jesus condemned any sinner. However, I can find plenty of Scriptural evidence of Jesus admonishing those that believed they could make themselves righteous by following the law.

Let’s look at another unnatural example of forgiveness and compassion. Jesus washed Judas’ feet the very same night that Judas betrayed Jesus and Jesus already knew about the betrayal. Please show me the punishment that Jesus inflicted on Judas. There was none and Judas was not even saved. How much more are we, the redeemed, found innocent? This is the heart of our Savior. There is no more condemnation left for us and if there is no more condemnation left for us, then there is no more punishment.

I know it does not make sense that we can screw up and not be punished by God. But His ways are not our ways. This is what is written.

[Isaiah 55:6-9 NKJV] 6 Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. 8 "For My thoughts [are] not your thoughts, nor [are] your ways My ways," says the LORD. 9 "For [as] the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.

The above passage speaks directly to the unnatural forgiveness of our God because of what Jesus did. We naturally believe that when we do something bad, we will be punished. But that is not God’s way. God’s way is this. He knew we couldn’t do everything right, so He punished Jesus before we sinned so that by accepting His sacrifice, He could look upon us as if we never sinned. WOW! What an amazing gift! This is what Jesus bought for us, no condemnation and no fear of punishment.

Are there consequences for our sins? There can be, but it is not God’s punishment. If I get caught driving 90 MPH in a 55 MPH zone and I get a speeding ticket, that is a consequence of my actions, not God’s punishment. If you believe that God punishes believers for sins, how can you determine when and what you are being punished for versus when the enemy is attacking you to stop you from doing God’s work? You could not. That is why God wants us to be free from the thought of punishment.

The Word tells us that God sees us like He sees Jesus. Does He see Jesus in sin? No, He does not so neither can He see someone who has been washed by the blood of the Lamb dirtied again by sin. God’s ways are not wash, rinse, repeat. There is no greater detergent than the blood of the Lamb. Once you are washed by the blood, you are without blemish in the Father’s eyes. Those are His words, not mine.

[1John  4:17 NKJV] 17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.

Does our Father see Jesus soiled by sin today? Then neither does He see you soiled by sin. Believer, you can rest in this confidence. Be like a little child. Believe all that your Father says.

Let's look at one more passage.

John 5:19-24 (NASB20) 19 Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in the same way. 20 “For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. 21 “For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. 22 “For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, 23 so that all will honor the Son just as they honor the Father. The one who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. 24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, the one who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.

Verse 22 above states that Jesus is our judge. If Jesus is the judge and he has chosen to take our punishment upon Himself, then how can we expect Him to punish us for things He was punished for? Do you think Jesus expects us to pay Him back for things He paid for? Of course not. That isn't debt forgiveness, that is a loan. 
No, my friend, you have no debt. Salvation from sin is a gift, not wages to be earned. You are free from the debt of sin and who the Son sets free is free indeed.

Two last questions: one from a judicial standpoint and the other from a paternal standpoint.

1. Would God be a righteous judge if He declared, "You are no longer subject to the law" but then punished us for breaking the law?

2. Would God be a loving Father if He punished us for sinning but did not explain to us what we were being punished for?

Meditate on those two questions and decide for yourself if God could be just and loving if He punished us for breaking laws that are dead to us and then did not pick us up, sit us in His lap, and say "Son, this is why I allowed that to happen to you."

I hope this helps. Jesus loves you!