What is sin?
Sin is a word of Greek origin and is literally translated as “missing,” “missing the mark.” God, when creating man, prepared a wonderful plan for all of us, but people did not hit the target, but missed the target. If literally translated from Hebrew, the language in which the Old Testament is written, the semantic word, which is identical to sin, means “lack,” “lack.” The first people did not have enough trust in God, inner strength, and devotion to carry out the plan conceived by the Creator regarding human participation in the universe.
In legal terms, sin is a violation of a norm, that is, mandatory rules of behavior. Norms are divided into two types: moral (social) and state.
When we sit at the table as a guest, it is customary not to slurp or regurgitate food. They won’t kick you out or punish you for this, but there are rules that don’t allow such behavior at the table. In many cases, moral (psychological) condemnation is much harder to bear than official, public condemnation.
There are rules of behavior that are established by the state. Theft, hooliganism, insult, and slander may result not only in condemnation by society, but also in heavy fines, mandatory community service, and even imprisonment.
God established rules of conduct so that people would be happy if they followed them. But people wanted to live in their own way, and did not want to fulfill divine norms. This is sin (disobedience, disobedience).
Sin can be committed involuntarily, out of weakness, or consciously and on purpose (lawlessness). These are two types of sin, but for each a person will be held accountable before God.
If a sin is done on purpose, intentionally, then it is lawlessness. Speaking in Christian terms, lawlessness is a deliberate violation of the rules of behavior established by God.
Lawlessness is a serious form of sin. If, due to his sinful nature, a person does not intentionally commit an offense before God, then lawlessness is a sin that can give a person pleasure, and he commits it, knowing the consequences. This is rebellion, disagreement, pride.
(see “JUDGMENT”, “RETENGE”, “RETUNATION”, “EXTERMINATION”)
Content:
1. Gen. 4:13,14 (“And Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than can be endured;…”)
2. 2 Peter 3:5-7 (“Those who think this way do not know that in the beginning by the word of God the heavens and earth were made of water and by water: 6 therefore the world that was then perished, being drowned by water. 7. And the heavens and earth that are now are contained by the same In a word, they are reserved for the fire for the day of judgment and destruction of wicked people."
3. Jer.46:28 (“Fear not, my servant Jacob, says the Lord: ... but I will not destroy you, but only punish you according to the measure;”)
4. Job 5:17 (“Blessed is the man whom God admonishes; therefore do not refuse the punishment of the Almighty”)
5. Job 31:23 (“...for the punishment from God is terrible for me: I could not stand before His greatness.”)
6. Lev.26:18 (“If you still do not listen to Me, then I will increase the punishment for your sins sevenfold...”)
7. Hebrews 12:4-10 (“For the Lord disciplines whomever he loves; he beats every son whom he receives. 7 If you endure discipline, God deals with you as with sons.”)
8. Ezekiel 39:23 (“...because they (the House of Israel) acted treacherously against Me, I hid My face from them and gave them into the hand of their enemies...")
9. Jer. 2:19 (“Your wickedness will punish you, and your backsliding will expose you.”
Ps.39:13
(“For innumerable troubles have surrounded me; my iniquities have overtaken me,...”)
10. Pr.19:18
(“Punish your son while there is hope and do not be indignant at his cry”)
11. Proverbs 10:9 (“Whoever changes his ways will be punished”)
12. 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10 (“For it is right in the sight of God to repay those who insult you with tribulation…who will be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His might.”)
13. Tim.4:14 (“Alexander the Copper did me much harm. May the Lord reward him according to his deeds.”)
14. Is.35:3,4 (“Behold your God, vengeance will come, God’s recompense:...”)
15. Rom.2:6-8 (“Who will render to every man according to his works:...”)
16. Rom.6:23 (“…the wages of sin is death”)
17. Isaiah 59:18 (“According to the measure of retribution, according to this measure He will repay His adversaries with wrath, His enemies with vengeance, He will give due to the islands”)
18. Pres.Sol.11:17 (“So that they may know that in whatever way someone has sinned, he will be punished”)
19. Zechariah 11:6,7 (“I will deliver the people, every one into the hand of his neighbor and into the hand of his king, and they will smite the land, and I will not deliver out of their hands. 7 ...And I will take for myself two rods, and call them the one with favor, the other with bonds, and with them I will feed the sheep."
20. Hebrews 10:29 (“If he who rejects the law of Moses, in the presence of two or three witnesses, is punished without mercy with death, how much more severe punishment do you think he will be subject to who tramples on the Son of God...?”)
21. Exodus 20:5-7 (“You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave unpunished the one who takes His name in vain.”)
22. Ex.34:6,7 (“God…7 does not leave unpunished, but punishes the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the children’s children, to the third and fourth generation.”)
23. Isaiah 13:11 (“I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquities...”)
24. 2 Corinthians 10:4-6 (“The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God for the pulling down of strongholds: ...and ready to punish all disobedience, when your obedience is complete.”)
25. Jer.10:24 (“Chastise me, O Lord, but in righteousness, not in Your anger, lest I belittled.”)
26. Proverbs 13:25 (“Whoever spares his rod hates his son; but whoever loves him disciplines him from childhood.”)
27. Pres. Sol.1:6 (“A spirit that loves mankind is wisdom, but it will not leave unpunished the one who blasphemes with his mouth...”)
28. 2 Peter 2:9 (“The Lord knows how to deliver the godly from temptation, and to reserve the wicked for the day of judgment, to be punished...”)
God’s “punishment” is the consequences (suffering, misfortune) that befall a person of the evil he has committed, violations of the Laws and Commandments established by God.
God’s “punishment” is always fair, instructive, and proportionate to the severity of man’s iniquity, apostasy, crime, and perversion of His Will.
Avoiding, not experiencing God’s “Punishment” is possible by knowing and fulfilling His Will, without committing moral and spiritual wickedness and lawlessness.
God's "punishment", i.e. extermination by the consequences of their atrocities was experienced by those nations who completely rejected and violated God’s Commandments.
1. “And Cain said to the Lord: My punishment is more than can be endured; 14 Behold, now You are driving me from the face of the earth, and I will hide from Your presence, and I will be an exile and a wanderer on the earth; and whoever meets me will kill me.” Gen.4:13,14
The measure of God's “Punishment” is always commensurate and corresponds to the extent of their violations. This reveals the highest justice, grace, and the truth of God’s Will.
“... my punishment is more than can be endured...” is a figurative expression of a person’s awareness of the full severity of the consequences of his hardening, violation of the Will of God. (see "The Will of God")
This expression also indicates that a person will not be able to commit the crime of God’s Will indefinitely, constantly violate God’s Commandments, and that it is impossible to avoid punishment.
2. “Those who think this way do not know that in the beginning, by the word of God, the heavens and the earth were made of water and by water: 6 therefore the world at that time perished, being drowned by water. 7. But the present heavens and earth, which are contained by the same Word, are reserved for fire against the day of judgment and destruction of wicked men.” 2 Peter 3:5-7
“...therefore the world of that time perished, being drowned by water” - the first civilization, having rejected God’s Testaments, developed many different false religious and destructive political and other “Water” teachings, which, with their harmful effects, “sank”, destroyed this civilization, and led it to complete collapse. (see “Water”, “Teaching”)
The materialistic system of life, the total moral and spiritual depravity of peoples who turned away from the Will of God, was destroyed by the “Water” of the raging elements of various destructive ideologies, corrupting false teachings and their consequences. (see "Flood")
“...the present heavens and earth...contained by the same Word...” - “the present heavens” i.e. modern religious, ideological, philosophical trends of false teachings and “earth”, i.e. the nations following them, “contained by the same Word,” i.e. subject to God's unchangeable Laws, will inevitably be subject to self-destruction and disappear into oblivion. (see "Heaven, Heaven", "Earth", "Word")
“...the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire for the day of judgment and destruction...” - The present “Heaven”, i.e. sinful ideological systems of government of the world of lawlessness and “Earth”, i.e. the peoples, led by them into various errors, into devastating crisis states, are “saved,” i.e. determined by Divine Law for eternal condemnation and “destruction”, disappearance. (see "Destruction, Destruction")
Sinful ideologies and the peoples who profess them are also plunged into the “fire” of evil, hatred, antagonistic confrontations, and destructive wars. All the consequences of violating God's Commandments will fall upon the nations and force them to stop before the destruction that threatens them. Such a state of the world will become an obvious reason for the peoples to appear before the “Fire” of the Judgment of the Eternal Truths of God, revealed in His spiritual Laws. (see “Heaven”, “Judgment”, “Destruction”, “Fire”)
3. “Fear not, my servant Jacob, says the Lord: for I am with you; I will destroy all the nations to which I drove you, but I will not destroy you, but will only punish you to the extent; I will not leave you unpunished.” Jer.46:28
“...My servant Jacob...I will only punish you to the extent; I will not leave you unpunished.” - the people fulfilling the Will of God, even in difficult conditions of its frequent violation, were nevertheless protected by the Laws of God.
The peoples who completely rejected God’s Commandments, violated them in everything and constantly, were exterminated by the consequences of their atrocities, which is figuratively expressed by the words “I will destroy all nations...”. (See "Extermination", "God", section "Actions of God")
The measure of God's “Punishment” is always commensurate with the measure of the evil committed. This is the manifestation of God's highest Justice.
4. “Blessed is the man whom God admonishes, and therefore do not reject the punishment of the Almighty...” Job 5:17
Not rejecting God’s punishment means taking into account, drawing conclusions from the consequences of your sin.
It is possible to avoid and not experience God’s “Punishment” by knowing and fulfilling His Will, without committing wickedness or lawlessness.
(“Blessed is the man who endures temptation, for, having been tried, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” James 1:12)
5. “...for the punishment from God is terrible for me: I could not stand before His greatness.” Job 31:23
“...punishment from God is terrible for me...” - a person who realizes the destructive consequences of his violation of the Will of God, therefore has the “fear” of the Lord, i.e. managing to know the Will of God and fulfill it, he avoids committing sin in every possible way. (see "God", "Fear")
6. “Even so, if you do not listen to Me, then I will increase the punishment for your sins sevenfold...” Lev.26:18
“I will increase the punishment for your sins sevenfold...” - according to the Pattern established by God, the more nations multiply violations of His Laws and Commandments, the more their “punishment” increases, i.e. the severity of the consequences of these violations is aggravated, which will reach the extent of its completeness, which is figuratively expressed by the word “sevenfold.” (see "God", section "Actions of God", "Number 7")
7. “You have not yet fought to the point of blood, struggling against sin, 5 and have forgotten the consolation that is offered to you as sons: my son! do not despise the Lord’s punishment, and do not lose heart when He reproaches you. 6 For the Lord punishes whomever he loves; he beats every son whom he receives. 7 If you suffer chastisement, God treats you as sons. For is there any son whom his father does not punish? 8 But if you remain without the punishment that is common to all, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Moreover, if we, being punished by our carnal parents, feared them, should we not much more submit ourselves to the Father of spirits in order to live? 10 They punished us according to their will for a few days; and this one is for our benefit, so that we may have a share in His holiness.” Hebrews 12:4-10
Only those people realize the reason for God’s punishments who know God’s Commandments, realize their errors, repent of them, and thus are in unity with His Word.
“5... my son! do not despise the Lord’s punishment, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you.” - “neglect of the Lord’s punishment” is a person’s failure to find out the reason for violating God’s Commandments, a failure to admit his guilt (see “Reproof”)
“6 The Lord punishes whomever he loves...” - He who accepts the Love of God, His admonishing, convicting Word of the Truth of His Commandments, feels the consequences of his sins, and perceives them as God’s just punishment. (see “God”, section “Actions of God”, “Love”)
“7 If you suffer chastisement, God treats you as sons.” - if a person who knows the Will of God and has violated it in some way and therefore “suffers punishment”, i.e. feels and realizes why various difficulties of life befall him, this means that God educates, defines him as His spiritual “son”, i.e. a person spiritually born from the knowledge of His Will. (see "The Will of God", "The Son")
“They punished us arbitrarily for a few days; and this one is for our benefit, so that we may have a share in His holiness.” - punishment of a person by a person is always carried out according to his own “arbitrariness”, i.e. based on one’s own judgment, not based on the Will of God. God's “Punishment” is always justified and fair, proportionate to the extent of violation of His Will. It is always carried out in such a measure and form that it contributes to the spiritual “benefit” of a person, revealing to him the cause of suffering and making him wise to “have a share in holiness,” i.e. in joining the moral and spiritual separation, cleansing the worldview and way of life from sin, in accordance with God’s Will, His Commandments. (see "Holiness", "Holy")
8. “...because they acted treacherously against Me, I hid My face from them and gave them into the hand of their enemies...” Ezek.39:23
“... I hid My face from them (the House of Israel) …” - when people who know God’s Commandments reject and treacherously violate them, then God “hides” His “Face” from them, i.e. such people lose the opportunity to see the Will of God, to be guided by it, and therefore commit iniquities that punish them with their consequences. (see "God", section "Actions of God", "Person")
“I...gave them (the House of Israel) into the hands of their enemies” - The more a person violates the Will of God, turns to “false gods”, the more the Will of God moves away from him and becomes incomprehensible, unacceptable, alien for him, i.e. . "hidden" Having established such a Pattern, God thus “hides” His “Face” from people who consciously move away from His Will, and thereby approach a life of sins, i.e. to what could destroy them (“gave them into the hands of enemies”). This is a pattern originally laid down by God, an eternal relationship between actions and their consequences. (see "Enemy")
9. “Your wickedness will punish you, and your backsliding will expose you...” Jeremiah 2:19
“...innumerable troubles have surrounded me; my iniquities have overtaken me, so that I cannot see them: they are more than the hairs of my head.” Ps.39:13
“Your wickedness will punish you...” - Punishment is always brought upon oneself by a person. A person who commits wickedness, lawlessness, and lives contrary to God’s Commandments inevitably plunges himself into various troubles, suffering, grief and death. (see "Wickedness, Wicked", "Lawless, Lawlessness")
(“...judgment of those who sin always follows the crime of the unrighteous.” Most Sol. 14:31)
10. “Discipline your son while there is hope and do not be indignant at his cry.” Prov.19:18
Punishment in the Biblical understanding has two meanings: physical and psychological.
“ Punish your son...” - Christian Teaching, denying any physical violence, asserts that “punishment” must be expressed by means of spiritual influence on the soul and consciousness of a person and, first of all, it is necessary to appeal to his conscience and mind, revealing the consequences of violating the wise Laws of God . If believers resort to physical punishment of their children, then this indicates their spiritual imperfection, their erroneous perception of the Word of God’s Commandments, and delusions. (see "Commandment")
11. “He who walks in integrity walks safely; and whoever changes his ways will be punished.” Proverbs 10:9
“Whoever changes his ways will be punished.” - God determined man’s “ways”: he gave him conscience and reason, which should guard man’s “ways”, i.e. guide him to fulfill the Will of God, expressed in His Commandments. (see "The Way", "The Will of God")
But if a person drowns out his conscience, the voice of reason and acts contrary to them, then this is called “perversion” of his ways. A person who “transforms” his “ways”, i.e. he who lives contrary to God’s Commandments “will be punished,” i.e. will inevitably experience “Punishment” by the consequences of his evil - thus bringing upon himself troubles, suffering, grief and death.
(“...judgment of those who sin always follows the crime of the unrighteous.” Most Sol. 14:31)
12. “For it is right in the sight of God to repay those who insult you with tribulation, 7 and you who are insulted with joy together with us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of the Lord. our Jesus Christ, 9 who will suffer the punishment of everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, 10 when he comes to be glorified in his saints and to appear wondrously on that day among all who believe, just as you have believed our testimony.” 2 Thess. 1:6-10
Various human sufferings and troubles are a consequence of the violation of the Divine Laws expressed in the Ten Commandments. Natural, inevitable self-punishment of a person comes from his failure to fulfill God’s Commandments and the principles of life according to them. God's “Punishment” is the self-punishment of a person by his apostasy, the crime of the Will of God. (see "The Will of God")
(For example, bad habits (smoking, alcohol, etc.) lead to inevitable destruction of health, i.e. to self-punishment.
Deviation from God's Commandments inevitably gives rise to various social ills (wars, crime, national enmity, divorce, etc.)
“8 in flaming fire he takes vengeance on those who do not know God...” - The Teachings of Jesus Christ will inevitably be consciously realized by sinners when the “Fire” of the Truth of God’s Word condemning them, and the Laws established by God, will lead to the tragic consequences of the sin they commit. (see "Christ", "Fire")
God's “Punishment”, “vengeance” is that the consequences of violating God’s Covenants, according to the Law established by God, will inevitably fall on the criminals of God’s Will and therefore the endless continuation of the sinful race, violating the life-affirming Will of God, will become impossible.
“Whoever takes vengeance on those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ will be subject to punishment, eternal destruction...” - this is the action of God’s “Punishment”, “Vengeance” that occurs in accordance with the Divine Laws of true Life - as the highest measure of punishment for a person with the consequences of crimes committed their sins. Such a person will experience the “Punishment” of God - he leaves life into “eternal destruction”, eternal non-existence, condemned by the Light of the Divine Truth announced to him, but rejected by him, having lost his great destiny to abide in the bliss of Eternal Life. (see "Destruction")
13. “Alexander Mednik did me a lot of harm. May the Lord reward him according to his deeds.” Tim.4:14
“... the Lord will reward him according to his deeds” - Further committing evil, violating the Will of God by man, will certainly lead him to “punishment” by the Laws of God, which is tantamount to punishment by God Himself. (see "God", section "Actions of God")
14. “Strengthen your weak hands and strengthen your trembling knees; 4 Say to the timid in soul: be strong, do not be afraid; Behold your God, vengeance will come, God’s recompense; He will come and save you." Isa.35:3,4
“... vengeance will come, God’s retribution” - the expression “retribution” is understood in two meanings: “reward” for good deeds as a benefit for a person and “revenge” with punishment as a consequence for sinful actions. (see "God", section "Actions of God")
15. “Who will reward everyone according to his deeds: 7 to those who by persistence in good works seek glory, honor and immortality, eternal life; 8 But to those who persist and do not obey the truth, but give themselves over to unrighteousness, there will be wrath and wrath.” Rom.2:6-8
“Who will reward everyone according to his deeds...” - God’s “ reward” is a consequence of either fulfilling the Will of God or violating it. God's “retribution” is expressed in a person receiving various benefits or in his punishment for the consequences of committed iniquities. (see "God", section "Actions of God")
“...will reward...those who, through constancy in a good deed, seek...immortality” - “immortality” can only be found by “constancy” in any “good deed,” i.e. actions that do not contradict the Will of God, His Commandments. (see "Commandment")
Those people who constantly follow God’s Commandments acquire His spiritual “Image” and “Similarity”, thus “seek” and find “Eternal Life. (see "Life")
16. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Rom.6:23
“...the wages of sin is death...” - a person committing “sin”, i.e. he who comes into conflict with the Laws and Commandments of God, violating them, according to the Laws established by God, incurs “retribution”, “punishment” - plunges himself into moral and spiritual corruption, leading to degradation, physical destruction, degeneration - death. (see “Sin”, “Death”, “Retribution”)
17. “To the extent of retribution, according to this measure He will repay His opponents with rage, His enemies with vengeance, He will pay tribute to the islands.” Isa.59:18
As a person commits crimes and iniquities, God will measure out to him the same measure of punishment as the consequences of the evil committed. (see "God", section "Actions of God")
18. “So that they know that whatever someone sins, that is what they are punished for.” Prem. Sol.11:17
Here the law of cause-and-effect relationship between the sin committed by man and God’s “Punishment” is revealed - its highest justice. (see "Law")
(“…for with the judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Matt.7:2)
19. “For I will have no more mercy on the inhabitants of this land, says the Lord; and behold, I will deliver the people, every one into the hand of his neighbor and into the hand of his king, and they shall smite the land, and I will not deliver out of their hands. 7 And I will feed the sheep doomed to the slaughter, the poor sheep indeed. And I will take for myself two rods, and I will call one favor, the other bond, and with them I will feed the sheep.” Zechariah 11:6,7
“I will deliver the people, every one into the hands of his neighbor and into the hands of his king” - As a man does to his neighbor, so will his neighbor do to him. (see "Near")
(“And whatever you want people to do to you, do so to them.” Luke 6:31)
Whatever kind of “kings” people choose for themselves, they will be given into such hands and will endure their power. (see "Tsar")
Whatever sins “reign”, dominate a person, from such sins he will suffer their consequences. (See "Sin", "God", section "Actions of God",)
“...two rods and I will call one - favor, the other - bonds, ..” - the Grace of His Commandments ("one - favor") necessarily acts on people who fulfill the Will of God, creating a new, righteous person.
On people who do not fulfill God’s Commandments, who follow pseudo-religions, who defile themselves with idols and vices through false teachings, Divine Laws act, destroying false teachings, punishing nations with the consequences (“others are in chains”) of the iniquities they have committed. (see “Number 2”, “Wand”)
The word “Bonds” here is perceived in the meaning of “Punishment”. (see "Bonds")
20. “If he who rejects the law of Moses, in the presence of two or three witnesses, is punished without mercy with death, then how much more severe punishment do you think will be guilty of the one who tramples on the Son of God and does not consider holy the Blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and insults the Spirit of grace? » Hebrews 10:29
“...he who rejects the Law of Moses... is punished by death...” - That person who rejected the “Law of Moses”, i.e. God's Law of Commandments, transmitted to the nations by Moses, who violated God's Commandments will be “punished by death,” i.e. such a person will become spiritually dead, and in his unrepentance will lose Eternal Life. (see "Death", "Law", "Moses")
Man's sins lead him to be punished by their consequences. (see "Sin")
21. “...do not worship them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth [generation] of those who hate Me, 6 and showing mercy to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep the commandments. My. 7 You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave unpunished the one who takes His name in vain.” Exodus 20:5-7
“God...punishing children for the guilt of their fathers to the third and fourth generation” - In the created harmony of all Existence and the implementation of God’s Laws, the unshakable Lawfulness and His highest Justice are manifested in the duration of punishment for any violation of His Will. (see "The Will of God")
Sin cannot always be stopped abruptly, overnight; it is genetically and inertly transmitted to the third and fourth generation. The family ties of sinfully living parents, who pass on sin to their children through upbringing, can be completely eliminated by them only after a certain time. (see "Father", "Children")
“... The Lord will not leave without punishment the one who takes His name in vain” - a person who knows the Will of God, considers himself a follower of the faith of Abraham, Jesus Christ, talking about the “Name” of God, i.e. about His Will, but whoever violates it will not be left without “punishment”, i.e. without the consequences of their violations of His Will. (see "Name")
Not a single violation of the Laws of God and His Commandments goes unpunished for a person.
22. “...6...God, loving and merciful, long-suffering and abounding in mercy and truth, 7 preserving [righteousness and showing] mercy to thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but not leaving it unpunished, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and on the children children up to the third and fourth generation." Ex.34:6,7
“...Lord, God...preserving mercy in thousands [of generations].." - The benefits from fulfilling the Will of God extend to countless generations. That basic knowledge about the Will of the One God Jehovah, which righteous parents initially transmit to their children, does not pass without a trace, but is transmitted in varying strength and form to many descendants. (see "God", section "Actions of God")
“God...forgiving guilt and crime and sin,...” - A person’s “guilt” is his awareness of his wrong-headedness and unfaithfulness of actions through the “voice” of conscience, manifested by a feeling of psychological discomfort, restlessness. Often this is an unconscious feeling of anxiety, moral burden, heaviness, mental confusion. (see "Guilt")
“Crime” is also a person’s evasion from observing God’s Law, the desire to circumvent it through his own excuses. (see "Crime")
“Sin” is life in opposition to the Will of God, the commission of lawlessness, evil, a conscious, constant, deliberate violation of His Commandments. (see “Sin”, “God’s Will”, “Commandment”)
When a person stops violating the Laws of God and repentantly turns to fulfilling His Commandments, then his “forgiveness” comes, and the person escapes the punishment of the consequences of sin.
(“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9)
“God...does not leave unpunished, but punishes the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the children of the children, to the third and fourth generation.” — When a person continues to violate the moral and spiritual Laws established by God, then “Punishment” inevitably occurs, i.e. the consequences of his violation of the Will of God. (see "The Will of God")
According to the Pattern established by God, the guilt of the fathers in violating the Will of God is passed on to subsequent generations. This Pattern is that by raising their child in a sinful worldview and lifestyle, parents thereby pass on to him and his descendants unrighteousness and a sinful lifestyle, which will inevitably lead to sad consequences, i.e. will cause God's "Punishment". (see "Father", "Children")
23. “I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquities, and I will put an end to the arrogance of the proud, and I will destroy the arrogance of the oppressors;...” Isaiah 13:11
“I will punish the world for evil, and the wicked for their iniquities...” - God’s “punishment” of the “world” is the enforcement of His Laws, which punish the wickedly living peoples who commit “evil” with the consequences of their violations, i.e. works of iniquity. (see "Peace", "Evil", "Lawlessness", "Wickedness, Wicked")
24. “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to pull down strongholds: with them we cast down arguments 5 and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and we take into captivity every thought into the obedience of Christ, 6 and are ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.” 2 Corinthians 10:4-6
“...The weapons of our warfare...are ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.” - “Weapons”, i.e. the convicting power of the Word of Truth exposes and punishes any violation of the Commandments of God. (see “Commandment”, “Weapons”)
When a person fulfills “obedience”, submission to the Will of God, is guided in all matters of his life by God’s Commandments, then he masters God’s “Weapon”, i.e. The Word of God for “punishment”, exposing any “disobedience” of people to God, His Laws, Commandments.
25. “Punish me, O Lord, but in truth, not in Your anger, so as not to belittle me.” Jer.10:24
“ Punish me, Lord, but in truth...” - regarding the Truth of God’s Will that man could and did know, he will also reap such a measure of the consequences of its violation. (see "Truth")
“ Punish me,... not in Your anger,..” - punish so that the consequences that befall due to violation of the Will of God do not become fatal for the righteous, hopeless, from which there would be no way out, which would not be possible for him to correct. (see "Anger")
“Punish me, Lord, but... so as not to belittle me.” - a righteous person always strives to receive “punishment”, i.e. denunciation of God, but in such a way that he does not experience spiritual fall and shame before sinners, but draws his own conclusion from the consequences of his mistakes and sins. (see "God", section "Actions of God")
26. “Whoever spares his rod hates his son; and whoever loves punishes him from childhood.” Proverbs 13:25
“Whoever spares his rod hates his son;” - “rod” and “punishment” here does not mean physical beatings, infliction of physical pain on a child, but “punishment” of him with the accusatory Word of the Truth of God’s Commandments, exposing and explaining his misdeeds. (see "Son", "Commandment")
“... a son;... whoever loves him punishes him from childhood.” — When parents, from childhood, teach their children to live according to God’s Commandments and “punish” them by exposing and condemning their misdeeds, appealing to their feelings and minds, then they show true care and love for their children. (see "Love")
27. “A spirit that loves mankind is wisdom, but it will not leave unpunished the one who blasphemes with his lips, because God is the witness of his inner feelings and the true spectator of his heart, and the hearer of his tongue.” Prem.Sol.1:6
“... will not leave unpunished the one who blasphemes with his lips...” - “who blasphemes with his lips” is a person who expresses a disdainful, malicious, cynical, deliberately insulting attitude towards God, towards the Creator of Man, slandering, spreading lies about God, about qualities unusual for Him and actions that distort their true meaning.
Such a morally defiled, morally deficient person who commits the sin of blasphemy will certainly be punished by the current Laws of God with the consequences of his atrocities. (see "Blasphemy")
28. “...the Lord knows how to deliver the godly from temptation, and to reserve the wicked for the day of judgment for punishment...” 2 Peter 2:9
“...to observe the wicked for the day of judgment, for punishment...” - “The Day of Judgment” is the last day of a person’s physical life, when all his consciously committed crimes of God’s Commandments, all atrocities, lawlessness, will appear before his consciousness. (see “Day”, “Judgment”, “Lawless Ones”)
(“He who rejects Me and does not accept My words has one who judges him: the word that I have spoken will judge him at the last day.” John 12:48)
“Punishment” on the “Day of Judgment” is also the period of final condemnation of the sinful system of the world, when all violations of the Will of God will lead humanity to tragic consequences. (see "The Will of God")
How sin came into the world
God created Adam and Eve with certain plans for the first people. One of the important functions that the Creator assigned to man was to take care of the world that He created in Eden. The Creator placed people in ideal conditions and gave one commandment (law) so that a person should not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. In Genesis 2:16,17 we read:
And the Lord God commanded the man, saying: Of every tree of the garden thou shalt eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it, for in the day that thou eatest of it thou shalt die.
The devil appeared in Eden. He did not want man to have an ideal relationship with God, and therefore began to tempt Eve. He argued that, having tasted the forbidden fruit, people will become like gods and will distinguish between what is good and what is evil. Adam and Eve found this interesting: to be God and not depend on anyone has been the dream of mankind since ancient times. Eve knew about the prohibition of eating from the tree where the fruit was, and she knew that God told Adam: if they taste the fruit, they will die. But despite such harsh warnings from God, people showed freedom of choice and wanted to become equal to the Creator.
Adam and Eve disobeyed God, broke the law and sin, and came into the world through this disobedience. And at the level of genetics, we are already born sinners.
We can conclude that sin sits in people from the moment of conception, sits in our cells, veins, blood. In our entire being. Because we are the descendants of Adam and Eve.
“THE BIBLE SPEAKS ABOUT GOD’S PUNISHMENT IN ORDER TO INTERIMATE MAN FOR HIS CORRECTION”
Answer: This kind of statement makes God a liar. It turns out that He threatens, but does not fulfill His words. We believe in the True God, in the Only One, in Whom there is not a shadow of lies or deceit. “I have heard some sin-lovers say that God threatened people with Gehenna as a warning, as if it were impossible for Him, being merciful, to punish anyone, especially someone who does not know Him. Tell me, you who present God as a deceiver, who in the days of Noah poured out waves over the entire universe, caused that terrible shipwreck and caused the death of our entire race? - the holy teacher of the Church Chrysostom is rightly indignant.
The First Consequences of Sin
When Adam and Eve were expelled from Paradise for violating God's commandments, they had children - Cain and Abel. The eldest son, Cain, was a good farmer, and the youngest, Abel, a cattle breeder. It happened one day that they made a sacrifice to God. Abel brought the best meat, and Cain brought the best and ripe vegetables and other fruits of the earth.
God liked Abel's offering, but He rejected Cain's gifts. The Creator saw Cain's sad heart and thoughts, and said to Cain (Genesis 4:7):
If you do good, don’t you lift your face? and if you do not do good, then sin lies at the door; he attracts you to himself, but you dominate him.
Sin is like a magnet that draws people to it to do bad things, but we can have power over it. However, Cain was unable to overcome sin in his heart. The sinful nature gave birth to envy in Cain, and envy prompted him to kill his brother. And he carried out the intentions of his heart: Cain took his brother out into the field and dealt with Abel there.
This was the first consequence of sin - envy and murder.
Literature:
1. Blessed Augustine, “On the City of God,” book 15, chapter 25, source: On the City of God. - Mn.: Harvest, M.: AST, 2000, p.762 2. Rev. Theodosius Pechersky. “Teaching about the executions of God” 3. St. John Chrysostom. (Conversation when Eutropius, found outside the church, was captured, https://ispovednik.ru/zlatoust/Z03_2/Z03_2_02.htm 4. St. John Chrysostom. On the Epistle of St. Apostle Paul to the Romans, conversation 5, p. 2, https://orthlib.ru/John_Chrysostom/riml05.html) 5. St. John Cassian the Roman.dSoch., book. 8 “On the Spirit of Wrath,” chapter 4, source: Writings of the Venerable Father John Cassian the Roman. Ed. 2nd Athos Russian Panteleimon Monastery. M., 1892 - Mn.: Harvest, M.: AST, 2000, p. 125) 6. St. Irenaeus of Lyon. “Five books against heresies” 7. St. John Chrysostom. Interpretation on Matt. 5:22 8. Website “Orthodox Ukraine”, 09/01/2010 archive, Bulletin No. 108 9. St. Ignatius Brianchaninov. Lessons per week on the paralytic. About God's punishments. 10. St. Luka (Voino-Yasenetsky). “ON THE PUNISHMENTS OF GOD.” Sermons. Volume 3 11. St. John of Kronstadt. My life in Christ. 12. Metropolitan of Moscow Philaret of Moscow. Catechism. 13. Blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria. Interpretation of the Gospel of Matthew 14. St. Theophan. Instructions in spiritual life 15.St. Basil the Great. Creations, Part 5. About asceticism / About the Judgment of God, https://ni-ka.com.ua/index.php?Lev=podvig Nekot. quotations from Holy Scripture are given according to the Synodal translation) 16. Rev. Ambrose Optinsky. Be wise and humble: Sat. letters / Comp. V.V. Kashirina. - M.: Sretensky Monastery Publishing House, 2008. - 416 p.: ill. — (Letters on spiritual life). 17. St. Theophan. Interpretation of the Epistle of St. Apostle Paul to the Romans, 1:18; https://ni-ka.com.ua/index.php?Lev=rimlaf) 18. St. Tikhon Zadonsky. Cell letters. 19. St. Ignatius Brianchaninov. Ascetic sermon. 20. St. John Chrysostom. Word 25th. About the future Court
What sins exist
There are a lot of sinful acts in life, some of them are rare, while others are part of our nature:
- Envy. “I hate my work colleague, he is happy all the time, but my life is full of problems!” This feeling gnaws at you until you finally take out all your anger on the person. A striking example of envy is the story of Cain and Abel described above.
- Pride. Very often we hear such exclamations: “Where is your pride!”, “I also have pride.” In this context, many confuse pride with willpower and toughness. Pride is a terrible sin, and means that a person’s own “I” is at the center of everything. “I want”, “you should do this because I want”.
- Fornication and adultery. Fornication is sexual relations before marriage, adultery is cheating on a spouse or partner in marriage. Adultery is described in the Old Testament as a grave sin. When God gave Moses the commandments on Mount Sinai, one of the commandments was “thou shalt not commit adultery.”
- Murder. God gives life to man, and only He can take this life. When one person forcibly takes the life of another person, this is one of the terrible sins of humanity.
- Love of money. The literal translation is “to love silver.” A typical sin of the world in which we live. Money is important in life, but if it begins to occupy all our thoughts, this leads to slavery and dependence on sin.
- Idolatry. One of the most unnoticeable and subtle sins of modern civilization. If something in our life takes precedence over God, then it is an idol. For example, TV, books, money attract us to themselves, and we spend all our time on them, forgetting to devote at least an hour to God during the day.
God's punishment
priest Alexy Potokin
– In fact, it is a question of how God treats us. We find God with our soul. She feels her own, kindred in Him. The opening words of Holy Scripture confirm this: the Lord created man in His own image and likeness. Like rejoices in like. Thanks to our co-nature with the Creator, we seek Him and cannot be happy without Him.
There is a certain incompleteness inherent in human nature. On the one hand, we were created for bliss - exactly the same as the Lord lives.
- And on the other?
– A person must seek Him, choose Him. There are many idols and temptations in the world. Finding the very best is not easy.
A sign of human health is hunger and thirst.
- Hunger - hunger. If you want to eat and drink, that means you are healthy.
– When the soul desires complete reciprocity, perfection, it is eternal hunger and thirst. If they are pious, then the soul is satisfied. Even more than we expect.
– The word “piety” is found in the books of the Athonite elder Paisius. But its exact meaning is not clear to me.
– This is a lofty concept. But I'll ground him a little. There are crafty, cunning ways. There are those who are unstable, unfaithful, with betrayal. You can achieve something by using some kind of violence.
And the Gospel shows us the path of asking. In no case are these requirements. And it must be accompanied by respect for the freedom of others, a desire to thank, to forget oneself. If these conditions are not met even in the slightest, then there will be no completeness and perfection.
– Is this the pious way?
- Yes. Our life is a search for forgotten, lost opportunities to be in Paradise. It is unthinkable to be in the Kingdom of Heaven if the soul lives only on earthly things, right?
- Undoubtedly.
– Even in good conditions a person experiences a certain languor. And when he makes mistakes, he experiences them as pain and loss. If the soul is alive, the path is pious, then conscience tells me: no one is torturing me on purpose, I myself am to blame for losing the good.
- It's like that. But there are also external reasons here. You can easily hear from your loved ones: “Leave me alone!”
– Of course, people can get sick and outwardly push. And the child kicks his mother, but at the same time his soul asks: “Take me, be with me!” And any person essentially always says: “Lord, I want to be with You! I want to be with others!” But often his inner desire does not agree with his outer behavior. This is the loss we are talking about – the loss of chastity.
– Internal integrity?
– In which the soul, body and mind want the same thing, and are not torn in different directions.
By the way, in painful states we ourselves push God away: “Go away! I want to live without You!” And He leaves us to ourselves.
– But he doesn’t leave?
– He does not leave with His hope and hope. Doesn't interfere in our lives, doesn't decide anything for us. But I am ready to support us whenever possible. And waits for unity.
- So what happens? Are we punishing ourselves?
- No, we torture. Any sin immediately becomes a disease. I allowed my body to celebrate, but it doesn’t want to go back. The soul asks: “Give me your word!” And it: “No!”
Transforming into a body, into an organism is truly painful for a person. And who is to blame? God? No, I wanted it myself.
The reason for many problems lies within us. But not only. We are connected to each other. And if a soul close to me rejected God, then I feel its torment. Is the Lord punishing me? No. It is I who choose the path of cooperation.
– Yes, common life work and compassion.
– For us selfish people, of course, it’s painful to lay down our souls for a loved one. And Christ was glad to lay down His soul for all of us. The question would sound strange: who punished Him? After all, He said: “How I wish this fire would already kindle.”
It was painful, difficult, and difficult for him. But when the Apostle Peter began to ask that He not walk the way of the cross, the Lord said: “Get away from Me, Satan!” This means: “You are taking away from Me what I live on. These are My children. How can I not give Myself for them?
One of the crafty traits of a person is to torment himself and shift the blame onto someone else. This is slander that the Lord offends us and punishes us. The disorderly ones, the children who spit at Heaven all the time, quarrel, fight, demand their own, He only takes pity, only has mercy. By miracle, constant sacrifice, humiliation of Himself, He makes it possible to continue life on earth.
– Do we live at His expense?
- Exactly. If God allowed each of us to fulfill all our desires, life would cease. Even if you don’t take such things when someone doesn’t like someone.
- So, God does not reward us according to our deeds - and in this sense treats people unfairly?
– Yes, He treats us with mercy. Human injustice kills. And He gives life. He repays evil with good.
Each of us faces the question of the ways of God's mercy. Not even in spiritual life, but in our earthly life. But here it is important whether the person himself wants to know that he will die, what will happen to him next.
It seems to me that in our time most people prefer to live, as it were, in oblivion, not in accordance with reality. Not thinking about many things, hiding from them.
But some still want to know the truth.
“And that’s why they come to Church.”
“It gives them completely different strength for life.” Extra, unnecessary things are cut off. Everything insignificant loses its meaning. And what is genuine, real (even small!) becomes unusually significant.
Of course, along the way, friends who only seemed to be friends are lost. Sometimes you are left completely alone. But this is not the end, but only the beginning. And you can say: “Lord, now I can find at least one true friend!” This applies to any friendship - with God, people...
– And even with our passions – the table, the wallet?
– Yes, yes, where deception ends, disappointment occurs. Usually this word sounds somehow threatening to us. But in reality it is beneficial. The falseness disappears. Through its loss, a person discovers the living Truth.
– Is this really God’s punishment?!
- Yes, in a very real sense. The Lord reveals our life to us. The word “punishment” comes from the verb “to show”, “to show”. But again: if you seek, it will be revealed to you. And if you don’t want to know, no one will reveal anything to you.
And when punishment comes (revelation about the world), you can ask yourself: didn’t you want this? Is a friend someone who flatters you and accepts your flattery? Isn't it better to be honest?
Modern culture provides an insignificant number of examples of authentic life. Instead, we are offered something similar to life.
– Flavoring additives “identical to natural.”
– The number of substitutions, deceptions, deceit, hypocrisy, and lies in this sense is colossal. All crises stem from this. Translated from Greek, “crisis” means judgment. Our perception of the world is judged. The Lord spoke about this: “Watch how you listen. He who has a pure eye has a pure heart and a pure life.”
- In what sense are they clean?
– It’s not that I don’t distinguish between good and bad. But the fact is that I see everything as it is.
Some things are easier to notice in others than in yourself. But the mistakes that we see around us begin within us. And it takes real courage to understand this. There is nothing more painful than learning the truth about yourself. Therefore, the word “punishment” for us is certainly associated with pain.
To achieve something worthwhile in life always requires suffering. Do you want to study, have a friend, family, homeland, faith. Even in the Old Testament it is said: “Where there is much wisdom, there is much sorrow. He who increases wisdom increases sorrow."
So we need to see: our world is dying. This is the hell in which God was crucified. How are we still living? Unclear. That is why our times are called the last.
– These words were first spoken from the lips of the apostles who survived the crucifixion of Christ.
– People simply no longer have any other opportunity to live except by the Resurrection of the Lord, His power and mercy. It is naive to expect that things will be good on earth. Here the free judgment of the soul takes place. We decide what is better for each of us: to have at least a small involvement with God (and then all the disorder in the world is nothing!) or to curse this life, from which there is nothing to expect, and have time to grab and consume more.
– That’s why society is a consumer society...
– We are born imperfect. And if we begin to compare ourselves with others who have achieved something in life, our condition also seems to us to be a punishment.
– Is envy a punishment?
- Yes. But no opportunities are closed from a person. Another question is how to open them.
The Gospel tells about a blind man. The gentleman was asked who was to blame for his blindness - himself or his parents. Christ said: “No one. This is so that the glory of God may be revealed.”
God creates man from nothingness and puts His breath into him. It grows, teaches you to value the world and take care of it. And he doesn’t give eyes because a person does good or bad.
We often look for the reasons for our current state in the past. This is only partly true. Because a past life and even its meaning can be changed.
- How?
- Just like people did before. They also made mistakes and fell. And we can follow them and say: “Lord, forgive me! Both us and our loved ones, who we need and are important to us!” And the very essence of life will change.
To live and think that I feel bad because I am paying for the sins of my ancestors is selfishness. But to be patient, to make even a small sacrifice for the sake of another, to rejoice in him is already Christian.
It seems to us that punishment is always bad.
- But it turns out that this is always good.
“And the holy people thanked: “Lord, You allow me to work with You! What bliss!
We are accustomed to consider it lucky when we manage to escape from work. But this is stupid. It's better to walk on your own feet than to watch someone running on TV.
To be patient for life to unfold further is God’s work. God's purposes and reasons are in the future. But with us, most often it’s the other way around. Therefore, for us, punishment is a blow, a shout, torment. And for a loving person - the opening of possibilities.
– So, illnesses, pestilence, wars are not God’s punishment at all?
- No, these are the consequences of our lives. We move away from God - and begin to destroy ourselves, to establish ourselves at the expense of others. One must be surprised that there are few wars and pestilences.
Earth is hell. It will not be possible to turn it into paradise. But it is possible to alleviate each other’s pain and suffering. And you shouldn’t expect great feats from your loved ones. If a person restrained himself even just a little, if he offended you, but not as much as he could have done, that’s already work. We usually don’t notice it – and very wrongly. But we ourselves feel when we are not understood in this regard.
Hidden Sins
People themselves do not notice how they sometimes commit sins. It seems to us that we are doing the right things or actions that are completely normal for a person. Usually such things are called in the modern world “natural impulses”, “well, I am who I am”, “this is the kind of person I am”, “it’s difficult for me to change, and who among us is without sin.” People state the facts, but do not want to confront or fight sin.
Sins also include the following manifestations of our flesh and thoughts that are unnoticed in our lives. Among them are such sins as:
- Anger.
- Quarreling.
- Hatred.
- Deception.
- Slander.
- Foul language.
- Selfishness.
For some of humanity, committing such sins is the norm, but it should be remembered that the works of the flesh lead to condemnation by God. You need to watch your actions, deeds, tongue and heart.
Before Christ and after
It is logical that if there is an offense, then punishment will follow. In the Old Testament, the penalty for mortal sin was death. Mortal sins in those days were considered to be divination, sexual intercourse with animals, adultery, murder, the use of physical force against one’s parents, selling a person into slavery, and idolatry. The sinner was taken outside the city and thrown off the mountain or stoned.
There were sins that God forgave if a person sacrificed an animal. Basically, these were sins committed by accident, mistake or ignorance, for example, failure to keep the commandments. In Leviticus 4:27-28 we read that God allowed in this situation to slaughter a young goat without blemish and sacrifice it. Then human sin was forgiven. A sinful man brought a clean animal to the Levite (priest), and the Levite made a sacrifice, and the sin was “washed” by God.
The Lord incarnated in a human body, was born of a woman and died on the cross, shedding blood. He sacrificed himself, slain instead of a lamb (sheep), so that humanity would have the opportunity to live without sin if people believe and accept God into their lives. And the punishment for mortal sins will not be remembered by God if people accept Jesus Christ and follow the commandments of God.
“GOD LOVES EVERYONE EQUALLY”
Answer: The Bible shows the opposite: “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are on their cry. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to destroy the memory of them from the earth” (Ps. 33:16-17). And the words of the fifth psalm speak of God’s unequal attitude towards different people: “You hate all who practice iniquity” (v. 6). Of course, God helps both Muslims and pagans so that on the Day of Judgment they would not reproach the Creator for the fact that the Sun shone only for Christians. Rev. Ambrose of Optina: “Everyone who thinks sensibly knows that the Christian spirit and together the spirit of Christ lies in keeping the commandments of Christ. But your brother invented some other Christian spirit. How can this be a Christian spirit without Christ, and without observing the teachings of Christ? This is some kind of self-invented and, so to speak, self-made spirit, and is in no way worthy to be called by the Christian name, because it thinks it loves everyone indifferently, both Christians and Turks and pagans alike. Christ the Lord in His teaching made a distinction in this, saying in the Gospel: if anyone disobeys the Church, let him be like a pagan and a tax collector (see: Matt. 18:17). And the All-Good Lord Himself loves the righteous, but only has mercy on sinners. And true Christians, imitating the Lord, do the same: showing mercy and condescension to everyone indifferently, they show complete love only to the faithful” (16). God works mercies for everyone, but God’s blessing remains on His people (which is the Orthodox Church): “The salvation of the Lord is, and Your blessing is on Your people” (Ps. 3:9). Those who are outside the Church are subject to God's punishment. Moreover, not because they are unbaptized, but because of their evil deeds. This is discussed in detail in the first chapter of Paul's letter to the Romans. The following lines also speak about the heterogeneity of God’s love: “As it is written: I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau (Mal. 1:2-3). What shall we say? Is it really not true with God? No way.” (Rom. 9:13). If even among Christ’s disciples there was a particularly beloved one (John 13:23;19:26;20:2;21:7,20), then what can we say about those who are rooted in evil? Do they really claim the same love that Jesus showed His Mother and John the Evangelist? Then the specifications about the Apostle John, “whom Jesus loved,” become meaningless insertions into the Gospel, but God teaches that “all Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3: 16). If God loved everyone equally, then the punishment would be equal. But, we have already cited the words of St. Tikhon that there are two different types of punishment - for the righteous and for the wicked. Saint Luke (Voino-Yasenetsky) also emphasizes this: “Tell me, are all the punishments that people suffer from people the same? No, they are not the same. When a father lovingly punishes his son, he does this in order to correct him, so that he is pure, kind and holy. But when those in power punish serious criminals sentenced to imprisonment and even the death penalty, then this is completely different: here the goals of correction are no longer pursued, but only punishment, because those who deserve these terrible punishments are recognized as incorrigible” (10).
The wages of sin is death
If a person lives and enjoys life, but does not think about eternal life and does not try to change anything in his sinful nature, then after death he will face a second death - spiritual death. Then God will punish people for their sins with hell, where there will be “gnashing” of teeth and eternal torment. In Romans 6:23 we read:
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Every person dies, God determined so because of our fall. But it is very scary if what awaits us in eternity is not eternal life with Jesus Christ, but torment and pain.
Through the Bible, the Lord tells us that all people have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, that is, humanity cannot live in the presence of God if we are sinners. And for sin, God already in Eden determined the punishment for man - physical death, pain and suffering. Addressing Adam, the creator tells him that if he does not obey the orders of the Lord, he will die. But physical death is not the worst punishment for sins. The scary thing is what awaits people after death.
A sinful life leads people not only to spiritual death, but also to physical death. The more sin there is in life, the faster the end can come. According to Scripture, the punishment for sin is hell after physical death. If a person does not come to his senses and take the righteous path, he will not accept the Lord into his life.
Spiritual death, or the second death, is God's most important punishment for sin.
If God is love, then how can he punish a person?
“God is love” (1 John 4:8). This truth has never been questioned by the Orthodox Church. The love of God is manifested both in the inner life of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and in Providential activity. In relation to man, God is philanthropic. With this in mind, many are perplexed, they say, why, if God is distinguished by his love for mankind, does He subject people to such severe punishments, such as, for example, the destruction of almost all the inhabitants of the earth by the waters of the flood or the destruction of the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah by fire?
Many people wonder whether God's punishments are contrary to Divine love? Holy Scripture gives the answer to this question: “The Lord disciplines whomever he loves” (Heb. 12:6). This biblical testimony must be understood in the following way. God's punishment is not an act of vindictiveness or blind rage on God's part. The Lord's punishments have a reason for Divine goodness, wisdom, love, mercy, justice. As a rule, they serve as a means of limiting evil, as well as a means of admonishing and correcting sinners. Even those punishments that result in the death of lawless people can benefit them, since with physical death their opportunity to become stuck in evil and, therefore, aggravate their posthumous fate ceases.
Let us note that in the times of the Old Testament, even the punishment of a son by a father could serve as an indicator of love: “Whoever spares his rod hates his son; but whoever loves disciplines him from childhood” (Proverbs 13:25). In this regard, fathers were not only not forbidden, but were also ordered to punish their children: “Whoever loves his son should punish him more often, so that later he can be comforted by him” (Sir.30:1).
Disease and sin
Man is imperfect, and on the path of life, even believers make mistakes and blunders. What punishments for sins can God use in our earthly life? The most important punishment is death. However, on rare occasions God uses illness as a form of punishment. The Creator carries out God's punishment for sins with illness when he wants to stop a person from rash actions, or to make people think about their behavior in life.
There lived in Judah King Hezekiah, who loved God. One day Hezekiah fell ill and the prophets declared that he would not recover. The famous prophet Isaiah came to Hezekiah, he advised the king to prepare a will to leave power to his descendants, since his time was running out. But Hezekiah was in no hurry; he turned away from him and prayed to God in tears. The Creator heeded the king’s prayer and blessed him with health for another fifteen years. This story can be read in 2 Kings chapter 20. Here we see that illness is a consequence of man's sinful nature. God did not want King Hezekiah to die, but sickness is common to all people, and no one can escape from it.
God does not punish people through illness, as many people think. “I am a sinner, the Lord gave me the disease.” No. Illness is a manifestation of sin, the sinful body of a person, which we have from the very moment of birth and, accordingly, are initially susceptible to illness.
There are cases in the Bible when God punishes sins with illnesses. For example, Moses' sister Miriam became covered with leprosy. Miriam reproached Moses for his wife, and for this she became covered with leprosy, the skin on her face became white as snow. Moses took pity on his sister, and through his prayer God healed Miriam
But in the modern world, God more often uses death as a punishment for people’s sins, and illnesses as a test or an opportunity for a person to see God’s healing through illnesses and believe in the existence of the Creator.
“GOD IS LOVE, SO HE CANNOT PUNISH”
Answer: Love does not cancel justice. Who gave the right to misinterpret the direct words of the Lord: “Those whom I love I rebuke and punish” (Rev. 3:19)? Yes, God punishes the righteous out of love: “To the pious God sends punishment out of love, and not out of anger... ...And here the truth of God is shown, which does not leave small sins unpunished, although it is combined with mercy and love for mankind” (18). But the Lord deals differently with the wicked. The same saint continues: “He pours out the wrath of His wrath on the wicked, and destroys their memory on earth, and, depriving them of temporary life, deprives them of eternal life. Such punishment befell the Sodomites who lived under Noah, Pharaoh and others.” The teaching of Saint Irenaeus of Lyons, who lived in ||| century. The great Orthodox apologist responds to false teachers who preach that God is only Love: “... in order to remove from the Father the power to punish and judge, considering it unworthy of God, and thinking that they invented a God without anger and goodness, (the heretics) said that one judges , and the other saves, unreasonably depriving both of them of reason and justice. For if the one who judges (God) is not at the same time good in order to show mercy to those who are due, but to condemn those who should, then he will turn out to be an unjust and unwise judge” (6). The Word of God instructs parents to punish their children for their admonition: “Do not leave a young man unpunished: if you punish him with a rod, he will not die; You will punish him with the rod and save his soul from hell” (Prov. 23:13). Here we see that punishment is learning, a consequence of love and caring. Therefore, love and punishment are compatible with each other. “Enlightened by the law of God, we will learn that God, with unlimited mercy, is completely just, that He will certainly reward a sinful life with appropriate punishment” (19). If we follow the absurd logic of humanists, then if we see a defenseless baby being beaten, then we should not hope for God’s intervention, because “He is only Love” and will not punish the villain. And since we must imitate the Lord, then we must simply pass by, not paying attention to evil... It is precisely this kind of indifferent pseudo-love that modernists teach. But God hates evil. “Let none of you think evil in his heart against his neighbor, nor love a false oath, for I hate all this, says the Lord” (Zech. 8:17). God is not some distant, indifferent being, but a Personality, a Father who loves us, who protects the weak and dispassionately takes revenge on those who offend the defenseless. “Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but give way to [God’s] wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord” (Rom. 12:18).
Repentance and Salvation
All people are afraid of death, everyone is afraid to die. But someday everyone must appear before God. The punishment for sins is death, eternal death. But there is only one opportunity to receive forgiveness and avoid punishment for sin - this is Jesus Christ.
The Lord Himself, when He walked the earth, spoke these words (Gospel of John 14:16):
Jesus said to him: I am the way and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.
The Lord is the only way to see God. To do this, every person needs to repent and allow the Lord to change his heart and life. And then all sins will be forgiven.
And in the famous verses of the same gospel from John 3:16,17 we read:
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
God came up with an amazing plan to save humanity. He sacrificed his Son so that each of us would be saved and have eternal life.
Salvation from sin lies in the Lord Jesus Christ. By accepting into our lives the good news that God came down to earth and died for our sins, we gain salvation and forgiveness. We may stumble, but God finally forgives us of sin, and sin no longer has power over us.
In order not to depend on sin and sinful thoughts and to live in anticipation of meeting God, people need to accept Jesus Christ as a personal savior, let Him into their lives and completely trust the Creator. To do this, a person needs to kneel down and ask God to come into life and change it.
The only thing God will not forgive, according to the Bible, is if a person blasphemes (blasphemes God); if he denies Jesus Christ in public.
How should we understand God's punishments?
The fact that God punishes people is an undoubted truth, which has numerous confirmations in the Holy Scriptures. Punishment is a measure of influence applied to someone or something (for example, a person, a group of people, a nation, etc.) for an offense, a crime, a sin. A sinner sins - God acts on him in a certain way, for a certain purpose. There are several aspects to God’s punishments, for example, educational/healing (educational measure aimed at correcting the sinner), demonstration-educational (educational measure aimed not only at the sinner, but also at his environment, at witnesses of sin, etc.), punitive , limiting (when punishment is associated with limiting the sinner’s ability to sin).
The educational aspect reflects the Fatherly care of the Creator for people. In this regard, God's punishment can be considered as a measure aimed at admonishing the sinner, at awakening in him a feeling of repentance for what he has done, at his correction (1 Cor. 11:32). In a similar sense, one can consider special temptations/sorrows sent down or allowed by God, which, in some cases, are considered as special forms of punishment (1 Peter 1:6,7; James 1:12). The Apostle, together with Solomon (Prov. 3:11), instructs the faithful not to neglect the punishments of God: “My son! Do not neglect the punishment of the Lord (παιδείας κυρίου), and do not lose heart when He rebukes you. For the Lord punishes whomever he loves (παιδεύει); and he beats every son whom he receives” (Heb. 12:5-6). By sending us various disasters and sorrows, God “moves us towards good” (Right Confession, Part 1, Question 26).
The demonstration and educational aspect also reveals Divine care for people. Then, when the Divine punishment of a sinner is obvious to others / to a wide circle of people, this can prompt them to think, and set them in the right way. For example, the punishment of Sodom and Gomorrah still has an impact on a huge number of people, prompting them to remember the harmfulness of the sin of Sodom.
Considering punishments as punishment (considering this aspect), they are associated with the property of God's justice, Who rewards everyone according to his deeds (Rom. 2:6). In Scripture, such action of God is usually expressed using images of the wrath and wrath of God. We see the manifestation of Divine justice in the history of the fall of our ancestors, who were condemned to temporary disasters and death (see Long Christian Catechism. On faith, on the third member of the Creed). The Apostle reports that God “did not spare the angels who sinned, but, having bound them in chains of hellish darkness, he delivered them up to be judged for punishment” (2 Pet. 2:4). The punishment of Sodom and Gomorrah, the global flood, the defeat of the wicked by death are examples of the manifestation of Divine justice. The second coming of the Savior, “who in flaming fire takes vengeance (διδόντος ἐκδίκησιν) on those who do not know God and do not submit to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thess. 1:8), will reveal the final action of God’s justice, which will deliver unrepentant sinners to endless torment (see Right). Confession, Part 1, Question 63).
As St. explains. Innocent of Kherson, God carries out His judgments through natural and positive rewards and punishments. Both were arranged by God, who made it so “that virtue is accompanied by good, and evil by evil. in the order of the world, although they are invisible to us because they are hidden deep within it. For example, the future heaven is new and the earth is new - positive benefits will come from this nature, therefore, their foundation was laid in the creation of the world; Likewise, the basis for punishment lies in nature; that eternal fire must now be in nature, although we do not see it. Thus, there is nothing positive - arbitrary, but everything is natural. The positive exists only for us, who cannot embrace the entire structure of the world building" (About God in general - as the Founder of the Kingdom of Heaven // Works. T. 6. St. Petersburg, 1908. pp. 690–691).
Sometimes, through punishment, God limits the sinner's ability to sin as he did before the punishment. For example, as a result of God’s punishment of King Nebuchadnezzar, he was temporarily excommunicated from ruling the kingdom: “and he was excommunicated from the people, ate grass like an ox, and his body was watered with the dew of heaven, so that his hair grew like a lion’s and his nails he is like a bird” (Dan. 4:30).
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“Very often the concept of “God’s punishment” is used. It does not mean changing the unchanging love of God into anger and applying punishment to the sinner. The nature of sorrows, according to Orthodox teaching, is completely different. Their root cause is always the person himself, who violates the laws of conscience and God and thereby wounds his soul and body. Passions in themselves bring suffering (“passions” is a glorious word meaning suffering). God warns man about this with His commandments. And not only warns, but also provides every person who sins (and everyone sins) with maximum help, without violating his freedom.
This help lies in the fact that God, until a person dies spiritually, arranges all his life paths in such a way that his conscience is constantly faced with a choice between good and evil, since only a person’s spiritual SELF-determination solves the problem of his sin. God cannot save (heal from sin) a person without his will, for salvation is a FREE personal acceptance of God the Savior. Therefore, all the actions of God, in principle, exclude any violence against human freedom. Man himself, with his intentions, thoughts, words, deeds, determines his own destiny not only in eternity, but also here in its very essence. The Lord, with His love, constantly does everything possible for a person for his benefit, his salvation.
There is a complete analogy with medical practice here. Just as a doctor does not reward a seriously ill patient by sending him to a sanatorium, and does not punish someone who jumped from the third floor by performing an operation on him, but acts out of love for both, so the Lord does not reward for virtues and does not punish for sins, but with equal love for everyone. puts it in the best position, i.e. most consistent with God's free choice and the achievement of salvation.
“Divine Punishment”, i.e. This is one of the anthropomorphisms used for the purpose of psychological assistance to those whom St. John Chrysostom categorizes them as “more rude.” Man receives punishment, but on the other hand, from his own passions, which rebel against all the laws of life: Divine, created and human. However, even here the Lord does not abandon His fallen image. To a person suffering from sins, passions and vices, He always sends down with the same perfect love to his last opportunity (cf.: “friend, why have you come”? - Matt. 26:50) His providential actions for his free conversion (repentance) and salvation.
From here the absurdity of the question becomes clear: “Why did God punish me?” The Apostle James directly writes: “When tempted, no one should say: “God is tempting me”; because God does not tempt with evil and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But everyone is tempted, being drawn away and enticed by his own lust” (James 1; 13-14). And Rev. Mark the Ascetic says: “The guilt [the cause] of every sorrowful incident that encounters us is the thoughts of each of us” (Dobrot.TL, p. 375). “Everything evil and sorrowful... befalls us for our exaltation” (p. 379).”
prof. A.I. Osipov
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Islam about sin and punishment for sin
Islam, like Christianity, also develops the idea of sin. According to the Koran, the most terrible and serious sins are:
- Murder.
- Witchcraft.
- Stopping the performance of prayer.
- Don't fast.
- Disobey and disobey your parents.
- Do not perform the obligatory Hajj.
- Homosexuality.
- Cheating in marriage.
- False evidence.
- Theft.
- Lie.
- Hypocrisy.
- Curse your neighbor.
- Dispute.
- Harming neighbors.
There is punishment from Allah for sins in Islam, but the Almighty forgives all sins, except unbelief, if the believer himself asks for forgiveness. If a person has sinned, then, according to Islam, he simply needs to sincerely repent, and then Allah will forgive him.
In Islam, it is believed that Adam's sin does not pass on to the genetic level, and each person is responsible only for the actions that he committed during earthly life.
Islam preaches that a person has freedom of choice, according to which he makes a decision: to have salvation or to live in sin. If a mortal man lives and works honestly, but stumbles and asks for forgiveness from Allah, then he will be saved and will see Paradise.
