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| Section: Walking In The Faith |
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| Category: Biblical Teaching / Lesson |
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| Paying The Sin Tax |
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The thief stood convicted before the judge, condemned by a jury of his peers and a mountain of evidence, not to mention the confession of his own lips. Given a chance to speak before sentencing was passed down he broke into a tearful and heartfelt apology and plea for forgiveness. The judge listened with compassion, His eyes welling up with tears. Still, when it came His time to speak the sentence was more than the thief had hoped, less than he deserved.
Sin has consequences. The path of crime, whether mental or physical, contains repercussions, and only a weak or lazy judge would let the confession and apology alone atone for the misdeed. God promises as much to us, and it certainly isn't because he enjoys punishing us. Witness this promise to David:
Ps 89:30-33
30 if his sons forsake my law
and do not follow my statutes,
31 if they violate my decrees
and fail to keep my commands,
32 I will punish their sin with the rod,
their iniquity with flogging;
33 but I will not take my love from him,
nor will I ever betray my faithfulness.
(from New International Version)
The promise is this: If we sin, the punishment will come. Even repenting immediately after the sin is usually not enough to stave off some sort of retribution. It's not vindictive, it's just. Justice is God's hallmark, and something he is vigilant and consistent in. His reason is one of love, not anger:
Prov 3:11-12
11 My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline
and do not resent his rebuke,
12 because the LORD disciplines those he loves,
as a father the son he delights in.
(NIV)
Rev 3:19
19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.
(NIV)
It's this punishment which cements in us a fear of sinning again. It's a good thing the Lord only punishes us in his love though:
Jer 10:24
4 Correct me, LORD, but only with justice--
not in your anger,
lest you reduce me to nothing.
(NIV)
So it's unpleasant, it's shameful and it's hopefully something you'll never want to go through again.
Here's the amazing thing though... God doesn't think of our sins in the same way we do. While he will punish us for our sins, the Bible says he doesn't remember them. Does that mean they escape his mind completely? Unlikely, since he wouldn't have much of a reason to discipline us if that were the case. Rather I think it means that he chooses not to keep those sins on our record. The Bible puts it this way:
Ps 103:8-12
8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
(NIV)
That verse doesn't contradict the others here, it simply gives a better perspective: Even when we're being punished we should be glad it's not what we deserve. Reminds me of a favorite song from the Christian group Newsboys that says, "When we don't get what we deserve, it's a real good thing. When we get what we don't deserve, it's a real good thing."
The other thing I see is that God doesn't simply forget our sins, he actively takes part in absolving them. He's not just the judge, he's the prison warden too, and he takes joy in having mercy on those who truly repent and seek after him. His justice may be harsh and difficult, but he delights in pouring out blessings when we've learned the lesson. |
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| Date of Submission: 2007-12-17 11:12:10 |
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