punishment, take 2

Punishment:

• the act or an instance of punishing
• a penalty imposed for wrongdoing
• rough handling; mistreatment
• any pain, suffering, or loss inflicted on a person because of a crime or offense

Punish:

• to handle roughly; hurt
• to inflict a penalty for (an offense)
• to subject to a penalty for an offense, sin, or fault

Note the difference between "inflict" and "subject." Note who it is that does the punishing, and who it is that does not.


"...He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us..."
"...love makes up for all offenses..."
"... A third time he said to them, Why? What wrong has He done? I have found [no offense or crime or guilt] in Him nothing deserving of death..." " Pilate said to them, Take Him yourselves and judge and sentence and punish Him according to your [own] law. The Jews answered, It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death. ... When the chief priests and attendants (guards) saw Him, they cried out, Crucify Him! Crucify Him! Pilate said to them, Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for I find no fault (crime) in Him. The Jews answered him, We have a law, and according to that law He should die..."

"...no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are..." "...he freed us from the penalty for our sins..." "...the law always brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!)..." "...in Him we have ... the remission (forgiveness) of our offenses (shortcomings and trespasses)..."


Forgiveness means they are no more, save in the past. And the past is not what is last.


"But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed." "the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trial" "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. "


What a succession. Isaiah. Peter. John. Without Jesus we would be under punishment for our sins. From the curse. With Jesus, we have freedom from the curse, from our sins. All we have to do is accept His love and love will break us free. Love is waiting, itching, dying to set us free. And it will, for love conquers all. We have been given the gift (cf. Corinthians) of the job of reconciling the world back to His love. Back to Him. Through His love. Love leads to love. Faith leads to faith. Trust leads to trust. The Lord knows how to rescue us from punishment. And rescue us from it He does, for the punishment has been given, and all that remains is grace. The enemy would punish us and thread us the lie that we deserve it, but the truth is no-- punishment has been given, and it was not given to us, but to the only one who even Satan could not say deserved it-- the precious Lamb of God. He rescues us through love.

"He redeemed us from the curse of the law..."
[shane&shane]