How God Punishes People
Last week, we discussed the fact that God is going to destroy this nation, and we do not need to worry about political parties or terrorists or other nations.
After thinking about it, I realize that in the Bible God is described as using other nations to punish His own people of Israel. The Assyrians overcame Israel even though they were a wicked and evil people. The Babylonians overcame Judah and Jerusalem even though they were also a wicked people. God speaking through His prophets explained that He used these wicked armies to bring punishment to His disobedient children.
But let us notice a few other ways that God punishes His people, and the reason that He does so. We read in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 that God will punish disobedience. Notice in Deuteronomy 28:20 "The LORD will send upon you curses, confusion, and rebuke, in all you undertake to do, until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly, on account of the evil of your deeds, because you have forsaken Me."
The purpose of God's punishment is for the purpose of getting His people to repent and return to serving and worshipping Him. We see throughout the Old Testament instances where people were struck dead or suffered terrible deaths because they offended God.
Well God is being offended today, and people are not being struck down dead. Why? Because we are now under the system of Grace. No, grace does not cover sins by itself. If a person continues in sin, grace cannot help them.
Under the New Testament system of Grace and Christianity, the punishment of God is seen in the eternal punishment of hell. People being separated from God into everlasting darkness and pain and weeping and all the other horrible descriptions of that place is the punishment for those who do not serve the Lord, and do not obey the Christ.
While few make the choice to follow the straight and narrow path that leads to eternal life, we must be aware that many who claim to be on the good path are actually not. To these we must give warning. Remember in Matthew 7:21 we read "Not everyone who says to me; 'Lord, Lord' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who do the will of the Father in heaven".
God desires that we all make the right choices and serve Him diligently, He offers a reward that is so amazing that we really cannot put it into human language just how amazing heaven will be. Heaven is promised to those who obey God and keep His commandments. But for those who do not keep His commandments, there will be eternal punishment that they will have to suffer.
We can be thankful that God does not strike people down today who fail to do His will, or blatantly willfully sin against God. Those people have their day coming. It is a day that all mankind has been warned about, and this is how God punishes people today.
We must also remember that God does deal with the affairs of men, and He does play a role in governments today. There are many who would say this country is suffering because of it's choices, and perhaps this is our punishment from God. Who knows?
By Carey Scott

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