Is God punishing someone who’s confronted by sufferings?

By: Allan Elutin Ecleo

When one encounters a throbbing fate such as terminal ailment, a reckless child/sibling, a broken marriage, a financial difficulty, fired from dream job, engagement broke off, friends shrink back, or hounding, it may be one’s common reaction that God is punishing her/him for some sin committed.

At some point because of this, others may end up tired, discouraged, and confused questioning God for allowing such ordeals.

Before answering the question whether God punishes for one’s sin, first there’s a need to differentiate between punishment and discipline.  

For believers in Jesus, all of the humanity’s sin- past, present, and future - has already been punished on the cross. As Christians, we will never be punished for sin. That was done once upon a time for all. “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). 

By Jesus’ sacrifice, God sees only the righteousness of Christ when He looks at the humanity. Everybody’s sin has been nailed on the cross with Jesus, and no one will be punished for it.

Transgression that remains in humans’ lives, however, does require God’s discipline occasionally.

God brings His divine discipline to bear upon anyone if one continues to behave in sinful ways and does not repent and turn from that transgression.  Otherwise, He would not be a loving and concerned Father.[1]

Just as parents discipline their own children for their well-being, so does the heavenly Father amorously correct His children for their welfare, which is re-echoed in the Scriptures:

“As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as His own children. Whoever heard of a child who was never disciplined? If God doesn't discipline you as He does all of His children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really His children after all. Since we respect our earthly fathers who disciplined us, should we not all the more cheerfully submit to the discipline of our heavenly Father and live forever? For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God's discipline is always right and good for us because it means we will share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it is painful! But afterward there will be a quiet harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.” (Hebrews 12:7-13)

Thus, discipline is how God lovingly transforms His children from rebellion to submission. By discipline, everyone’s eyes are opened more clearly to God's perspective in her/his life. As King David affirmed in Psalm 32, discipline set everyone off to confess and repent of sin that one has not yet dealt with. Hence, discipline is cleansing and a mechanism towards growth. The more one knows about God, the more one knows about His desires for everyone’s lives. Discipline offers everyone with the opportunity to learn and to conform oneself to the image of Christ (Romans 12:1-2). Therefore, discipline is a good idea!

Everyone should remember that sin is a constant in human’s lives while one is yet on this earth (Romans 3:10, 23). Thus, everyone not only has to deal with God's discipline for her/his disobedience, but also has to deal with the natural consequences resulting from sin. If a believer steals something or cheat his/her spouse, God will forgive him and cleanse them from the sin of theft or adultery, reinstating fellowship between Himself and the repentant thief Luke 23:39-43) and the remorseful punisher Saul (Acts 22:1-21). Nevertheless, the societal consequences of theft and adulterer can be severe, resulting in fines or even imprisonment, which are natural consequences of sin that must be endured. But God works even through those corollaries to intensify one’s faith and glorify Himself.

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