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The Question of Punishment Part I

The Question of Punishment Part I

As I travel around the country presenting Christian principles for healing the mind there is a question that comes up over and over again. Two weeks ago during The Good News Tour in Collegedale, TN this question was raised.

Last week during a Healing the Mind Seminar in Downers Grove, IL this question was raised. And the question has to do with God inflicting punishment on His disobedient children. The question is never over loving discipline, God acting to save, educate, or redirect. Everyone understands God, in love, does take these actions. No, the confusion arises over God’s role in dealing with the unrepentant, the rebellious, those who persistently reject Him and won’t return to Him.

During The Good News Tour one of the speakers passionately put forth the idea that in order for God to be just He must punish sin and sinners, that God is love, but He is also just. This idea that God’s justice is something other than His love does tremendous damage to the gospel. Justice is based on the governing law. The law of God is the law of love, thus God’s justice is always love. Therefore, His justice could never be heated, angry vengeance. This is a perversion of God’s character. God’s justice is always a manifestation of His love.

Imagine a genuinely loving parent who tells his child to never touch the pesticides in the garage, even warning, “in the day you do you will surely die.” One day the child disobeys the explicit instructions of the parent, that parent’s “law,” and messes with the pesticides even accidentally drinking some. Now, the child, from exposure to this toxin develops leukemia, what does justice require?

Would justice require the parent let the child die, even if the parent had bone marrow which could save the child? Would justice require the parent beat the child, or worse yet kill the child in order to be just, to satisfy the “legal” requirements their broken “law” demanded?  What would justice require?  What does justice look like when it is based on the law of love? What does love compel the parent to justly do, if the parent is capable? Of course, Save the child! Likewise, God’s justice is all about salvation.

Leukemia is cancer and cancer cells are cells reproducing out of control, no longer operating in harmony with their original programming. In order to save your child without violating the laws of health what needs to happen? The cancer needs to go into remission. The cancerous cells need to remit back to their precancerous healthy state. When this happens life continues without violating the laws of health. Likewise, without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. Without the shedding of Christ’s blood sinfulness in mankind could not go into remission. Christ came to heal the race, to place us all back in harmony with God’s law of love!

But what if the child, who so early on disobeyed and who is dying from that terminal disease, now as an adult, refuses the bone marrow transplant, refuses the remedy which would put the cancer into remission? Would justice require the parent to then kill such an unruly, ungrateful child? Then why do so many insist that God must punish sin and sinners, even teaching that God punished His Son in the sinner’s place? Because of three basic misunderstandings:

Misunderstanding 1: God’s Law

God’s law is natural, not imposed. Misunderstanding occurs when people think of God’s law as imposed or as list of rules without inherent consequence externally enforced by God, then as the great law giver, God must act to inflict external penalties upon the breakers of the law in order to be just. Some argue that if God didn’t inflict penalties, then the law would be powerless and therefore useless. But this is a fatal error in understanding God’s law. God’s law is the design law for life. It is the law of love. It emanates from the character of God Himself and is the principle upon which all life is created to operate. It is not imposed or legislated.

For example, the law of gravity is a design law upon which nature is created to operate. If you jump off a building God doesn’t have to inflict a penalty, the penalty is inherent, that is, you will most likely die upon impact with the ground.  The laws of health are design laws upon which life is constructed to operate. If you decide to stop eating, drinking, or tie a plastic bag over your head you will violate the laws of nutrition, hydration, or respiration – these are natural laws. God will not have to inflict a penalty upon you. He doesn’t kill you for breaking those laws, the penalty is inherent.

Likewise the law of love is a natural law, the design protocol for life. It is the law of giving, beneficence, the outward flow of goodness to uplift others. All life is created by God to operate on this principle. Violations of this law naturally result in pain, suffering, and death. God doesn’t have to inflict punishment, the punishment is inherent. God has, in actuality, been using His power to hold at bay the consequences, the punishment of sin, giving mankind time to be reconciled back into harmony with Him and the law of love.

Misunderstanding 2: The Nature of Sin

Having misunderstood God’s law quite naturally results in misunderstandings about sin. Sadly, most people think sin is breaking God’s rules and when one breaks God’s rules, well, they get in trouble with the rule maker. The rule maker then has to impose penalties in order to be “just.” But all of this is in error. The truth is that “sin is lawlessness” (1John 3:4), that is, without law, less the law, living outside of the law, in this case the law of love, upon which life was designed to operate. And sin therefore naturally results in death (Romans 6:23, James 1:15). God does not have to inflict death upon people. The penalty is inherent in sin as sin severs one from the circle of life, the law of love which emanates from God.

Misunderstanding 3: The Purpose of the Cross

Having misunderstood the law of God, and thus misunderstood the nature and character of sin, naturally results in misunderstanding the purpose of the Cross. After all, if the law is a legislated list of rules and thus imposed upon God’s creation, and sin is breaking the rules of this law, and the problem with that is that we are in trouble with the One in charge and He has to inflict penalties in order to be just, then in such a situation what would be needed? In such a situation we need someone to pay our penalty to an offended God so His anger and wrath at sin will be assuaged (reduced, lessened, calmed). And thus some teach that God actually punished Jesus on the Cross as our substitute. But this is also a false conclusion based on false assumptions about God, His character, His Law, and the nature and character of sin.

In reality Christ came to be the remedy for sin, restoring mankind back into perfection and oneness with God.

What does the Bible say? What did God actually do to His Son?

“My God My God why have you forsaken me?” Jesus cried, not “why are you killing me, punishing me, executing me?”

“God was in the son reconciling the world to himself” 2Cor 5:19. It was God working to heal and save, not to punish, not to execute His Son.

The Bible even prophesied that mankind would misunderstand, that mankind would think God executed or punished His Son:

Isaiah 53:4: “Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.”

Notice, we considered or thought or misunderstood that God was the one striking Jesus. But it wasn’t God, the Bible prophesied such ideas would be our misunderstanding.

So, if God doesn’t actively inflict penalties, pain, suffering, and death upon the wicked, then what does God do to the wicked? What does God do to those who are infected with sin and refuse to allow God to heal them? We will answer these questions in next week’s blog.

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Testimony 67

I was introduced to Come And Reason by a friend of my mother-in-law, who gave me several CD’s of Dr. Jennings. The clarity of the message and recognition that God’s is a God of love was so clear, advancing beyond Dr. Maxwell’s message. However, grappled with Maxwell saying God used emergency measures for the fallen world. Now after several years of being a regular listener of the Come And Reasoning bible study class and attending Jennings’ meetings in Dallas/Fort Worth, TX, things are becoming clearer for me. Design law versus imposed law has added so much to my personal understanding of theology. This message has really impacted my work in counseling so many people miserable because they are searching for and trusting human governments to create order and peace or believing in a God who says love Me or I will kill you. I am grateful that I have an alternative view to offer my clients that makes sense. I teach a bible study class on a semi-regular basis and I value the materials that Come And Reason so freely offers to aid me in presenting this vital message. Thank you for continuing to provide advancement in our very limited understanding of a Infinite God that is rational and believable.

Dr. Roger D, Arlington, TX, USA

 

Testimony 20

I just wanted to personally thank you for your teachings and insight into scripture. I came across your website via my cousin who suggested I look into “Healing the Mind” information. My youngest daughter has been struggling over the last couple of years and it all came to a head this spring. When I started listening to the “Healing the Mind” lectures my own life began to be transformed. I began sharing with all my daughters the concepts you laid out so clearly. I ordered your book and soaked it up. I just want to say “Thank You!” My walk with the Lord has been refreshed and renewed. Your obedience to the Lord is a blessing to so many.

R. K., Anderson, SC, USA

 

Testimony 55

I was born [into the church], then I left it for many years. 10 years ago, I came back, but I could not take the hypocrisy and the lack of answers to the missing pieces. I struggled, but I did not abandon my commitment to know the truth. God is leading me to the simple understanding of his relevance and I am relearning what the church taught me as a youth… that he loves me, that he has led me to a knowledge of him such as I have never known. He is using Dr. Jennings to connect the dots that are now so apparent and hiding in plain sight!

Dean P., Arlington, TX, USA

 

Testimony 33

I was invited over a friend’s house to see the “God and Your Brain” seminar today. I became [a christian] 36 years ago at the age of 19, but have struggled with the concept of God taking His ‘pound of flesh’ out on His Son to be appeased. Wow. Your seminar has been an incredible revelation and breath of reason and fresh air! I have your book, “The God Shaped Brain,” and it is SO eye opening. Finally, after 36 years enlightenment has come! Praise the Good Lord! What can I say, but that the Real Gospel is truly “Good News!” Thank you for your efforts in giving the Gospel a clear sound!

Paul C.,  Springfield, MA, USA

 

Testimony 65

I have been tuning into your weekly study classes for a while now and wanted express my appreciation for the teachings that ha been a huge blessing in opening up the true message of the word. Viewing scripture under an imposed law theory always, without fail, raised more questions, concerns, and conflicting scripture interpretations that were discouraging at the very least. Looking at scripture through the design law lens has brought more truth to light for me personally and an understanding of our Heavenly Father that places Him “above all others,” where I am now more than thrilled to witness and serve Him.  I “stumbled” across this ministry a year or so ago and would only watch a few minutes at a time. But the more I listened and the longer I paid attention, the more my spiritual eyes were opened to the ever present truths of scripture. The comprehension of the great controversy and it’s origin by the lies perpetrated and perpetuated throughout the Bible on the attack of God’s character and government is truly priceless. Keep up the Good Work! Your servanthood is desperately needed in such a time as this!

Jeff D., Reading, MA, USA

 

Testimony 71

When I was 9 years old, I remember setting at our devotional table with a hunger and thirst for God that wanted more, deeper, BETTER. I can remember literally crying and pounding on the table, “I know these teachers didn’t mean to give us error. They taught what THEY had been TAUGHT, but didn’t ANYBODY READ THE BOOK?!?!?” It mattered to me then. It mattered to me as a teenager. It matters now as I teach bible classes. It didn’t have to be so hard as I watched so many give up and lay God’s great plan and gift of salvation aside as being “impossible.” Then, a friend sent me a link to Come And Reason’s website. I grew excited. YES! FINALLY! Then another friend told me to stay away, saying her son had just broken up with a girl because she was involved with Come And Reason and that “Tim Jennings preaches a false gospel.” But, AFTER many years of developing an authentic and, dare I say FUN relationship with Jesus, through the Holy Spirit I see this message has been around a LONG time, since the apostle Paul, Ellen White, Graham Maxwell, Ray Foucher, and yourself (though I admit, you’ve made me back up, rewind and replay the clips, and get out my well-worn Bible on a few things.) I’m so thankful I have found LIGHT during these DARK days. I am not alone.

Vicki DiNitto

Testimony 44

We were given a gift of the DVD set, “God and Your Brain,” and we just finished watching it. The truths in this are so powerful and truly an answer to a prayer. We’re seeing hope where once we thought God wasn’t answering our prayers to be free of certain mindsets. He answered with these DVDs and we are hungry for more. Thank you!

Daniel T., Easley, SC, USA

 

Testimony 17

The blessings of clarity and understanding you and your class inspire me to take from the word of God have impressed upon me so greatly the true, loving character of our Creator. I have found amazing freedom and joy through building a stronger, more intentional relationship with Him. What is new is that this is now a relationship built on love, reverence and respect rather than fear and obligation, and as such my eyes have been slammed OPEN as I am continually impressed by the manifestations of God’s true character in His provisions for fallen man.

T.E.H., Salt Lake City, UT, USA

 

Testimony 18

The Healing the Mind DVD set tarted me on a journey that has changed my relationship with our loving God more significantly than any other study, and brought me to your book and Bible study podcasts, which I now listen to daily, thanks to the availability of archived content on your site and on iTunes.

Anonymous

 

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My husband is a pastor and I listen to your lesson almost every week. Thank you for helping me in my study life and to help me love the “real” God more.

C. F., NC, USA

 

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Thank you for the ministry you are sharing with us, it is a real blessing to us and especially to my husband and myself! You are encouraging us to think for ourselves and not just to except everything, without thinking it through, with God’s word!

M.K., USA

 

Testimony 15

I have been sharing Come And Reason Ministries Bible study lessons with several folk. You have such a beautiful view of the plan of salvation. If we had this message preached when I was young, my generation would still all be in church.

H. R., New Zealand

Testimony 23

I would just like to add my voice to the many people who, I believe, must have contacted you to express their appreciation for the “Healing the Mind” DVDs. I’ve been listening to your Bible study class discussions for many years and I’ve been personally blessed by your research and teaching about the character of God.

L. G., Oakland, MI, USA

 

Testimony 22

I have found your Bible study class lectures to be very inspiring and useful as I prepare to teach class every other week. I subscribe to the podcast and download your notes on the weeks I teach. The audio and notes are such a great help in preparing. My own understanding of God’s character has grown as I teach the class. Commendations on the thought-provoking and well-prepared material Come and Reason provides. Personally, I get excited by the tie you make between the spiritual and mental/physical domains.

A.A. Corrales, NM, USA

 

Testimony 30

God lead me to your book “The God-Shaped Brain” while I was searching for another book about the brain and then to your interview about your book on HeartWise Ministries [where] I found out about [Come And Reason Ministries]. I’m now devouring the webcasts of your Bible studies. I have been so greatly blessed and I thank God so much for your courage to speak the Truth in love no matter what. Listening to you contrast the two opposing systems (laws) and digging deep to unearth the hidden treasures in the Bible makes me so incredibly happy and I feel very blessed to be part of your Bible Study Group although I live far away. I am just so excited that there is a group of people that is spreading the Truth about the character of God and it saddens me how few realize what our Father in Heaven is really like.

Kessy B., Australia