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Die Kwessie Van Straf – Deel II

Die Kwessie Van Straf – Deel II

So, as God nie aktief straf, pyn, lyding en dood aan die goddelose toedien nie, wat doen God dan aan die goddeloses? Wat doen God aan diegene wat met sonde besmet is en weier om God toe te laat om hulle te genees?

Wat sal jy as ouer doen aan jou volwasse kind wat besig is om aan leukemie te sterf en weier om jou beenmurg te aanvaar? Wat sou jy doen? Sou jy hulle nie “laat gaan” nie? Sal jy nie hulle keuse respekteer nie? En as jy dit gedoen het, wat sou gebeur het? Sou jy die oorsaak van hulle dood wees? Sou jy die oorsaak van jou kind se martelstryd wees? Nee! Maar sou jou kind ly en uiteindelik sterf? Ja! Hoekom? As gevolg van hul eie onherstelde toestand en hul weiering om genees te word. Dit is presies wat die Bybel leer:

Romeine 1:18-31 vertel vir ons dat die toorn van God geopenbaar word teen boosheid en goddeloosheid en vertel ons dan drie keer in verse 24, 26, 28 presies wat God doen, omdat hulle God verwerp het, omdat hulle Hom nie in hulle lewens wou toelaat nie dat God iets doen. God “gee hulle oor.” God “laat hulle gaan.” Net soos ‘n liefdevolle ouer uiteindelik hul volwasse kind sou prysgee wat behandeling geweier het, so gee God ook sy kinders prys wat sy behandeling weier. Dit is God se toorn.

“Daar is geen getrouheid, geen goedheid of ‘n intieme verhouding met God in julle land nie…My volk word verwoes omdat hulle my nie ken nie. Dit is alles julle skuld, julle priesters, want julle weier om My te ken… Hulle het die heerlikheid van God verruil vir die skande van afgode” (Hosea 4:1,6,7).

Hoekom word hulle vernietig? Deur van God ontkoppel te wees, deur God nie te ken nie, hulleself af te skei van die sirkel van liefde – die wet van lewe wat van God uitgaan – wat ondergang en dood tot gevolg het.

“My woede is aangesteek soos ‘n vuur, en dit brand tot in die dieptes van die graf. Dit verteer die aarde en sy opbrengs, die fondamente van die berge steek dit aan die brand. Ek sal eindelose rampe oor hulle bring en al my pyle teen hulle gebruik” (Deuteronomium 32:22,23 GN).

Let op die sterk woorde van God hierbo, maar wat het Hy eintlik gedoen? Die Bybel sê:

“Hulle sien nie hoekom hulle verslaan is nie; hulle kan nie verstaan wat gebeur het nie. Waarom is duisend met een verslaan en tienduisend met slegs twee? Die Here, hulle God, het hulle verlaat, hulle magtige God het hulle oorgegee” (Deuteronómium 32:29,30 GN).

Let weer op, God se toorn is om hulle oor te gee, hulle te laat gaan, net soos enige liefdevolle ouer sou doen vir ‘n kind wat aanhoudend daarop aangedring het om te gaan.

“Hulle het hom kwaad gemaak met hulle heidense plekke van aanbidding, en met hulle afgode het hulle hom woedend gemaak. God was kwaad toe hy dit sien, en daarom het hy sy volk heeltemal verwerp. Hy het sy tent in Silo verlaat, die huis waar hy tussen ons gewoon het. Hy het ons vyande toegelaat om die Verbondsark, die simbool van sy mag en heerlikheid, gevange te neem” (Psalm 78:58-61 GN).

Jy sal my woede voel as ek dit soos ‘n brandende vuur op jou loslaat. En ek sal julle oorlewer aan wrede mans, kenners van vernietiging” (Esegiël 21:31 GN).

Ek sal jou oorlewer aan ander nasies wat jou sal beroof en plunder” (Esegiël 25:7 GN).

Let weer op die sterk taal van God, maar wat het God eintlik gedoen? Wat is die toorn en woede van God? Hy het hulle aan hul eie keuse oorgelaat. Hy het hulle laat gaan. Hy het hulle toegelaat om hul eie sin te kry. Hy het hulle aan hul eie keuse oorgegee. God hoef nie straf op te lê nie, want sonde skei ons van God en lei outomaties tot ondergang en dood.

Een van die stigters van my kerk het in die 19de eeu dieselfde waarhede besef en tot dieselfde gevolgtrekkings gekom en dit so kragtig uitgedruk:

Ons moet God nie beskou as iemand wat wag om die sondaar vir sy sonde te straf nie. Die sondaar bring die straf oor homself. Sy eie optrede begin ‘n reeks omstandighede wat die sekere resultate tot gevolg het. Elke daad van oortreding werk op die sondaar, bewerkstellig ‘n verandering van karakter in hom en maak dit vir hom makliker om weer te oortree. Deur te kies om te sondig, skei mense hulleself van God af, sny hulle hulle af van die kanaal van seën, en die onvermydelike gevolg is ondergang en dood.” 1SM 235

By die aanvang van die Groot Stryd het Satan beweer dat die wet van God nie gehoorsaam kan word nie, dat geregtigheid nie met genade te rym is nie, en dat, indien die wet verbreek word, dit vir die sondaar onmoontlik sou wees om vergewe te word. Elke sonde moet sy regmatige straf ontvang, het Satan beweer; en as God die sonde sou vryskeld, sou Hy nie ‘n God van waarheid en geregtigheid wees nie.” KvdE 761

Let op al die Bybelbewyse hierbo toon dat God nie op die ou end die goddeloses straf nie. Hulle eie toestand skei hulle van God en lei tot ondergang en dood. Die Christelike skrywer hierbo het dus tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat diegene wat voorstel dat “elke sonde sy straf moet ontvang en as God die straf van sonde sou kwytskeld, sou Hy nie ‘n God van waarheid en geregtigheid wees nie”, Satan se evangelie, Satan se argument, Satan se wan karakterisering van God, bevorder.

Wel, as God nie sy krag hoef te gebruik om strawwe op te lê nie, as God werklik sy krag gebruik het om in te tree om die vernietiging van sonde te keer en op die ou end hou Hy bloot sy krag terug en sondaars sterf as gevolg van hul eie ongeneesde toestand, hoe maak ons dan sin van al die tekste in die Bybel wat van vuur, swawel, hel, brand, ens, praat?

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I have been confused for years about what [christianity] calls [its] most disgusting teaching. It has never made much sense to me and for that reason has been evermore empty. I have listened to your class off and on and have struggled determining what is truth, because of the resistance design law encounters in the church. So, I thank God for your ministry. What you teach makes sense. It’s logical and backed up by the power of love. I have never seen that in Christ until now. I am astounded by the insight that is found when we look at God’s ministry through design law. All strength to this message, as I believe it to be the power of God.

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Testimony 65

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Testimony 27

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