Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Son of God knows that God is a loving God. However not everyone knows that God also punishes those who disobey him.

Few people seem to understand that God also curses people and their families.

(Exodus 20:5-6) "I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

Romans describes homosexuality as a curse. There is an evil spirit of this earth known as the Spirit of Jezebel. My family suffers from this curse. It is a controlling spirit. I sometimes see it in myself.

What are some more verses that contribute to the fact that God punishes people here on earth. (I know that his ultimate punishment is Hell, but what about on earth?)

I don't know that that curse stays with a believer or his/her family. There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus ( Rom. 1:8 ). God chastens us, his children, but only to the end of correction, not punishment. The punishment of the wicked was poured out on Jesus Christ at the cross. I am open-minded to your point of view, but on its face, I have to respectfully disagree that God still punishes people, especially believers.

Oh ok. So its more a matter of God correcting us. But if we deny Jesus Christ we will be punished. Right?

Like FOJ I think it's more of a discipline for believers.

Hebrews 12:7-13
"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.”

If we deny Jesus the Bible tells us the punishment is eternal separation.

I guess putting my hand on a hot stove burner and getting burnt is a punishment right? The "punishment" for dening Christ is seperation from God but its not a "punishment" anymore than a burn from my actions with the stove. It a consquence not a punishment. If God "Punished" us for our sins, I would have been destoyed long ago due to my less then sinless life. I dont punish my Children.......I do correct them when they step out of line and try to get then to see there are consequences to there actions. If I punished them it would be just for them to experience pain and or suffering......I love my Kids and God loves us so he uses the consequences as a way to teach not punish.

BR posted at the same time I did.......I think he said it better then I did and thats what i was trying to say.

We are studying Romans at church now and in the second chapter it pretty much tells us that God allows those who sin to reap the "rewards" of that sin. In other words if we choose to sin and wilfully disobey God He will not stop us and He will allow whatever happens to happen. In order for me to understand I sometimes compare God's dealings with us as the way a parent deals with his children. For example, if I tell my son to stop doing something and he continues to do it, sometimes I will let him find out for himself what a bad idea it was.

Like the others here, I tend to believe that God does not "punish" in this life, except His children. Those who, by their own choices, do not belong to Him, He will allow to reap the consequences of their actions apart from Him.

Even the writer of Ecclesiastes took note that it seemed as if the wicked prosper far more than the righteous in this life, but that their rewards are temporary (or in his words: "Vanity!" or "Meaningless!"). God disciplines those who are His children in order to bring them back into a correct, loving relationship with Him, just as an earthly father would.

If you knew my 1st wife you would know that God does indeed punish.

HEEYYOOOOOO! ZIIIIIIINNNNNNG!

I'm here till Thursday, try the veal!

Angel said:

Quote:

Quote: But if we deny Jesus Christ we will be punished. Right? If you deny Christ lordship over your earthly life, the choices you make tend to lead to consequences that surely feel like punishment and without His grace, that sense is unlikely to change. It's not so much 'punishment' in denying Christ...like God is acting like some attention starved egomaniac, it's that through the blood of Christ, He has provided a way to be in relationship with us and if we refuse that gift, we get exactly what we chose.... forever. A total lack of God's presence.

Finely and very concisely said.

_________________
"The 'farce' is strong with Sith Lord Obama-Wan." words of Scourge.

"Uh....You can believe me....Uh....because I never lie, and....Uh....Uh....I am always right." words of Sith Lord Obama-Wan.

Daddy likes it all, the DraíodóirDé likes it all

Correction......chastisement.........punishment.

Arent't they all basically the same--just some sound stronger and less positive than others? I mean, even the punishment handed out to a criminal is supposed to be corrective in nature.

Personally, I think God still does do punishment while still in the flesh. If a gentle correction will not straighten out a wayward child, if a more firm chastisement does not correct the wayward child and bring them back, then a firm butt-whoopin' of Biblical magnitude might be in order. I don't believe that God is swift to hand out punishment, but it does happen.

I think God absolutely actively punishes his children when the circumstances demand it, and this should be differentiated from a more passive approach of simply letting us "reap what we sow" . King David is a prime example; he lusted after a woman who was not his wife, seduced her into an adulterous relationship, and arranged for her loyal husband to be murdered. This so angered God that it cost David the son that resulted from the relationship, and God specifically told him that this was a penalty exacted for his sin.

I think it's probably the majority of occasions where God simply lets us reap the consequences of our actions, but He is the sovereign God of the universe and takes an active, punitive role in the lives of men when it suits His purposes.