“O LORD my God, if I have done this, if there is injustice in my hands, if I have rewarded evil to my friend, or have plundered him who without cause was my adversary, let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it; and let him trample my life down to the ground and lay my glory in the dust.” (Ps 7:3-5)
God’s justice must extend to us as well as to others. It is not enough for us to want a just and righteous world that punishes other evildoers… we must accept those consequences for us, too. The faithful person expects fairness from God and therefore, lives with an anticipation of punishment if we backslide into sin.
One reason the Christian seeks to live righteously is that we know unrighteousness removes the blessings. Things like answered prayer (see Pr 15:29) and divine support (see 2 Chr 16:9) go away when we choose evil. We don’t expect God to overlook sin amongst His children… in fact, we are guaranteed to be called out for it precisely because we are His children. Self-discipline happens because we know we are accountable. Christians don’t get a free pass to sin.
“It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?” (Heb 12:7)
Matt. 4:4 #Biblebites