Punishment is less than the infraction

Punishment Is Less Than The Infraction

We live in a cheapened society where one’s punishment is more noticeable than the infraction. Criminals break in to someone’s home and wouldn’t have to take physical object or possession and still do more damage to the homeowner than what insurance can replace; peace of mind. When the law catches up to the criminal, they are sentenced for certain time for committing and illegal act but rarely does the consequence of their action ever settle in on them. During the sentencing trial the judge will allow letters or statements by the victims and families to explain their hurt and emotions. I recall one case where the defendant who was rightfully found guilty by a jury of his peers sat laughing as the emotional and grief ridden family presented their grievances to the judge and to the defendant as part of their closure. The sentence was given for manslaughter; life without parole. Then, and only then did the guilty party show signs of “remorse.” 

This cheapened society has also become vain in regards to Evangelism. We are so interested in seeing someone “spared from Hell” that we neglect the area of Godly Repentance.  It is nothing short of humanism which “sugar coats” the severity of our punishment for our infractions against a Holy God and his righteousness. We have violated his purpose for creation and his established plan for our existence.  Our sins have separated us from Him. We have fallen short of our purpose; to please Him. We were and are created for His pleasure. Mankind’s rebellion is no longer a willful disobedience but has become a way of life to the ignorant generations which are descendants from Adam. Many times our rebellion and crime against God is unbeknownst to us. We live our day assuming we are in liberty but we are in death.

Due to man’s increasing depravity and moral decay, we are unaffected by our offence against God. We even go to the point where we dismiss our sin as preference; “God can get over it.” After all, to err is human and to forgive is divine. With blatant disrespect for God and His righteousness, we push the fault onto Him and we flippantly, casually walk away leaving him with the price of our sin; death.

Once the believer shares with the potential convert that they are sinners the anger is turned from God towards the evangelist.  Their self-worth and person having been freshly impugned, they jump on the chance to have someone else suffer for this terrible injustice which has tainted their own impression of their self.  When the truth is made known that God took our punishment upon Him and died for their transgressions, there is an immediate sense of entitlement that seems to sweep over them. After all, it was God’s own fault that his strict rules and standard for holiness was wronged. It is a sure fire indication regarding the level of our depravity and sinful volition to find sweet justice in the death of the innocent sacrificial lamb of God who bore our burden, suffering the contradiction of sinners, and the sin of the entire world, past, present, and future on his body when there should be shame, guilt, remorse and a desire to repent from our injustices and sinful practices desiring forgiveness from the very one who gave himself for us.