Page 29 - Nurturing the Nurturer 2018 Flip Page Program

Forgiveness and consequences are not
opposite ends of a spectrum. They are two
sides of the same coin. Together, they
establish an essential part of the Lord's plan
for believers.

Forgiveness is relational. It puts us back into
a right relationship with someone. The
Father sent Jesus to make a sacrifice on our
behalf, and by so doing reconciled us to Himself. By His mercy alone, we can have
communion with the Lord.

On the other hand, consequences are circumstantial. Often God does not remove
consequences simply because someone trusts Christ as Savior or confesses sin. He
leaves them in place for us to struggle with and to grow from for many reasons: to
learn from our mistakes; in order to fortify us for future temptations; to grow in
humility and empathy, etc.

God gives a punishment (consequence) because He not only wants to forgive us, but to
heal and transform us completely not merely superficially.

We do this as parents. When our children get in trouble, they’ll quickly say they’re
sorry—to which we respond both with forgiveness and their punishment.

The punishment is not for them to earn our forgiveness back, but to redress the
disorder wrought in their own souls by the wrongdoing.

In Hebrews 12:6-11 we read:

“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor lose courage when you
are punished by him. For the Lord disciplines him whom he loves, and chastises every
son whom he receives.
7 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? 8 If you are left without discipline, in
which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides
this, we have had earthly fathers to discipline us and we respected them. Shall we not
much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a
short time at their pleasure, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his
holiness. 1 1 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant; later it
yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”

It’s precisely because we believe in this dual consequence of sin (eternal and
temporal) that we: do penance, believe in purgatory, and embrace the doctrine of
indulgences. Our Lord said, “Bear fruit that befits Repentance” (Matthew 3:8) and
do not merely “sigh sorrowfully without mending your ways.”

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