Lent - Day 11 (March 2)

Larger Catechism – Day 11 of Lent

Question 28:  What are the punishments for sin in this world?

Answer:  The punishments for sin in this world are either internal or external. Internal punishments include mental blindness, a sense of being condemned, powerful delusions, a stubborn heart, a terrified conscience, and shameful desires. External punishments include God’s curse on the whole creation because of us and all the other evils that happen to our bodies, our reputations, circumstances, relationships, and work, including death itself.

“When a man is getting better he understands more and more clearly the evil that is still left in him. When a man is getting worse he understands his own badness less and less. A moderately bad man knows he is not very good: a thoroughly bad man thinks he is all right. This is common sense, really. You understand sleep when you are awake, not while you are sleeping. You can see mistakes in arithmetic when your mind is working properly: while you are making them you cannot see them. You can understand the nature of drunkenness when you are sober, not when you are drunk. Good people know about both good and evil: bad people do not know about either.” — C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Before we talk about the punishment for sin we have to realize who defines what sin is and then who sets the punishment for sin.

My heart weeps for those who minimize “sin” because they say, “Jesus is love.”  I remember sitting in a car with a pastor that was having an affair with the church organist.  The pastor said that it was God who gave him such strong feelings for the lady.  Really?  Like C.S. Lewis said, “When a man is getting worse he understands his own badness less and less.” 

We gloss over sin when a person we care so much about does something forbidden in scripture—as if we are the ones who define sin.  Like C.S. Lewis said, “When a man is getting worse he understands his own badness less and less.” 

Failure to recognize sin forces us to believe (or hope) that “God is love” and will not punish us for our disobedience.  Unfortunately, this is exactly the opposite of who scripture says.  Scripture says that God loves us so much that he is going to punish us for our disobedience.  Like C.S. Lewis said, “When a man is getting worse he understands his own badness less and less.” 

The list of internal punishments for sin is enlightening.  Sin causes mental blindness.  Check. (ie: the pastor example above).  Sin brings powerful delusions.  Check.  Sin causes a stubborn heart.  Check.  Sin brings about shameful desires.  Check.  Sin brings a sense of being condemned by others.  Check. Sin causes a terrified conscience.  Check. Sin truly causes some internal punishments.

The external punishments for sin are just as traumatic. 

God, in his word, defines sin.  God, in his word, sets the punishment for sin.  Remember, God is God and we are not.  You and I do not have the authority to define sin or set the punishments for sin.  Period.  End of story.

There is a county law (ordinance) against opening pot shops in Pierce County.  The State of Washington is the agency that issues licenses for pot shops.  This morning a pot shop opened in Parkland (a part of unincorporated Pierce County) with a state issued license to sell pot —knowing that they are breaking the Pierce County law.  Like C.S. Lewis said, “When a man is getting worse he understands his own badness less and less.” 

The owner of that pot shop sounds just like you and me.  There may be something we want to do that is forbidden by God.  We will find a group, church or individual that “sanctions” what we want to do.  We then do it.  Forgetting that God defines sin and its punishment.  Like C.S. Lewis said, “When a man is getting worse he understands his own badness less and less.”