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Does God Punish with Sickness?
 Today’s Question:
I come to you because I am troubled by your article titled "Why bad things
Happen to God's People" and "Why does the Old Testament attribute tragedy to
God?"
These articles bother me because it does not seem right. It
is my conclusion that God does punish His children today and He
does discipline His people according to Hebrews 12:1-13.
Not only is it in the New Testament but I have lived it. In
1991 while I was in prayer the Lord told me to quit smoking, but
I told the Lord, "No, I will cut down but I will not
quit!" A few days later my left lung collapsed. I went to
the hospital, was treated and released in a couple of days.
During the next few days I had smoked about 7 cigarettes. My lung
collapsed again. After my release from the hospital I finally
quit. I have no doubt that God was punishing me because of
my sin.
In Acts 5:1-11 it appears as though God killed two people
to make a point. And in Acts 12:19-25 it is very clear that God
was the cause of Herod’s death. Though Herod was not a
believer, Ananias and Sapphria were.
Here are some more NT scriptures that seem to oppose your
doctrine: 1Corinthians 3:10-18; 1Corinthians 5:1-5
Rev. F. Tusing
Bible Answer: Thanks
for your kind email. Even though you may disagree with my
article, I'm glad that it got you to study the Word of God. I
have received quite a bit of mail and calls over my articles.
Most of them were positive, but a few were not.
Let me say in response to your email: God does punish us as
Hebrews 12 says, but not "according to the flesh" like
our dads did by spanking us, but He punishes us spiritually
because He is the "father of our spirits" (Heb. 12:9).
He punishes us according to the Word. The Word of God is God's
paddle, not lung disease.
God did not cause your lung to collapse, your smoking did. You
reaped what you sowed. The fact that God warned you to stop
smoking shows that God was trying to protect your from becoming
sick. Can't you see that He wanted you well, just like you want
your children well?
Concerning Ananias and Sapphira falling dead because they lied
to the Holy Spirit, notice that the Bible does not say
that God struck them dead. So don't read more into that passage
than what the Bible actually says.
Concerning Herod being struck by an angel: God has a right,
and in fact, an obligation to protect His people from harm. Herod
was killing Christians, and God was correct to exercise defense
for His children. If someone tried to kill my wife and children,
I would be well within my rights to protect my family even if it meant using
force to do it. This is what God did with Herod. That is far
different than claiming that God makes His children sick.
Concerning 1 Corinthians 3:10-18, that Scripture is talking
about judgment after we die.
Finally concerning 1 Corinthians 5:1-5, notice that the sinful
man is handed over to "Satan, so that his flesh may be
destroyed." Why didn't God destroy the man's flesh Himself?
Why did God have to hand him over to Satan to have his flesh
destroyed? Because God is not a destroyer.
I hope I've satisfied your questions.
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your comments
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