Thanks for the explanation...
“This is about rehabbing your soul and restoring the balance of justice.”
We are powerless to rehab our souls, we are born into sin and have come up short and are as filthy rags...
The “balance of justice” concept is silliness, we cannot justify anything because we are powerless to be just. Only GOD is just...
Nobody can save themselves. If you're in a state of grace, Christ (not your efforts) has saved you by His grace.
We're agreed on that.
What remains, though, is what Paul spoke of: "Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism." (Colossians 3:25)
No favoritism. No exceptions.
It's clear he's talking to people who are believing Christians: his immediate audience was the church at Colossae.
So what do you suppose Paul means when he tells these people that "anyone (including them) who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs"? |
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He's not talking about eternal punishment (hell) because these people are saved by Christ.
But there are two kinds of punishment due to sins. There is eternal punishment (hell), and temporal punishment. The eternal punishment due to mortal sin is now off the table, because they have repented and confessed, and been forgiven. But that's not all. There's still temporal punishment.
Think of the "Good Thief" who repented as he was being crucified on the cross next to Jesus.
He was given, as a free gift of grace, eternal life and the bliss of being with God in Paradise.
However (and note this) the thief acknowledged that he deserved his punishment (being executed) because of his crimes. And Jesus did not get him off the cross. Did he? No. The "Good Thief" suffered and died on his cross.
Note that he was 100% free of eternal punishment. He was going to Paradise. But the temporal punishment (his being crucified) was still there, and he still had to suffer it. And he said that was just, and Christ did not contradict him.
As Paul said, "Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism." (Colossians 3:25)
If salvation immediately took away temporal punishment, the Good Thief would have immediately stepped down from his cross! And not a scratch on him! But that didn't happen. He still had to suffer temporal punishment as a consequence of his crime.
Require it from whom? From everyone, even the saved and forgiven.