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“If it did not then how could you suffer in this life?”

Two reasons:

First,

“5And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?

“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him.
6For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”

7It 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? 8If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” - Hebrews 12

This is NOT temporal punishment, cleansing us from our sin. Discipline is not punishment. I may discipline my horses, but I do not punish them. A horse that wants to go the wrong way, or that shies from something scary has not sinned. She has no guilt. However, I do need to teach her to focus on me, not the circumstances on the ride. So I will push her a bit, making her get closer to the scary thing, or requiring her to turn in the direction I want. With time, she learns I have her best interest at heart, and willingly obeys.

Temporal punishment is not discipline. The merit of another horse can not be transferred to the sacred horse, and ‘merit’ from the good deeds of others cannot discipline us. That only makes sense if you believe in an accounting system of good and bad, with good deeds able to cancel out bad deeds.

Nor does discipline occur years after the fact. I don’t beat my daughter today to discipline her for wrongdoing when she was 5. PUNISHMENT can follow years later. A prison sentence for murder can be imposed 40 years after the murder, but DISCIPLINE cannot.

God disciplines us in this life. He has no need to do so in the next. “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment...”

Second,

“For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake...” - Phil 1:29

We have suffering in this world for the sake of Jesus. As Barnes explains

“But also to suffer for his sake. Here it is represented as a privilege to suffer in the cause of the Redeemer—a declaration which may sound strange to the world. Yet this sentiment frequently occurs in the New Testament. Thus it is said of the apostles, Acts 5:41, that “they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.” Colossians 1:24: “Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you.” 1 Peter 4:13: “But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings.” Comp. James 1:2; Mark 10:30. See Barnes “Acts 5:41”. It is a privilege thus to suffer in the cause of Christ, because

(1.) we then resemble the Lord Jesus, and are united with him in trials;

(2.) because we have evidence that we are his, if trials come upon us in his cause;

(3.) because we are engaged in a good cause, and the privilege of maintaining such a cause is worth much of suffering; and

(4.) because it will be connected with a brighter crown and more exalted honour in heaven.”

But scripture is clear - our suffering has nothing to do with removing our guilt for sin. There is discipline when we go the wrong way, so we can learn, like a horse, how to listen to the master and how to trust him. And suffering shows the world and the heavens we belong to Him, and follow Him.

But it does NOT remove guilt. That was done once for all at Calvary. And the justification there applies to all of me, making me already perfect in God’s eyes, and already in Heaven with Christ, so far as God is concerned.

“14For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” - Hebrews 10 We ARE BEING sanctified, but He “has perfected” us - past tense - “for all time”.

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive [past tense] together with Christ— by grace you have been saved [past tense] — 6 and raised us up [past tense] with him and seated us [past tense] with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus...8 For by grace you have been saved [past tense] through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” - Ephesians 2

As usual you miss the point.

Does temporal punishment exist? Do people suffer in this life? Yes or no? Yes is clearly the answer. It is then punishment. It cannot be simply discipline because it is suffering that only through our choice can be made to be disciplinary. In other words, only when you accept it as discipline does it become disciplinary in a way that we can become better. Also, punishment is part of discipline so your point is meaningless anyway.

“This is NOT temporal punishment, cleansing us from our sin. Discipline is not punishment.”

Punishment is part of discipline.

“I may discipline my horses, but I do not punish them.”

You’re going to use horses when we’re talking about souls? ever raise any children? Does God treat us more like children or horses? He treats us more like children. People who believe in disciplining their child will most certainly punish them as necessary.

“A horse that wants to go the wrong way, or that shies from something scary has not sinned. She has no guilt. However, I do need to teach her to focus on me, not the circumstances on the ride. So I will push her a bit, making her get closer to the scary thing, or requiring her to turn in the direction I want. With time, she learns I have her best interest at heart, and willingly obeys.”

But a child you would send to his room, or spank him or send him to be without dinner, etc. Those are all punishments. Your horse is an irrational beast. There’s no point to punishing something that was made to be shod and ridden, or eaten and made into glue. It’s a horse. They don’t think. They can’t sin.

If it weren’t for your horse, you wouldn’t have gone to Purgatory. (If you have no idea what I’m talking about, then you didn’t read the whole thread).