The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Panorama City, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed from the tape, GC 70-1, titled "Bible Questions and Answers."  A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE.  Copyright John MacArthur Jr., All Rights Reserved.

Question

Does God "punish" the redeemed people? This is a question I just found out yesterday. . . .it amazed me, because my Bible Study leader said, "That He does not punish redeemed people." I always thought that He did. The Bible says, "To whom the Lord loves he scourges and chastises."

Answer

It depends what you mean by "punish." He scourges, He chastises. I don't think anywhere that the text translates the word "punish," but it is basically the same thing in one sense--it's not a final punishment. The best way to say it is, in terms of Romans 8:1, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus." There will be no ultimate punishment. The ultimate punishment has been already given to us. Where? On the cross. OK, to say that we had to be ultimately punished would be to say that Jesus Christ had inadequately borne our punishment. 1 Corinthians, chapter 11, talks about the fact that the Lord chastens those who have defiled His table. Hebrews, chapter 12, which you are referring to says, "To whom the Lord loves He chastens, and every son He scourges." Then in 1 Corinthians 11, it says that if we would chasten ourselves then we wouldn't be chastened by the Lord.

So, yes we would like to call it a "remedial chastening" rather than a punitive or a condemning chastening, in other words it is to conform us more to Christ. It's remedial, in the sense that it instructs not to do that. So, yes the Lord does bring chastening into the life of a child of His, in fact, if He didn't it would be tragic, because we go off on some tangent of sin and we would never want to turn back, because we would never feel His chastening.

Question (continued)

He said that there was a difference between chastising and punishment.

Answer (continued)

OK, then he's making a distinction that he can make if he explains what he means. There is no final, ultimate damnation, obviously, but there certainly is chastening.