By Arthur J Licursi, updated 12.14.2024

In their effort to claim Israel’s laws of “blessing and cursing” many Christians ignorantly claim verses that pertain to Israel only. Since over 60,000,000 abortions have been sanctioned by the US government in the years since Roe v. Wade, Christians say, “God will surely soon bring judgment on the USA.” Then they claim;

“If my people (Israel), which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land (the land of Israel).” (2 Chron. 7:14).

But there is no mention of the USA in this verse above. What kind of Bible hermeneutics (interpretive method) permits us to usurp Israel’s verses. But many Christians preachers do this.  Such is the condition of Apostate Christendom today, even among the neo-evangelicals and fundamentalist of today.

The question is; “Does God react to sin; yours, mine, or anyone’s sins, during today’s age of grace”

1. Does God react to gross sin or any sin by intervening with His O.T. ‘cursing’ (Deut. 11:26, 30:1) during today’s age of “the dispensation of the grace of God? No, God does not react as I will explain.
2. Does God intervene with ‘added favor and blessings’ for the “good works” of Christians during today’s age of “the grace of God”? No, the only merit God accepts is … the shed blood of His Son.

So, the answer to both questions are No! God has already acted at the cross to deal with all Sin. God does not react to man, nor does He intervene in the affairs of man in this day, except to save the humbled believer in Christ as their Savior from perdition. Intelligized believers ought to know they can never earn salvation or favor from God. Only Jesus’ obedience of the cross merits our salvation and the unconditional blessings of ‘the riches of His inheritance in believers’ (Eph. 1:18).

Yes, God’s anger and wrath is clearly seen as recorded in the Bible before the Cross of Christ and even for a time after the Cross during the early the Acts period. His wrath will be seen after the resurrection of “the church, which is His body,” and when He comes again to earth in ‘taking vengeance in wrath’ (Eze, 25:17).

“Behold, “I set before you (Israel) this day a blessing and a curse;” (Deuteronomy 11:26)

“The law brings wrath (Gk. orge, ‘anger’ as seen in vengeance).” (Rom 4:15)

But, what about today, during this unique age of “the gospel of the grace of God” called “the dispensation of the grace of God”? Many might say; “Grace yes, but where is “the law” that brings God’s wrath on all the evil we see today?” Paul, as “The Apostle to the Gentiles” (Rom. 11:13) answers, telling us “the Law” with its “ordinances” was ‘taken out of the way’ by the cross-work of Christ!

“Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, Nailing It To His Cross;” (Colossians 2:14)

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.” (Romans 10:4)

So today, under Paul’s “gospel of the grace of God,” believers are securely saved (Eph 1:13); now we are…

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Tit. 2:13 “For our conversation [citizenship] is in heaven; from whence also We Look For The Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: ²¹ Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. (Philippians 3:20-21 (KJV)

The fact is that today, God is not reactionary toward sin today, not in the way that He was during the O.T. under “the Law.” In the Old Testament Israel suffered the consequent judgments of either the barren womb, losses to enemies, crop failure, etc., when the nation had rebelled against the words of God. And nothing changed when Jesus came, except He intensified the Law. He instructed Israel to keep the whole law of Moses, and that they must endure faithful to the Law “to the end” in order to “be saved.”

“For verily I (Jesus) say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. (Mat. 5:18) “ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.” (Mat. 10:22) he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” (Mat. 24:13)

By contrast, Paul makes clear the fact is that today that the members of “the body of Christ” are “not under the Law” (Rom. 6:14) or the added laws of ‘the Sermon on the Mount,’ so they cannot be condemned. In fact, Paul says grace believers are “sealed (securely) with the Holy Spirit” forever within them. “In whom (in Christ) ye (Gentiles) also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also After That Ye Believed, Ye Were (Already) Sealed With That Holy Spirit Of Promise,” (Ephesians 1:13)

Rather than punish the believers for their sins after believing, the Lord simply permits the consequences of their bad choices come upon them. Thus, He permits the principal of ‘sowing and reaping’ to teach us how to live our daily in accord with His clearly instruction in the written words of Paul, “the Apostle to the Gentiles.”

So, what does God do when we sin? He does not react; He does nothing because He acted in Jesus for us. He knows the trial of our daily living will teach us along with His written word to explain it all.

Paul does not say, God will chastise believers who sin, during today’s age of “the dispensation of the grace of God.”  He says “the Law” does not apply to us today. We live in the rarified atmosphere of ‘grace’ whereby God no longer takes account of our unwitting sins (Rom. 4:5-8).

“…for ye are not under the law, but under grace. (Romans 6:14) “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus…” (Romans 8:1a)

 “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. ⁶ Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, ⁷ Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. ⁸ Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute (count his) sin.” (Romans 4:5-8)

Hence, no genuine believer will never see the angry face of God! How do we account for this radical change in God’s reaction to evil and sin today … during this age of God’s pure grace?

It is only because we live under “the grace of God” that became available with the Cross of Christ... and the Apostle Paul receiving “the mystery” revelation of the God-kept secret plan of the Cross (cf. 1Cor 2:7-8), that we enjoy a new relationship between God and man… based upon God’s all-sufficient pure grace.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: ⁹ Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Recall that Jesus on the cross said “It is finished!” Christ’s sacrificial cross-work fully placated the justifiable “wrath of God” upon sin, satisfying the God’s demand for payment against the “sin-debt” of “the world.” Christ death destroyed “the power of Sin” for those who would believe. Today all believers have been reconciled to God “through the blood of His cross” … now needing only one’s acceptance of this fact… ‘by faith in the resurrected Savior’… meaning faith in His cross-work, and His resurrection. (cf. 1Cor 15:3-4).

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

“And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him (in order) to Reconcile All Things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. ² And you [Gentiles], that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet Now Hath He Reconciled” (Colossians 1:20-21 (KJV)

 “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;” (2 Corinthians 5:18 (KJV)

1. Christ’s cross-work and shed blood provided full ‘expiation,’ the taking away our sins, He was the expiatory sacrifice for all sins of all men of all ages.  

“And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened (made alive) together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;” (Colossians 2:13)

2. He by His cross was the all-sufficient “propitiation,” the payment for sin, paid by His suffering and death.

“(Jesus) Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation (sin-payment) through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;” (Romans 3:25)

These together constitute His act of placating or the satisfying of God’s righteous demand for sins; resulting in believers being now “accepted in the beloved.” (Eph. 1:3-4) “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: ² By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:1-2)

So, under pure grace man’s relationship with God has drastically changed. Instead of conditional acceptance based upon one’s ‘performance under the Law,’ which none of us can keep, we have full acceptance “in the beloved” … based solely upon placing our faith in the Lord Jesus’ cross-work… for us. God’s ongoing work today is in renewing the believer’s soul to righteous living… as their reasonable response to seeing His unconditional love and acceptance of us in Christ.

“For It Is God Which Worketh In You Both to will and to do of his good pleasure. (Phili. 2:13)
“Being confident of this very thing, that he [The Father] which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ [appearing]:” (Philippians 1:6)

So, how exactly does God deal with the believer’s sometime continuing sinful habits?

Today, gross Sins have their consequences sooner or later, sin is automatically ‘self-limiting.’ All sin carries the consequences of that sin. Alcoholics, gluttons, and sexually immoral people usually die early due to this self-destructive behavior. Sin has taken its toll upon the lifespan of humans, over the ages. Genesis 5:5 says Adam lived for 930 years; Methuselah lived to the age of 969 according to the Hebrew Bible. But today, on average men in the USA only live about 78 years and women slightly longer. Thus, Sin is self-limiting.

“when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” (Jas. 1:15)

During today’s grace age for believers, Sin’s consequences are also automatic and occur in our own lives… totally apart from and anger or vengeance on God’s behalf. That lie you told is likely to blow up. Believers today are not chastened by God’s reacting to sin, but via sin’s consequences! Gal. 5:19-21 lists many of the ‘destructive’ self-limiting sins. Paul then in Gal. 6 describes sowing sins and reaping consequences.

“… for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. ⁸ For he that soweth to his flesh (sin nature) shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. ⁹ And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” (Gal. 6:7-9)

Having the foregoing in mind, let’s now examine some of the passages from the New Testament that are used to erroneously teach that God chastens believers today. We will see what the Scriptures really say and teach with reference to chastisement during today’s Post-Acts “dispensation of the Grace of God.”

There are mainly only two sections of Scripture that seem to support chastening for today, being quoted by religious folks to support their false interpretation of “the word of God.” Those who claim that God chastens believers today by sending us troubling circumstances will often cite 1Cor. 11:29-32 to justify that belief.

“he that eateth and drinketh unworthily (Gk. anaxios, irreverently), eateth and drinketh damnation to himself [self-judged], not discerning the Lord’s body. ³⁰For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. ³¹For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. ³²But when we are judged, we are chastened (Gk. paideo, taught) of the Lord, (so) that we should not be condemned with the world.” (1Cor 11:29-32, cf. 11:20-22 below)

Note above that the ‘chastening’ spoken of here is not a decision of God to punish believers during Acts, but a consequence to “teach.” Religionists misuse this to say that God will cause sickness or even kill believers who habitually practice sinning when they abuse the Lord’s Supper (which was a meal, not a ritual). They ignorantly assert that God did this to the Corinthians, focusing on vs 32 when it says, “we are chastened of the Lord.” But v32, in light of the context of the whole passage, means ‘to be taught by sin’s ‘consequences.’

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. ⁸ For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption (decay); but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” (Galatians 6:7-8 (KJV)

Note that Corinth was a wild seaport city, full of very loose living. Paul’s book of first letter to the Corinthians tells us they were gluttonous, drunken, adulterers, fornicators, etc.

“²⁰When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper. ²¹ For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. ²² What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not ...” (1 Cor. 11:20-22)

These sins of being overcome with ravenousness, alcohol, gluttony, and drunkenness are known to cause illness, accidents and shorten lives.

Please understand that God was not punishing the Corinthians for their bad behavior. They simply reaped the consequence or results of their fleshly living, ‘sowing to the flesh’ instead of ‘sowing to the Spirit.’ God was not reacting to cause the Corinthians to get sick and or die. He simply let them, as He does us, reap the reward of the consequences of their foolish, self-seeking, rebellious choices.