(Article by Sergey Amalanov).

Why doesn't God punish bad people? If we take a closer look at how this happens, we will also get answers to the questions: "Why does God punish good people" and "Why is God punishing me."

We can often see that a person with bad qualities, who humiliates others, or simply steals, or commits other immoral or simply disgusting acts, lives better than many of us. Does all the bad things he does really have no effect on his life? Why doesn't God punish bad people? This question often comes to mind.

We will look at this issue from two points of view.

That Living being, that is, the soul, moves from one material body to another, says another episode of the Bible:

Another episode from the Bible: 3. Jesus Christ says: (Matthew ch. 11 v. 14)

“And if you want to accept, he is Elijah, who must come.”
4. The disciples ask Him: “How come the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

Jesus answered them: “It is true that Elijah must come first and arrange everything, but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him as they wanted.”

Then the disciples realized that He was talking to them about John the Baptist. (Matthew 17:10-13).

According to its development in understanding the surrounding world, the human soul can incarnate on higher (“heavenly”) planetary systems, or on lower (“hellish”) ones. In scripture "Srimad - Bhagavatam" information about the structure of our universe is presented in detail. It is described where the planets of “hell” are located, where the planets of the “paradise” (highly developed) civilization are located. A description of the plants, environment and features of life on these planetary systems is given. (More details about this information are presented in the site article: - the page opens in a new - additional “WINDOW”).

2. FROM THE POSITION OF RESEARCH ON HUMAN NERVOUS AND MENTAL ACTIVITY.

If we consider the question of why God does not punish bad people from the position of spiritual knowledge, then does God punish a bad person only in the next life? And in this life he can do bad things with impunity? But recent research by scientists has proven that this is not so.

If we understand in detail the peculiarities of the work of a person’s brain at the moment when he commits this or that bad act, then we will see a direct connection between such an action and the state of his consciousness.

For clarity, let's define who we mean by a “bad” person. This is a person who constantly and purposefully does bad things. By bad deeds we mean: insult, humiliation, deception, actions considered immoral, and of course criminal offenses.

To accurately analyze these “bad” actions, we need to briefly highlight some features of our body.

All human vital energy, thanks to which our body functions, can be divided into two parts.

Physiological energy - this is the energy that comes after the breakdown of glucose molecules, that is, during the digestion of food.

Nervous-psychic energy - this is the energy thanks to which our brain processes information and, with the help of control nerve impulses, controls movements and all internal processes (the work of internal organs, metabolic processes).

Source physiological energy is glucose. May also be ethyl alcohol (alcohol).

Source of neuropsychic energy is glucose, and another type of energy that is replenished by the body during sleep. Biochemist scientists are convinced that this type of energy is replenished from outside (only during sleep). This is why, even when we are full and there is enough glucose in the blood, the brain can still work poorly and be overtired.

Our brain is a biological computer. And the quality of its work depends on the amount of this controlling vital energy.

An indicator of the amount of vital energy is the speed of information processing by our brain.

The higher this speed of information processing or controlling vital energy, the higher our tone, the general physical tone. Sensations are vivid, perception of the world is clear. With the help of this controlling vital energy, we feel pleasure hormones in the blood. Therefore, what we receive pleasure on the presence of endorphin and serotonin (the so-called “happiness” hormones), also depends on this vital energy. When the brain quickly processes incoming information from the eyes, ears, and skin, we are full of energy, easily cope with solving emerging issues, and are in a good mood. Exactly - good mood indicates that vital energy is at a high level.

At its core, this controlling vital energy (or the speed of processing information entering the brain) is an indicator of the value of life itself with its sensations.

And vice versa. If we get irritated over trifles, get angry, feel “out of tone,” this is all an indicator of a low level of controlling vital energy.

In more detail about what actions a person’s vital energy depends on, and why the speed of the brain slows down, is described in the article. We will look at the basic principles of this work.

It happens that you were in a good mood, but there was a conflict with someone, and your mood, and therefore your level of vital energy, dropped sharply. We became more irritable. In the future, if we see this person, our mood will also drop. Even if we just remember the person with whom the conflict occurred. This is how our brain works.

The brain is a biological computer. And its operation, just like in a regular computer, is determined by programs that are recorded in our memory.

The main task of the brain is to ensure the safe survival of the organism in the surrounding world. Therefore, the main programs that will be constantly scanned and taken into account by the brain when solving current problems are programs with information related to the survival of the individual!

After a conflict has occurred with someone, information about the “potential enemy” is recorded in our memory. This important information. “Potential opponents” - can interfere with our successful existence. Therefore, the brain will spend a certain amount of scanning, vital (neuro-psychic) ​​energy, taking this information into account in solving current problems and issues. Even if we meet a person who is somewhat similar to our “potential enemy,” the brain immediately becomes excited and spends more of its neuropsychic (vital) energy. Thus, the more information about our “potential opponents” is recorded in our memory, the more vital (control) energy the brain spends on scanning this data, considering it important for survival!

This fact was confirmed by English scientists back in the 90s of the last (twentieth) century. They found that when a person deceives another person, his brain activity (expenditure of controlling vital energy) can increase by different situations, up to 10-15 times!

Our scientists from the Brain Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences also studied the functioning of the human brain at the moment when a person is telling a lie. They discovered a group of neurons that became excited at the moment when a person tried to give out “wrong” information (simply, he cheated). In addition, there was “inhibition” in the area of ​​mental activity of the brain. This was the brain's reaction to "wrong" information. That is, as if there was a mistake in your work. To put it simply, when a person cheats, he begins to greatly waste his vital energy, and also begins to slow down the thought process (in order to avoid new mistakes).

What happens in the brain when a person deceives another person, from the point of view of the logic of the brain (the survival of the organism).

The brain records another program about a new “potential enemy”!

In the end result, the deceiver simply robs himself of vital energy, which cannot be bought even for a lot of money!! Moreover, information about the “potential enemy” remains forever.

Please note: we considered the option (deception), when the deceived “potential enemy” can only become a real enemy. How much more pronounced are the processes of inhibition of the thought process and rapid waste of vital energy when a person, as a result of his actions, acquires a real enemy, for example, during conflicts, humiliation of another person, suppressing someone, insulting, etc.

Consider the situation with adultery.

If a person cheated on his spouse or to a loved one, then the “potential enemy” becomes the spouse. It is in her company that the brain needs to take into account information about betrayal, so as not to accidentally let slip or give away information about betrayal. Since the “potential enemy” (spouse) can be nearby for a long time, the brain spends a lot of vital energy. Lack of vital energy, expressed in a tense state, nervousness, bad mood, low physical muscle tone, etc. The “cheater” by his act deprived himself of his vital energy. Often, this condition leads to discord in relationships, due to the inability to communicate normally with each other after the fact of betrayal.

It's interesting that even mental condemnation of a person – in many religions it is considered a sinful act. And indeed, even when mentally condemning someone, the brain retains and takes this information into account in the future. , about the “potential enemy” - how important for survival . This is how our brain works. The worse you did to a person (or even just thought badly about him), the more important this information is as a “potential enemy” for our brain. The more vital energy the brain will spend scanning it in solving everyday matters. Accordingly, a person will feel a lack of this neuropsychic (vital) energy.

Thus, bad person with his actions (immoral and immoral) he gradually fills his memory with information about “potential opponents”, many of whom have become real opponents. More and more vital (nervous-psychic) ​​energy is spent on scanning this data. Less and less of it remains to organize all processes in the body and thinking. A person, feeling its lack, is constantly in a bad mood, constantly irritated. In this state, he commits more and more bad acts towards people. As a result, there is so little vital energy left that health problems inevitably arise, since the controlling vital energy is not enough to organize all life processes in the body. It is clear that in relationships with people, including loved ones, real problems arise.

A person in such a state has a natural desire to “stimulate” his neuropsychic energy with the help of nicotine, alcohol, or stronger stimulants. But all artificial stimulants do not increase our vital energy, but only increase its consumption for a while. After which, its level drops to restore it. By stimulating life energy in this way, we are simply borrowing it from ourselves.

Our material body and mind were created according to divine law. And according to this law, if a person commits bad deeds, he deprives himself of divine life energy, thereby punishing himself. Everything was already initially created by the energies of the Supreme Divine Personality in exactly this way. This is how this supreme law of justice works. Even if a person doesn’t know anything about it, or doesn’t want to know!

(Sergey Amalanov).

Peace to everyone! S. Amalanov

Read online books Sergei Amalanov Online: (the page will open in a new WINDOW).

BOOK BY S. AMALANOV

Peace be with you, Kirill!

The wicked do not always receive reward during their lifetime:

1 Psalm of Asaph.
2 How good God is to Israel, to the pure in heart!
3 And I - my legs almost shook, my feet almost slipped -
4 I envied the foolish, seeing the prosperity of the wicked,
5 For they have no suffering until they die, and their strength is strong;
6 They are not present at human work, and with [other] people they are not subject to blows.
7 Therefore pride has surrounded them like a necklace, and insolence has clothed them like a garment;
8 Their eyes are rolled out of fat, thoughts wander in their hearts;
9 They mock everyone, viciously spread slander, talk down to them;
10 They lift up their mouth to heaven, and their tongue walks upon the earth.
11 Therefore His people turn thither, and drink a full cup of water,
12 and they say: “How does God know? And does the Most High have knowledge?”
13 And behold, these wicked prosper in this age, increasing wealth.
14 Was it not in vain that I purified my heart and washed my hands in innocence,
15 And exposed himself to stripes every day and to reproofs every morning?
16 [But] if I had said, “I will reason thus,” then I would have been guilty before the generation of Your sons.
17 And I thought how to understand this, but it was difficult in my eyes,
18 Until I entered into the sanctuary of God and understood their end.
19 Yes! You have placed them on slippery paths and are casting them into the abyss.
20 How accidentally they came to ruin, disappeared, perished from horrors!
21 Like a dream upon awakening, so You, O Lord, having awakened [them], will destroy their dreams.
22 When my heart was boiling and my insides were torn,
23 Then I was ignorant and did not understand; I was like cattle before You.
24 But I am always with You: You hold my right hand;
25 You guide me with Your counsel and then You will receive me into glory.
26 Who is in heaven for me? and with You I want nothing on earth.
27 My flesh and my heart fail: God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
28 For behold, those who remove themselves from You perish; You destroy everyone who turns away from You.
29 And it is good for me to draw closer to God! I have placed my trust in the Lord God to proclaim all Your works.
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Jesus also told this parable:

19 A certain man was rich, dressed in purple and fine linen, and feasted magnificently every day.
20 There was also a certain beggar named Lazarus, who lay at his gate covered with sores
21 And he desired to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table, and the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 The beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.
23 And in hell, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom
24 And he cried out and said: Father Abraham! have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame.
25 But Abraham said: child! remember what you have already received your good in your life, and Lazarus is evil; now he is comforted here, and you suffer;
26 And besides all this, a great gulf has been established between us and you, so that those who want to cross from here to you cannot, neither can they cross from there to us.
27 Then he said, “I ask you, father, send him to my father’s house,
28 For I have five brothers; let him testify to them, so that they too do not come to this place of torment.
29 Abraham said to him, “They have Moses and the prophets; let them listen to them.
30 And he said, No, Father Abraham, but if one comes to them from the dead, they will repent.
31 Then [Abraham] said to him: If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, even if someone were raised from the dead, they would not believe it.
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This does not mean that there is no point in doing good; doing good out of love for neighbors and love for God is the will of God:

9 Let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up.
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Blessings,
Victor

Read more on the topic “Morality of choice, ethics”:

IN Lately The teaching that the God of the New Testament never punishes anyone is becoming more and more widespread.

Publicists write about this, teachers of theological courses speak about this at lectures. Since in the Old Testament texts there is too much evidence of punishment coming to sinners from heaven, the followers of this teaching focus on the New Testament, where it is said: God is love (1 John 4:8). It is usually said that in the Christian era the lawless punishes himself, suffering from the consequences of his sin.

God simply takes a step to the side, without stopping him from dying. This is a kind of deism. As for the Old Testament cruelties of Yahweh, they are already in the past. After the coming of Christ, punishment of people during their lifetime from the Almighty is impossible. Everything turns out very beautiful, humane, everyone likes to listen to it. A tolerant society likes a tolerant “god” who allows everything to everyone, pities everyone, and doesn’t bother anyone. It is not surprising that this teaching is becoming more and more popular.

What is the danger of such a view? Firstly, this is a distortion of the image of God given in the Holy Scriptures. Secondly, in this system the Old Testament books are presented as “evil”, and the God about whom they are written is somehow defective in comparison with the God of the New Testament. In addition to the fact that such views violate the integrity and unity of Holy Scripture, they work very dangerously in life.

For example, in a dispute about the Bible’s attitude to homosexuality, it will no longer be possible to refer to Sodom and Gomorrah. They will immediately tell you: this is the Old Testament! (which is synonymous with the thesis: “you are using outdated information”) Well, they will say, gay pride parades take place in all civilized countries, and brimstone and fire do not fall on them. This means that God-Love now accepts every person as he is, as long as he believes in Him. And God’s “intolerance” towards sodomy, which was in the Old Testament, is no longer relevant. Now God is love, and only love.
***
It must be admitted that in Scripture and the patristic heritage there really is an idea that God is able to punish a sinner as if “passively” - by taking away His protection and help. It is enough to recall the famous “Song of the Vineyard” of the prophet Isaiah, where the Lord promises the following punishment to unfaithful Israel (the vineyard): I will take away his fence, and he will be desolate (Is. 5:5). However, in addition to the idea of ​​“passive punishment,” the Bible is full of examples of severe punishments from the Almighty through His direct actions. In both the Old and New Testaments, God punishes sinners, interfering with the course of earthly history. Whether we like it or not, the Bible does not give the “non-punishment theory” any right to exist. Let us turn specifically to the New Testament books, which are usually referred to by lovers of the teaching we are discussing.

For example, about the wicked tetrarch Herod, the book of Acts says: The angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give glory to God; and he was eaten by worms and died (Acts 12:23). Is this not clear evidence of God's vengeance on the sinner? The same book reports how, through the Apostle Paul, the Lord blinded the false prophet, a Judean, in the name of Barijesus (see Acts 13:6-11), and through Peter he killed Ananias and Sapphira (see Acts 5:1-12).

The story of Ananias and Sapphira requires clarification. One well-known publicist, a supporter of the “non-punishment theory,” wrote the following in an authoritative periodical about the incident with Ananias and Sapphira. It turns out that it is not God who kills them! He simply takes the same step to the side, and gives the unfortunate deceivers into the hands of... Satan! Ananias and Sapphira are killed by the enemy of the human race, with the consent of the Lord.

However, if we open the interpretations of any of the holy fathers, we will see a completely opposite opinion: it is God, through the Apostle Peter, who takes the life of a married couple for sins that He especially hates: love of money and hypocrisy (according to Chrysostom - sacrilege). The author of the article, trying to show himself to be more loving than the saints, could not help but know this. He even quoted from Blessed Theophylact: “The Holy Spirit, who has power over life and death, deprived them both of their lives, as having sinned equally.”

But then the author “interprets” Theophylact himself - it turns out that “when blessed Theophylact says that the Holy Spirit took the lives of two liars, he means only one thing: the life-giving Giver of life did not forcibly preserve life in people who had long ago abandoned it and in fact, they were already dead.” Wonderful, isn't it?

The direct and clear phrase of Blessed Theophylact “The Holy Spirit took life” means modern writer the opposite is true: “the devil took life.” The evil one killed the deceivers - but the Spirit simply “did not forcibly preserve life.” And I think: to what limit can you go when promoting YOUR point of view on biblical texts?

As if foreseeing future distortions of the word of God, Saint Caesarea of ​​Arles wrote back in the 6th century, interpreting this passage: “Lest we rashly assume that this (punishment of sinners by God-inspired people) happened only in the Old Testament, let us listen to the most blessed and meek Apostle Peter, and let us see how the Holy Spirit acted through him in relation to Ananias and Sapphira. Be that as it may, this did not happen so that the blessed apostle would avenge himself, for he did not suffer any insult from them, but the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of Peter, uprooted the bad example of infidelity that had begun to sprout.”
***
The books Apocalypse deserve a special look. John the Theologian depicts several seven-day cycles of terrible plagues that will fall on sinful humanity at the end of time. Many punishments bring death, and some are even worse than death.

And I looked, and behold, a pale horse, and its rider, whose name was “death”; and hell followed him; and authority was given to him over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with the sword, and with famine, and with pestilence, and with the beasts of the earth (Rev. 6:8).

The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a lamp, and fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of this star is “wormwood”; and the third part of the waters became wormwood, and many of the people died from the waters, because they became bitter (Rev. 8:10-11).

And out of the smoke came locusts onto the earth, and they were given the power that the scorpions of the earth have. And she was told not to harm the grass of the earth, or any greenery, or any tree, but only to people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. And she was given not to kill them, but only to torture them for five months; and her torment is like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a person. In those days people will seek death, but will not find it; They will wish to die, but death will flee from them (Rev.9:3-6). Similar passages: Rev. 9:13-18, 11:13, 6:8, 8:10-11.

Examples can be multiplied. But even without that it is clear: in the New Testament, God is also able to punish a person. The Creator is able to punish not only in the future, but also in real life, even to the point of killing. Moreover, here we use the word “punishment” not only in the sense of “teaching”, but also in the sense of deserved punishment.
***

The Bible is a very complete book. All parts of the biblical text are inextricably linked. Therefore, one cannot primitively divide the pre-Christian and New Testament actions of God into “bad” and “good”.

It must be said that the division of the God of the Old and New Testaments into two different gods(evil and good) was known in ancient times. Similar views were included in various Gnostic systems condemned by the Church. But Christianity has always professed one God of two Testaments, the Holy and the Unchangeable, and considered both parts of the Bible to be inspired by God. Yes, a certain divine pedagogy can be traced in the Creator’s relationships with people. In the New Testament He reveals Himself somewhat differently than in the Old. But still this is one and the same God, Who does not contradict Himself.

In general, it is worth paying attention to the fact that in the Old Testament the Lord often reveals Himself as the God of the New Testament, and in the New Testament - as the God of the Old. By His nature, the Creator is unchangeable, it’s just that different aspects of His nature are manifested in different biblical texts. We can find in the Old Testament books the image of the Lord as loving, compassionate, and humane, and in the New Testament books: tough, formidable, angry, inexorably fair. And all this is one Lord! Let's give some examples.

Old Testament. The book of Exodus gives God such qualities as: loving and merciful, long-suffering and abounding in kindness and truth (Ex. 34:6). Deuteronomy calls God the Father (see Deut. 32:6). Will a woman forget her suckling child, so as not to have compassion on the son of her womb? but even if she forgot, I will not forget you (Is. 49:15) - exclaims the Lord through Isaiah. I do not want the sinner to die, but for the sinner to turn from his way and live (Ezekiel 33:11) - Ezekiel conveys the words of God. These verses, which characterize the God of the Old Testament, would be quite appropriate in the New Testament.

The law deserves special attention given by God through Moses. We will find in it establishments that are so high in their morality that they can easily be attributed to New Testament morality and ethics.

If you find your enemy's ox or his donkey lost, bring it to him; If you see your enemy’s donkey fallen under his burden, do not leave him; unpack with him (Ex. 23:4-5).

Thou shalt not wrong the hired hand, the poor and the needy, one of thy brethren, or one of thy strangers who are in thy land, in thy gates; give his wages that same day, so that the sun does not set first, for he is poor, and his soul waits for her (Deut. 24:14-15).

When you reap in your field and forget the sheaf in the field, do not return to take it; let it remain for the stranger, the orphan and the widow (Deut. 24:19). The same applied to the harvest of olives and grapes (see Deut. 24:20-21).

When you begin the battle... Let the overseers announce to the people, saying: who built new house and he did not renew him, let him go and return to his house, lest he die in battle, and another renew him; and whoever planted a vineyard and did not use it, let him go and return to his house, lest he die in battle, and another should not take advantage of it; and whoever is engaged to his wife and does not take her, let him go and return to his house, lest he die in battle and another take her. And the overseers will also announce to the people and say: let him who is fearful and faint-hearted go and return to his home (Deut. 20:2,5-8).

Let us remember that God forgives the long-term wickedness of Nineveh in just 40 days of repentance (see the book of the prophet Jonah). Already in the Old Testament, the Lord heals the sick and raises the dead (see 1 Kings 17:19-23, 2 Kings 4:32-37, 2 Kings 13:20-21, 2 Kings: 5,14, 2 Kings 20: 2-7 ). Through King Solomon, the Lord even before Sermon on the Mount speaks of love for enemies: If your enemy is hungry, feed him with bread; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink (Prov. 25:21).

One can cite many other Old Testament texts where God reveals himself as loving Father, caring and attentive Lord of the world and man. We are not talking now about the atrocities of pre-Christian times, for they are much better known and discussed than the places that we are now citing. It is important to understand that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob not only kills, is angry, and punishes. He loves, worries, has mercy, endures, heals, resurrects.

Now let's look at New Testament. The New Testament God is capable not only of love, mercy, healing, and resurrection, but also of being angry, hating, punishing, rewarding, and killing. Using the example of the withered fig tree, Christ shows that in some cases His power can act destructively (see Matt. 21:19).

He looks at the Pharisees with anger (Mark 3:5), and twice expels the merchants from the temple (see John 2:13-16, Matthew 21:12-13). In his letter to the Romans, the Apostle Paul writes: the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness (Rom. 1:18). Our God is a consuming fire (Heb. 12:29); It’s scary to fall into the hands of the living God! (Heb. 10:31) - we read in the letter to the Hebrews. In the New Testament, the Lord, as in the Old Testament, still hates sin: However, this is [good] in you, that you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate (Rev. 2:6).

The Apostle Paul especially warns about the possibility of punishment from God in his letter to the Hebrews. If we, having received the knowledge of the truth, sin voluntarily, then there remains no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain terrible expectation of judgment and the fury of fire, ready to devour our opponents. If one who rejects the law of Moses, in the presence of two or three witnesses, is without mercy [punished] with death, then how much more severe punishment do you think will be guilty of the one who tramples on the Son of God and does not consider holy the Blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and insults the Spirit of grace? (Heb. 10:26-29)

Another place: For if the word proclaimed through angels was established, and every crime and disobedience received a righteous reward, how can we escape by neglecting so much salvation, which, having been first preached by the Lord, was established in us by those who heard [from Him] (Heb. .2:2-3; similar passages: 12:25, 6:4-8). Here the apostle is referring to the disobedient Jews of the Exodus, who were punished by God in this life by dying in the desert. According to the apostle, similar punishments await us if we neglect the New Testament gifts of the Lord.

Speaking about the possibility of unworthy communion, the Apostle Paul tells the Corinthians: For this reason many of you are weak and sick, and many die (1 Cor. 11:30).

It would be possible to cite many fragments from the apostolic epistles, written in the Old Testament - with the same logic, the same intonations, the same warnings. And just as in the pre-Christian era, the Lord reminds us of His right to punish and punish both during the sinner’s earthly life and after it.

By the way, Christ Himself in the New Testament is portrayed not only as a meek Lamb. In the Apocalypse He is presented in an Old Testament rather than a New Testament image: I turned to see whose voice was speaking to me; and turning, he saw seven golden lampstands, and, in the midst of the seven lampstands, one like the Son of Man, clothed in a robe and girded around the chest with a golden belt: His head and hair were as white as white wool, like snow; and His eyes are like a flame of fire; and His feet were like chalcolivan, like those burning in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. He held in His right hand seven stars, and from His mouth came a sword sharp on both sides; and His face is like the sun shining in its power. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as if dead (Rev. 1:12-17, cf. Dan. 10:5-6).
***

I’m not citing all these harsh texts of Scripture because I get pleasure from someone’s torment. And I don’t at all want God’s just punishments to reach all those who deserve them – including me. I want mercy from the Lord, and it is God’s love, and not His punishments, that draws my heart to the Most High. But distorting the image of God given in Scripture is not a work of love. Yes, there are verses in the Bible that we wish were not there. But they exist, and we need to change ourselves according to the Bible, not the Bible according to ourselves.

The modern world just wants to see God as a kind of kind grandfather who smiles at everyone, allows everything, forgives everything. The fashion for a tolerant “god” is in demand. A relaxed civilization gives rise to the image of a relaxed “master” who is easy to deal with. “You do whatever you want, and “God” loves you and certainly forgives everything - just believe in him,” preaches the world. Our corrupt heart would love to agree with this! However Holy Bible does not know such a “god”. Our God is not like that, and His love is not like that!

Everything is more complex and interesting. We are dealing with the living Lord, the Creator of heaven and earth, Who does not fit into the framework of human reasoning! Yes, God is love. But, as we have already seen, God’s love differs from sinful man’s ideas about it. It has nothing in common with the understanding of love as selfishness in disguise that our civilization offers. Also, God’s love is not sighs on a bench, not sentiments and not the boiling of passions. She is a saint, and therefore we do not fully understand her. It leads to the salvation of a sinful and disobedient person, and on this path it can manifest itself very unpredictably: to be tough, strict, zealous, cruel, super-logical, irrational - all this is somehow combined in it.

God himself in the Bible is presented antinomically. On the one hand, He is just, and on the other, He is merciful. He will not break a bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax (Matthew 12:20), and at the same time it is said about Him: it is terrible to fall into the hands of the living God! (Hebrews 10:31) Loving people The Almighty strikes the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah in the Old Testament, and in the New Testament the sinners Ananias, Sapphira, and Herod. He loves and has mercy, but at the same time he punishes whomever he loves; and he beats every son whom he receives (Heb. 12:6).

How does this fit together in Him? We don't know, and we're unlikely to ever understand. But our God is definitely not such a primitive “good-natured man” as the proponents of the theory of “passive punishment” try to portray Him as.

Isn't it better, instead of distorting the biblical image of God, to simply know Him as He is? But for this it is necessary to listen to His revelation, and not create your own exegetical theories, projecting onto sacred text your personal preferences. Let's read the Bible honestly! – I would like to say to the adherents of the “theory of non-punishment”. And it’s hardly worth trying to look “kinder” than the saints and the Lord Himself.

Financial crisis, threat of nuclear war, terrorism... We are almost accustomed to living in constant fear and anticipation of a new global catastrophe. It seems that Peaceful time will never come again, and every day it only gets worse. “The end of the world is coming soon,” one hears from all sides. “The Lord is punishing us for our sins.” And I immediately want to ask the question: is it the Lord? And is this really a punishment?

After all, in fact, everything that concerns God - His actions in relation to the world and people He created - relates only to the area of ​​our guesses, assumptions, intuitive understanding and faith. Belief that the Lord is first of all merciful and humane. And He does not at all seek to punish us for any offense at all costs.

“I often hear that the Lord is unfair,” says priest Pavel Konkov, rector in honor of the icon Mother of God"Vsetsaritsa" in Ryazan. - To this I always answer: thank God!

Praise the Lord that He is not fair to us. After all, if He acted “justly,” then He would have long ago punished us all properly for our sins, which we often do not even notice.

But the Lord is merciful and merciful. And all the global cataclysms that are now happening to us are rather not “God’s punishment”, but a consequence of our own actions. After all, if a person hits glass, it will break sooner or later. So we, with enviable persistence, “break” our world, and we are surprised that some troubles begin to happen to us. Yes, the Lord most likely allows these misfortunes to admonish humanity. But, unfortunately, we don’t want to see our guilt, because it’s much easier to blame the Creator for this.”

The idea of ​​God as a Judge who sends punishments for misdeeds has been preserved since Old Testament. Examples of such punishment are found constantly in the Bible - the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and, of course, Global flood, which destroyed almost the entire earth.

But the New Testament established a different relationship between man and the Creator. Christ revealed God to people as the source of all-encompassing Love and mercy. And, even sending sorrows and trials, the Lord does not seek to punish us, but only to heal and enlighten us.

“The closest comparison that can be made here is a comparison with a doctor,” says priest Pavel Konkov. - Doctors often have to hurt people in order to cure them. serious illness. Likewise, the Lord allows some misfortunes to happen in our lives, knowing that, ultimately, they will contribute to the healing of the soul. After all, if we are honest, we ourselves understand that few people come to God in joy. When everything in our life is good, we often forget about the Lord. And, on the contrary, in trouble we turn to God. But why wait for the bad?”

Another discussion about God's punishment I heard it recently from a friend of mine. “Sometimes I get very angry with the child,” she said, “and sometimes the thought arises: “How easy it would be to live without him.” The thought itself is terrible, bad, and I know that by thinking this way, I am committing a sin. And then fear appears - might the Lord want to send me punishment and test me for these thoughts.” Indeed, we often ourselves understand the consequences of our actions.

When you stick your finger into a socket, expect an electric shock. Likewise, we sometimes expect some kind of punishment from God for our mistakes.

Hegumen Paisiy (Savosin), a resident of the St. John the Theologian Monastery, commented on these fears as follows: “Well, is the Lord really so vindictive and ready to play with us for any reason? cruel joke? Not at all! It is demons who can mock people, but God loves man and will never commit deliberate evil towards him.”

It is this Divine Love that we need to remember when trying to predict and prevent the consequences of our actions. After all, it is the reluctance to hurt a loved one, and not the fear of punishment that keeps us from many bad actions. This truth is true not only in relations between people, but also between man and God.

Svetlana Isaeva, based on materials from the newspaper "Panorama of the City"

Professor Alexey Ilyich Osipov talks about what leads to God and what leads away from Him, even if there is an interest in the “Divine,” whether one should fear God, whether there is God in the soul, about Divine Providence and human freedom.

Repentance is the beginning of turning to God

What is the first step on the path to God? If we turn to the Gospel, we will see that it actually begins with the preaching of repentance. Christ himself, who had no sin and did not need repentance, nevertheless comes to him to “fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). And thereby He confirms: the beginning of a person’s turning to God, the beginning of the true path to God, is repentance. If there is no this beginning, if instead of it there is curiosity, a search for some states, experiences, achievements, this is a disastrous road. This is not the path to God.

For many, the path to God opens when they see the meaninglessness of their lives, when they are tired of life in different types sins - and life in sin is terrible. The soul hurts, looking for a way out of life's impasse. Where is this exit? In philosophy? In literature? No! Neither philosophy, nor literature, nor art, nor cultural phenomena can remove that burden from the soul - namely, the burden that a person imposes on his soul through many actions that wound his conscience to varying degrees - it is simply all wounded. And the path to God begins with the search for how to free yourself from this burden.

If there is no repentance, the search for God will be nothing more than a hobby and entertainment

The path that only Christianity, and above all Orthodoxy, offers is. Anyone who has no repentance for his past deeds, no desire to free himself from this burden, cannot begin the path to God. Repentance is the first and necessary thing.

Let us also remember that not only John the Baptist, but also Christ Himself, coming out to preach after temptation in the desert, said: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). Here's the beginning! If there is no repentance, then coming to Christianity may end in nothing. Or you will look for mysticism in Orthodoxy. Or Christianity will become such an empty entertainment, as many are now carried away by the Apocalypse. Or it will become akin to the hobby of playing chess. And what should lead to Christianity is pain of the soul, repentance. And then, if a person has this feeling, he should, of course, become acquainted with what Christianity is.

Does God punish?

The amazing and stunning difference between the Christian teaching about God and all others, even from the Old Testament and Jewish teachings, is that it does not limit the free will of man. In all religions, Who was God? To those who can do what they want. He can have mercy, he can reward, he can send sorrows, he can send abundance. He defines. Only one thing is required from a person: how to please God, without offending Him. This is the very center, the very essence of every non-Christian teaching.

What does Christianity say? God, it turns out, cannot oppress human freedom, cannot limit it one iota. He Who is Love, by Christian teaching, cannot even save a person without the will of the person. It cannot if the person himself does not want to be saved! For man has been granted such freedom that no one and nothing dares to touch. Neither circumstances, nor God Himself.

But there is. What it is? Christianity calls the providence of God the arrangement of life - of one person, or of society, or even of an entire nation - carried out according to spiritual laws. And all these laws are not a whim or a thought of God: they say, God thought - and, please, here is a law for you. No! This is not God's invention. All these laws are nothing more than an expression of Divine energies, that is, God Himself. And these spiritual laws are unchangeable. And the life of every person, like any nation, is organized in accordance with these laws.

What is the essence of their manifestation? I often give this example from the history of Byzantium. In 602, the army rebelled, and then Phocas, who was elected commander-in-chief, a cruel and ferocious man, overthrew the emperor, executed him in a painful manner, and seized power. His reign was difficult, with many executions and reprisals, the empire fell into complete disorder. Then one monk prayed fervently all night, crying out: “Lord, for what?!” After all, we have so many churches and monasteries! We are faithful children Orthodox Church! We believe so!” And in the morning a voice came to him: “I was looking for the worst, but I didn’t find it.” The monk was dumbfounded, and then he understood everything.

We do not see human souls. There is a law that can be briefly expressed as follows: the spirit creates appropriate forms for itself. That is, the spiritual state of each person and the people as a whole determines the entire totality of life. Just as in every person his spiritual state determines his direction of thought, his philosophy, if you like, determines his deeds, his attitude towards other people, so the position of the state, its laws, the course of life in it determines the spiritual state of its people.

We love to scold our bosses: our president is so-and-so, and our ministers, and our boss... Yes, because we ourselves are like that! And how deeply our people expressed this idea in the proverb: “So does Senka’s hat!” Bad power is not at all a punishment for us. But the spiritual state of the people, crystallizing, is expressed, in particular, in the fact that the people find themselves with such leaders.

Yes, nothing can happen without it. I fell into a puddle. By the will of God? Certainly. But does it follow from this that, by the will of God, I should continue to lie in a puddle? No. But by the will of God I fell! And what? This is what we often don't understand: the fact that I fell into a puddle should make me think. Above what? - Above oneself. There are no coincidences. And what we call the Providence of God occurs as a result of our particular attitude to the spiritual laws of life. And the overall state of the spirit gives rise to a corresponding phenomenon in life, even up to natural phenomena.

Are disasters a punishment from God? No! This is a natural consequence of the spiritual state in which humanity finds itself.

“My spirit shall not abide in these men, for they are flesh” (cf. Gen. 6:3). And when humanity plunges into the flesh, cataclysms occur. We can recall many examples of this - both biblical and non-biblical. Yes, at least the flood or Sodom and Gomorrah. What is this? Punishment? Like, you are sinful flesh, and I will destroy you? No, this is a natural consequence of the spiritual state in which humanity was then. Natural!

And the Monk Mark the Ascetic spoke about the same thing: that it is not God who creates this or that every time, but this is the action of the laws that God established, and only the ignorant do not know about this. Everything is done according to these divine laws. Here it is, God's Providence.

And a person’s spiritual state depends only on the person himself. And this is also a divine law. I create my spiritual state. And I reward or punish myself. Why does turning to God, praying to God mean so much? Because this is repentance, that is, a change in me, my spiritual state. And through this change I join God. As Anthony the Great writes: “When we live according to God, we commune with God; when we resist God’s commandments, we unite with tormenting demons.” This is how God's Providence manifests itself. And we blame everything on God: “Am I the worst of all, that God punished me?!” Yes, you walked on nails, and you got blood poisoning. Well, that’s right, God punished you: He made you walk on nails.

The fear of God is the fear of love

But since God does not punish, then there is no need to fear Him? Necessary. But! Let's figure out what it means to “fear God.” After all, it happens that they fear God, as they fear a beast that can tear to pieces. And that’s why the feelings arise, I would say, desperate. Here A. Wedel in his “Open the doors of repentance” has the words: “The damned tremble.” And who are the damned? Yes, I am damned, and I tremble. I must be still in this trembling. And at Vedel they are shouting with all their might: “The damned tremble!!!” That's it, the Throne of God shook, there was an earthquake, the plaster was falling down. Well, a complete misunderstanding of the point. God is not a fierce beast that should be feared. The fear of God is love that mourns. I am both ashamed and ashamed... Is it possible to offend an old mother, bent over the years, who gave you all of herself, all her strength, her whole life... Can you offend her? May God forbid you do this! This will then be incredible suffering for the rest of your life! And I'm afraid of offending her. Why am I afraid? What, will she do something to me, punish me somehow? This is the kind of fear we are talking about when they say that we must fear God. There is a wonderful expression: “Fear of love.”

The fear of God is not the fear of punishment! God does not punish anyone - we punish ourselves

The fear of God is the fear of love. Not fear of punishment! God does not punish anyone - we punish ourselves. God gave us everything, warned us not to walk on nails.

Man gradually comes to understand this. And this is very important to know from the beginning: - this is the fear of love.

Think about God!

Another important point, which we must definitely dwell on: God is in our soul. You just need to understand this differently from the way those who don’t want to go to church usually understand: they say, I don’t need church, I have God in my soul.

God is truly in our souls. Tertullian is credited with the words (perhaps correctly attributed): “The soul is by nature Christian.” That is, the soul, by its very nature, is not of this world, and therefore it senses God. But this feeling can be very different. And this feeling is drowned out by sins. They close the human soul, stop the ears of the soul, and man becomes less and less able to hear God. But the image of God is present in everyone and breaks through in this already calloused soul, like grass sometimes breaks through the asphalt.

And what sins especially prevent you from seeing and hearing God? Christ said: “Do not burden yourself...” (see: Luke 21:34). With what? By eating. Drunkenness, which is worse than overeating. And further: “the vanity of life.” This is the worst thing - the vanity of life. When there is not even a minute left to think about God. And you really need to think: think about the meaning of your life - about how you live. Think about death. And there is no point in driving away the thought of death by behaving like an ostrich, which, in the face of danger, hides its head in the sand. You have to think about it! And he must decide for himself the most important question: does He exist or not? If so, who is He? It's the same in highest degree important! There are many religions, so figure out which one is true. After all, if there is no God, then everything is meaningless. And if there is a God, there is meaning.

But they blind a person. After all, people have reached the point where they believe that the world happened by itself. In all its splendor, diversity, stunning complexity and beauty - and by itself. How can one reach such, I would say, excuse me, madness?! Take a living cell: it is simply amazing! It's such a challenge! There are so many laws combined there! And it turns out that it happened by itself! Where did you, people of science, find the law according to which life can arise from inanimate matter? There is no such law. Then where did you get it from?

By the way, revolutions are also driven by passions. At its very root, the revolution is built not on solid stone, but on sand (cf. Matt. 7: 24-27). Therefore, everything she built collapses and falls.

He says: “We know God not by His essence, but by the splendor of His creations and His Providence for them.” The very structure of the world, its beauty and purposefulness tell us about God. That is why many scientists - physicists, mathematicians - come to the idea of ​​God.

But, I repeat once again, passions coarse a person. They coarse him so much that the very thought of God disgusts him. And it is not surprising that he comes to despair. Look how many people are committing suicide now. And every year more and more - both in Europe and in America, and here in Russia. Why? Because the soul feels powerless, hopeless, and the meaninglessness of life. A person has no thoughts about God, and his soul is suffocating.

Or you can reach such a state when the soul is already dead, no longer feels spiritual world. Remember what the Gospel says: when one of the disciples said to Christ: “Let me first go and bury my father,” Jesus replied: “Let the dead bury their dead” (Matthew 8: 21-22). Why do they die spiritually, what leads to this deadness? The general reasons are clear, but if you look for specific reasons, then each person has their own. Just as everyone has their own path to God, so everyone has their own path to death. You need to talk about this separately with each person.