It is an astounding thought to know our absolute position in Jesus. That the least deserving sinner is forever loved, forever accepted, and eternally pardoned, only in Christ. No condemnation and no guilty sentencing awaits the child of God.

 However, when God says there is no condemnation, it doesn’t mean that there is No Correction. God does not allow His children to sin without loving discipline. So while punishment is the pouring out of wrath upon our sin, discipline is the pouring out of love to drive us away from sin. It’s a lie to say God does not change or correct, for if he doesn’t, he shows He doesn’t love you at all or that He is indeed Holy.  

 “…the Lord disciplines the one he loves…” (Hebrews 12:6) Now we often confuse hurt and harm, for instance, my wife and I hurt our son with the rod of discipline to teach him to turn from sinful behaviour. Though I hurt my son, I never intend to harm my son. He learns through hurt because I love him and God in turns hurts us to spare us from the harm of sin. You’re not condemned, but you are corrected because He loves you. The correction can be very strong at times, and we see this in the word ‘scourging’ (Heb. 12:6). To be scourged is to be flogged. God may use scourging in your life, but he is not condemning you, he is correcting you. If God really punishes us for our sins, none would be able to stand. The punishment for our sin against an infinite, incorruptible God is enormous. The penalty is too high for us to pay in and of ourselves. But take heart that God deals with us as a Father deals with his children, through correction, not condemnation.