Does God still punish sin?
In the ESV, the word sin appears 447 times.
The word judge appears 136 times
According to Webster definition sin means:
1. The voluntary departure of a moral agent from a known rule of rectitude or duty, prescribed by God; any voluntary transgression of the divine law, or violation of a divine command; a wicked act; iniquity. Sin is either a positive act in which a known divine law is violated, or it is the voluntary neglect to obey a positive divine command, or a rule of duty clearly implied in such command. Sin comprehends not action only, but neglect of known duty, all evil thoughts purposes, words and desires, whatever is contrary to God's commands or law. 1 John 3. Mat 15. James 4. Sinner neither enjoy the pleasures of nor the peace of piety. Among divines, sin is original or actual. Actual sin, above defined, is the act of a moral agent in violating a known rule of duty. Original sin, as generally understood, is native depravity of heart to the divine will, that corruption of nature of deterioration of the moral character of man, which is supposed to be the effect of Adam's apostasy; and which manifests itself in moral agents by positive act of disobedience to the divine will, or by the voluntary neglect to comply with the express commands of God, which require that we should love God with all the heart and soul and strength and mind, and our neighbor as ourselves. This native depravity or alienation of affections from God and his law, is supposed to be what the apostle calls the carnal mind or mindedness, which is enmity against God, and is therefore denominated sin or sinfulness. Unpardonable sin, or blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, is supposed to be a malicious and obstinate rejection of Christ and the gospel plan of salvation, or a contemptuous resistance made to the influences and convictions of the Holy Spirit. Mat 12.
The Old Testament has many occurrences where sin either by an individual or group occurs.
One instance is Noah and the flood.
Gen 6:7 And Jehovah said, I will destroy Man, whom I have created, from the earth--from man to cattle, to creeping things, and to fowl of the heavens; for I repent that I have made them.
Gen 6:17 For I, behold, I bring a flood of waters on the earth, to destroy all flesh under the heavens in which is the breath of life: everything that is on the earth shall expire.
There was such a great abundance of sin in that day to the point only Noah himself was favored enough to be saved from Gods coming judgment. What could have been happening to make God so hurt that He would destory the earth with a flood? Of course we know that it was sin. All sorts of evil was happening murder, rape, insest, lying, stealing, rebellion, and much more.
Lets move on
Sodom and Gomorrah
Gen 19:14 And Lot went out, and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, Up, go out of this place, for Jehovah will destroy the city. But he was as if he jested, in the sight of his sons-in-law.
Gen 19:15 And as the dawn arose, the angels urged Lot, saying, Up, take thy wife and thy two daughters who are present, lest thou perish in the iniquity of the city.
Again such terrible sin against God was happening that God judged the 2 cities.
Another Old Testament story is Jonah going to Nineveh. God told him to warn them of there wickedness or they will be destroyed. The end result for them was they believed and repented of there wickedness.
God the righteous judge.
Is the Old Testament God different from the New Testament God? Of course the answer is no He is the same.
So what is the difference from the Old Testament and New? That answer is Grace from our Lord Jesus Christ.
Looking into the New Testament
Mat 10:28 And be not afraid of those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul; but fear rather him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
This is a warning to those who are no saved and lost. A reminder to the saved but a warning to the lost. Anything done on earth to hurt you to the point of death will only be temporary but what awaits the lost is far worse. Thrown into hell forever.
John 8:34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say to you, Every one that practices sin is the bondman of sin.
Those people today who knowingly sin are a salve to it. They will not be set free until they make the step in the right direction.
1John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
One of the greatest things the devil can convince people of is that they are not sinners. That it is only natural, little mistakes that really are not important. All we do is fool ourselves.
Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are fornication, uncleanness, licentiousness,
Gal 5:20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strifes, jealousies, angers, contentions, disputes, schools of opinion,
Gal 5:21 envyings, murders, drunkennesses, revels, and things like these; as to which I tell you beforehand, even as I also have said before, that they who do such things shall not inherit God's kingdom.
Rom 6:1 What then shall we say? Should we continue in sin that grace may abound?
Rom 6:2 Far be the thought. We who have died to sin, how shall we still live in it?
Rom 6:3 Are you ignorant that we, as many as have been baptised unto Christ Jesus, have been baptised unto his death?
Rom 6:4 We have been buried therefore with him by baptism unto death, in order that, even as Christ has been raised up from among the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also should walk in newness of life.
Rom 6:5 For if we are become identified with him in the likeness of his death, so also we shall be of his resurrection;
Rom 6:6 knowing this, that our old man has been crucified with him , that the body of sin might be annulled, that we should no longer serve sin.
Rom 6:7 For he that has died is justified from sin.
Rom 6:8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him,
Rom 6:9 knowing that Christ having been raised up from among the dead dies no more: death has dominion over him no more.
Rom 6:10 For in that he has died, he has died to sin once for all; but in that he lives, he lives to God.
Rom 6:11 So also ye, reckon yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Rom 6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body to obey its lusts.
Rom 6:13 Neither yield your members instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but yield yourselves to God as alive from among the dead, and your members instruments of righteousness to God.
Rom 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under law but under grace.
Rom 6:15 What then? should we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Far be the thought.
Rom 6:16 Know ye not that to whom ye yield yourselves bondmen for obedience, ye are bondmen to him whom ye obey, whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
Rom 6:17 But thanks be to God, that ye were bondmen of sin, but have obeyed from the heart the form of teaching into which ye were instructed.
Rom 6:18 Now, having got your freedom from sin, ye have become bondmen to righteousness.
Rom 6:19 I speak humanly on account of the weakness of your flesh. For even as ye have yielded your members in bondage to uncleanness and to lawlessness unto lawlessness, so now yield your members in bondage to righteousness unto holiness.
Rom 6:20 For when ye were bondmen of sin ye were free from righteousness.
Rom 6:21 What fruit therefore had ye then in the things of which ye are now ashamed? for the end of them is death.
Rom 6:22 But now, having got your freedom from sin, and having become bondmen to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end eternal life.
Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the act of favor of God, eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Of course everything listed here can be broken down to other “sins” but again the only difference with God judging sin today from the way He use to in the Old Testament is a limited window of opportunity. A time will come that all will be to late. For many people in Hell today they are regretting that decision to not repent.
God still does judge sin. It will be dealt with. Nothing will be hidden from the Lord. All secret sins things that no one else knows about will be revealed with the glorious light from the judgment seat of Christ (for the righteous) or the Judgment seat of God (for the wicked)