By Pastor Jason Lim

When Job lamented after months of suffering, his friends accused him of causing it through his own sin. They wrongly applied “retribution theology” to him.

Retribution theology teaches that God repays people according to their deeds: do good and receive blessing; do evil and receive punishment. Scripture affirms this principle (Rom. 2:6; Gal. 6:7), but with important caveats:

• Do not assume it explains every suffering.
• Do not assume all justice is settled in this lifetime.
• Do not assume that doing good means God owes us anything.

The greatest news is that although divine judgment is real, Jesus became our substitute. On the cross, He bore the punishment our sins deserved, and freely gives us instead His righteousness and eternal life.