Answer.

1) And pious people are not without sin, and sin is not without punishment, therefore the pious are punished by God here, so that they will not be punished there. Of this the Apostle says: "But being judged, we are chastened by the Lord, lest we be condemned with the world" (1 Corinthians 11:32).

2) God sends punishment to the pious out of love, and not out of anger. As a father punishes his children: he punishes them, but does not kill them, beats them, but does not kill them. The Apostle speaks of this punishment: "The Lord chastens whom He loves; but he smites every son whom he receives. If you endure chastisement, God treats you as sons. For is there any son whom the father does not chasten (Hebrews 12:6-7)? And here the truth of God is shown, which does not leave even small sins unpunished, although it is united with mercy and love for mankind.

3) He pours out the wrath of His wrath on the wicked, and destroys their memory on earth, and, depriving them of temporal life, deprives them of eternal life. Such a punishment befell the Sodomites, who lived under Noah, Pharaoh and others.

Consider this and beware of sin, which entails both temporal and eternal punishment.

Save yourself.

Letter Forty-Five

You have asked what is the meaning of the words of the Apostle, "Who (Christ) was delivered up for our sins" (Romans 4:25)?

Answer: And here the truth of God was revealed to us. We have all sinned and were worthy of eternal punishment, but Christ the Son of God, by His will and the good pleasure of His Heavenly Father, took our sins upon Himself and the punishment for sins, and therefore was wounded for our sins and bruised for our iniquities (Isaiah 53:5). Christ was innocent: He committed no sin, and there was no flattery in His mouth (1 Peter 2:22). Christ our Savior is punished for our sins, so that we, who believe in Him, will not be punished forever. Here we see God's righteousness, filled up by Christ's suffering, and God's ineffable goodness and love for mankind towards us, who have sinned. Glory to His immeasurable mercies, to which I entrust myself and thee.

Save yourself.

Letter forty-six

In the suffering of Christ we also see the wisdom of God, which there invented the way to our salvation, where, it seemed, there was no way. God is righteous and good. Since He is good, He wanted to save the lost human race, and since He is righteous, He had to not leave human sin unpunished. For it would be unlike His righteousness to leave sin without execution. Here the wisdom of God invented and arranged it in such a way that sin did not go unpunished, for the Son of God suffered for sin, and the human race receives salvation, and thus the suffering of Christ confirmed the truth of God and the goodness of God. For this we thank and worship our loving and all-wise God, and we praise His holy name, that He may vouchsafe us, sinners, His love for mankind, to which I entrust myself, as well as you, and all who call His name.