Eman wrote: Do you say Christianity does not promise reward and threaten punishment?
It does so only in the most juvenile sense.
Let’s start with punishment. The idea of a universal punishment seems to contradict your quip. And that’s what we are talking about – universal punishment. God is perfection. You are not. If you want to be reconciled with God then something must eradicate your imperfection, right?
On to reward. According to Christianity, God elects some to receive His GIFT of grace (mercy/forgiveness/perfection). And those who are chosen are not chosen because of anything they have done or deserve. No one but God knows why some are elected and others are not. We only know that the elect were chosen before God created the heavens and the earth.
Yes there is a real punishment and reward which is why Christ endured the cross – he bore the weight of our punishment for us. And His reward is that some of us will have our imperfection washed away in His blood.
Let’s see if I can put it in a more personal way. And I’ll use myself as the example: I am a sinner – an imperfect fallen creature. I was born imperfect and will die imperfect. Sadly, I aided in my own imperfection. Because of this I can never be reconciled with Perfection and in the end I must endure forever being separated from said Perfection (because Perfection would cease being perfect if it allowed in the likes of imperfect me).
Now God decides on His own and for His own reason to bare the full weight of my imperfection on his own back while simultaneously transfers to me His own perfection. Is this a reward? Sure it is. Am I being rewarded for something I’ve done? Not in the slightest.
Get it?
