Does God punish those who hurt you? This is a question that most Christians ask and I am sure you have asked this question before as well.
This is especially true if you have been deeply hurt in one way or the other either by your enemies doing you evil or by a betrayal from someone you least expected to do so.
Several bible verses in the bible both in the Old Testament and the New Testament seem to show that indeed, God does punish those who hurt us.
Today, we will try to answer the question, “does God punish those who hurt you,” by looking at what the bible says about this issue if indeed there is punishment for those who have hurt you.
What Does God Say About Revenge?
Revenge is a personal attack on someone for something evil they did to you. It’s a matter of getting even with someone for something bad they did to you.
Revenge is not only wrong, but it can also be dangerous. When you take revenge on someone, it gives them power over you and power over your emotions. The Bible tells us that we are not to give the devil any place in our lives (Ephesians 4:27).
When someone takes revenge against another person, they have given the devil a place in their life. The devil wants nothing more than to destroy people’s lives and make them miserable.
When we take revenge on someone, we give him exactly what he wants, control over our emotions and actions as the devil loves revenge as it encourages us to harm and hate each other.
Revenge causes us to act like animals instead of human beings because we don’t act like Christians when we have revenge in our hearts or minds. We should never act like this because God tells us not to (Deuteronomy 19:18).
Wanting revenge on your enemy who has done your wrong is just part of our human fallen nature that views forgiveness as a sign of weakness but revenge as a sign of strength and payback.
This explains why when someone hurts us by doing us the evil or wrong we didn’t deserve, we naturally want that person to pay back for what they did to us.
You may think that taking revenge will make you feel better when someone has hurt you or done something bad to you, but really, it won’t do anything except make matters worse between yourself and others.
See Also: 54 God’s Forgiveness Quotes [+ Animation On God’s Forgiveness].
What Does God Say About Those Who Hurt You?
God wants us to forgive those who hurt us, but He also wants us to know that forgiveness isn’t always easy. Forgiveness is a choice we make and it’s different for every person.
It’s something we have to work on, but God will be with you every step of the way. Forgiveness isn’t always easy, but it’s necessary if you want to be forgiven by God, too.
If you don’t forgive others, God won’t forgive you as well (Matthew 6:14). So whether someone has hurt you verbally, through betrayal, physically, or any other means, remember that God loves you no matter what.
God is a forgiving God who wants us to follow His example of love, grace, and mercy so that we can have a relationship with Him through His son Jesus Christ (1 John 4:8).
The Bible says that when we sin against others, we are sinning against God as well (James 4:4). If someone has hurt you then it’s time for them to repent of their actions, ask for forgiveness and seek reconciliation with you.
Furthermore, Ephesians 4:32 tells us to be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving towards others even as God for Jesus Christ’s sake has forgiven us. This means that you are not supposed to harbor bitterness, unforgiveness, revenge, and anger towards those who hurt you.
If you do, it shows that you don’t clearly understand what it truly means to be a true Christian and to be like Christ Jesus in character.
As a person who claims to be a Christian, the Lord Jesus Christ expects you to practice forgiveness in your Christian life just as He did to those who did Him evil during His earthly life.
See Also: 13 Major Characteristics Of A True Christian [+ Sermon].
Will God Punish Those Who Hurt You?
The answer to your question is yes, God does punish those who hurt you. In fact, one of the most important things He wants us to know is that He will punish those who hurt us in due time.
God has given us His Word so that we can know Him better. The Bible is God’s perfect revelation of Himself to us, and it teaches us about His love for us, as well as His wrath against evil and sin (Romans 1:18).
The Bible says that God is a just judge (Psalm 7:11). He is also “righteous in all his ways” (Psalm 145:17). This means that everything He does is right and just even when it appears to be wrong from our perspective.
There are many passages and bible verses in the Bible that describe how God punishes those who do evil. Some of them are, (1 Samuel 2:6, Proverbs 11:21, Isaiah 3:11, Romans 12:19, etc.)
Moreover, we are told in Romans 12:19 that vengeance belongs to God and that He will repay in due time and that it’s not for you to repay evil for evil to those who have hurt you.
Remember, as a Christian, you are expected to love your enemies and those who hurt us and brought suffering on us we didn’t deserve as the Lord Jesus Christ commands us to do in Luke 6:27-36 which isn’t always easy.
I know this may sound cliché especially if a lot of hurtful things you didn’t deserve were done to you at one point in your life but remember, the Lord hasn’t forgotten and He will repay in due time.
So, your job is to simply show love, mercy, and forgiveness and to pray for your enemies who have done you evil or hurt you in some way and leave the revenge part to God.
When you do that, you are heaping burning coals of fire on your enemies, making them feel ashamed of the evil they have done to you as we are told in Proverbs 25:22.
Will God Punish Your Enemies?
The answer to the question of whether God will punish your enemies is yes. But there is a big but here as He doesn’t punish our enemies the way we always think He will.
God does not punish your enemies to make you feel better about yourself or because it makes you feel good. God punishes your enemies so that they may repent and be saved.
In fact, when Jesus was asked by a lawyer how he should love his neighbor, he said, “love your neighbor as yourself,”(Matthew 22:39).
Then, He said in Matthews 5:44 that we are to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute and hurt us in one way or the other.
So, we can see that loving our enemies is important for salvation and for seeing God’s judgment on those who would harm us or others. But what does this look like? How do we love our enemies?
When Jesus Christ was asked how we are supposed to love our neighbors as ourselves, He responded by telling us how we’re supposed to treat people who have harmed us in Matthews 5:40.
He said that if anyone wants to sue you or take away your tunic, let them have your cloak also. Implying that if someone wants to hurt you or sue you in court, give them everything they want and don’t retaliate.
In short, let them have their way and don’t wish evil to happen to them by praying dangerous prayed of revenge on them like most do but let God punish your enemies on your behalf.
Conclusion.
I hope the above post on the question, does God punish those who hurt you,” has thoroughly answered your question and helped you realize that indeed God does punish those who hurt you but not in the way you think. In closing, let me know in the comment below if this post was helpful to you in some way. Stay blessed and don’t forget to share.
Read Further.
- 7 Major Reasons Why God Allows Disappointment?
- 10 Reasons Why God Allows Rejection? [+ Animation].
- Why Does God Put Me Through So Much Pain?[+Sermon].
Sharing is caring.
This was very helpful.. I needed to know if God whould punish the people that keeps on hurting me because I always forgives and give chance over and over. Thank it is a wait of my shoulders
I am glad that this article was of great help to you. Indeed, the Lord will repay those who have wronged you, dear if they don’t repent as vengeance is of the Lord. All you cand do for them is pray for them as Jesus Christ commanded.
I certainly feel that I am being punished. I was living with my girlfriend while I was looking to buy my first home. We were going to marry, live in the new home and start a family. But it was possible that the location of my job might change, from 25 miles away to nearer to my girlfriend’s home. I was so indecisive about where to buy (I could easily afford nice properties in both locations) that I didn’t buy anywhere. With the inflation caused by the pandemic, I now can’t afford either. My girlfriend has dumped me and I am homeless. My stupidity and indecisiveness has probably cost my ex the chance of having children, which is what she wanted more than anything else. If only I had taken a risk and bought somewhere near my girlfriend (where she would have preferred me to be), both our lives would be so much better now. I seemed to forget house prices would increase when I was in a good position to buy somewhere and continued to wait four years before I knew what was happening with my job. Now I am looking to buy somewhere a 2 hour commute away (instead of 25 minutes), the houses are nowhere near as nice as I could have afforded and the mortgage rate has doubled. It’s only now when I look back that I see the wonderful signs and opportunities that God gave me to buy somewhere close to my girlfriend but didn’t. I was really stupid and now I am being punished.
But you can always repent, dear as we serve a God of second chances
Peter popoff sent me a whole bunch of instructions on what to do to gain all kinds of prosperaty with in 28 days because of matthew 28 and to send him 28 dollars and he nearly gaurentees us that we will recieve a wonderful blessing from God I wroteback to him and said vengeance belongth unto mei will recompence sayeth the lord which is in hebrews
That was the best reply you could give indeed revenge is of the Lord. God bless.
I’m gonna try to forgive the one I feel deserves to be punished. My children’s dad has kicked us out and won’t let us get our belongings. The 1st step instead of continuing to argue and getting frustrated is to let it go. I’ll replace those material things. It’ll be hard but I’ll try!
That’s the right way to go, dear don’t ever harbor unforgiveness against anyone no matter the bad things they did to you, and leave the revenge part to the Lord God bless.
I dont think Jesus meant “let the evil people have their way/give them what they want”. every situation is different.
I have been very angry today about being severely put into pain/hurt again today. when people in my house, slam doors, I have 1 – 2 days of agonizing excruciating pain, and they know this. Yet it happens multiple times a week, sometimes multiple times a day. What did I do to deserve this? No one will help me and I am hurt constantly by many people, but especially the people I live with. It is likely one of the worst pains any one could have (epidural misplaced 8 times, it causes spasms many times a day when it spasms, I become paralyzed, No one believes an epidural could cause this, so I am left to agony with no help until I suppose I go completely paralyzed). ah what a life! not anymore. I am an invalid because people won’t stop slamming doors! And when I struggle to go outside, I am attacked constantly by people slamming their car doors over and over until I become delirious and cry out). what a life.
That’s bad to hear but all I can tell you is just pray for all those who hurt you and let God deal with them. Don’t wish evil on them as revenge belongs to the Lord. God bless
I am trying to work on forgiveness. however this person tried to drown me. this person sexually abused me. this person is sadistic and very sick in the head. I have been degraded and it felt like he raped my soul and he has not repented but continues to choose evil. I separated from him. because my very life was in danger and still is. He has a bunch of people that are helping him stalk me as well as hack my devices. It’s really hard to pray for someone who is sadistic and sexually twisted. I fear he will rape, torture and kill me. I have been hurt so deeply that I find very little love in my heart for him now. He has put my address online for others to yell insult at me. I know that I am supposed to love and forgive him. But he tortured me physically and is now focusing on psychological torture. Please pray for me. I have completely disassociated myself from him. I choose forgiveness,but the anger keeps coming back up. How can I be free from this hell he is putting me through? Please also pray for him. We will call him Dan. for privacy sake. Please pray he repent before too late. thank you very much.
Will pray for you dear beloved sis in the Lord but glad you are praying and showing grace to the person who hurt you which is the way to go and glad you are concerned about his salvation, too which is vital for every human and rare these days as most people are only concerned about themselves forgetting that we are called to love all even if the don’t deserve our love and I am sure with such a selfless prayer with the right motives, the Lord will intervene in your situation in not time just don’t lose faith and focus on the Lord. God bless.