Discipline and Punish

For many people today they seem to use the words discipline, correct, and punish as synonyms. Discipline and correct are very similar in definition and thus are synonyms, but punish is not. Discipline or correct means to bring into alignment. Where punish is an act of vengeance, literally meaning to take punitive action. Even if the person has already been brought into alignment punishment seeks to make them "pay" for their deviancy. In today's society it is all about punishment, "this person did this and they need to pay" kind of stuff. Prisons, lawsuits, even the way most parents "discipline" their children (society tries to redefine these words as synonyms as well, but they are not) are punishment based meant to make the person pay for their crime. It is not about alignment. God does not punish us, Jesus bore our punishment on the cross. God corrects and disciplines those He loves, meaning he brings them into alignment with him. It is because of this redefinition of words that people view God as vengeful and wrathful. God's wrath bore down on Jesus, his love bears down on us. Seemingly little word interchanges have made a big difference in the way people see and interact with God.