My response in a comment to another fits very well here.

The question that brought it forward was:

Will God punish us for doing bad things?

You can read my answer here:

Will God punish us for doing bad things?

Here is what his comment to my response was.

I’m sorry, but with all the verses claiming that Jesus died for our sins, are we really punished for our sins? Was Jesus crucified in vain? Did God make a miscalculation in having His only begotten son suffer on the cross, just to have us believe that we will be punished anyway?

The sinner on the cross adjacent from Jesus merely asked to be remembered, and was promised to be with him in Paradise that very same day. Yet we’re told we must diligently work to earn salvation. So, yes, I believe that I was saved 2000 years ago when they nailed Jesus to the cross.

Am I to believe that the “gift” of salvation through the grace of God was simply a cruel joke?

I just can’t go there.

And then my response.

Jesus absolutely did die for our sins.

The Godhead does not “punish” us for our sins.

No miscalculations were made within the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.

Here’s one that might be an interesting conversation for us.

It is absolutely impossible that the thief on the cross was with Jesus in Paradise that very same day and Scripture never said anything different from that though it is often misquoted.

Salvation is by grace alone and certainly not a cruel joke.

That said, how can we share so much in common and yet be on a different page herein?

By forgetting the strength and desire of the original perpetrator of iniquity and his involvement in the equation.

Hebrews 2:14 (KJV) - Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the **power of death**, that is, the devil;

Jesus came to destroy the power of the Devil leaving the Devil to simply self-destruct which will happen.

Even when being tempted in the Wilderness He never brought a rallying accusation against Satan any more than Michael did.

Jude 9 (KJV) - Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

Jesus came to set the prisoner free by becoming the ultimate sacrifice for sin. He did this by dying and becoming our substitute. He took on Himself the consequences of our decisions rather than letting them remain on our shoulders.

The word and concept is consequences, not punishment.

God the Father is not up in Heaven ready to send lightning bolts at whoever messes up. But they very much DO allow the consequences of our decisions to play out.

Adam and Eve disobeyed and received the consequences of being exiled from the garden. Why? So they would not eat from the tree of life and live forever in this condition of sin that torments us today.

Genesis 3:22 (KJV) - And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

Sampson who was to be a Levitical Priest became a womanizer and thus received the consequences of his actions by having his eyes blinded by the enemy. Did God leave him in all his rebellion?

Judges 16:28-30 (KJV) -

28 And Samson called unto the Lord, and said, O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.

29 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left.

30 And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.

Never.

This also gives hope for those who succumb to the throws of suicide within their lives. Not condoning it to be sure, but those that commit suicide are not without question exempt from being welcome into eternity.

There are many more examples of people receiving the consequences of their actions within Scripture. However, these are all OT not NT so they don’t apply, right?

Wrong.

Saul was on the road to Damascus where he would bring Christ-Followers from Damasus bond and potentially execute them when he had his conversion experience. Again we see the concept of decision and consequence but with absolute intervention from Christ Himself.

Due to greed for position Judas opted into the decision of turning Christ over to the authorities. He did not do this to have Jesus executed but rather so that Jesus would step up and become the King and his own position would have been established as a result. That decision led to the consequence of Judas hanging himself instead of choosing to turn back to Christ and allowing for restoration as Peter did.

When we choose to sin there is a consequence.

Romans 6:23 (KJV) - For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

That consequence is death.

Jesus took that consequence for us by dying on the cross in our place.

But wait!

We still die.

What gives.

Revelation 20:5-6 (KJV) -

5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Though many are unaware there are actually two deaths.

Jesus died the second one which is vastly different from the first.

One example of sin is to not bear fruit once a person is saved.

Yes, this is absolutely true.

Ephesians 2:8 (KJV) - For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

But so is this which occurs just 2 verses later in Ephesians.

Ephesians 2:10 (KJV) - For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.