First, we need to understand that ‘Sin’ is always defined as rebellion and disobedience against what we know of God’s will for us.

Every person will face God with the sin they still bare by their choosing not to receive God’s love, mercy and grace in the person if Jesus Christ as their Savior.  Otherwise, a man’s ‘Sin’ will face God’s righteous justice and wrath. Sin is the same in every dispensational age.

“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him [Jesus] the iniquity [sins] of us all.” -  Isaiah 53:6
“And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works [all our works are evil in God’s sight]. …  ¹⁵ And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” - Revelation 20:12-15

The question is; who will face God’s wrath for our sin? Is it us as the Sinner? Not if they have received the Lord Jesus Christ s their Savior!

Thankfully, Christ bore “the wrath of God” poured out upon Him at the Cross… “for the sins of the world.”

It was not until Paul’s “revelation of the mystery [God’s secret plan of the cross)” that it was explained as to exactly how it is that …. God could “be [both] just [righteous] and the justifier” of those who were disobedient, and of believers who likely also have be disobedient to his instructions in righteous living.

Having faith in Christ and His Cross-work, we are forever forgiven of ALL sins – past, present, and future.

⁸ For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: ⁹ Not of works, lest any man should boast. - Ephesians 2:8-9

So, the answer lies in that the payment for ALL sins was made by the one sacrifice of the life Lord Jesus Christ, shedding His blood and dying for us on the Cross.

²¹  But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; ²²  Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: ²³  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; ²⁴  Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: ²⁵  Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation [a sacrificial payment]  through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; ²⁶  To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Romans 3:21-26 (KJV)

It is easy for most of us to assess how God deals with sin according to His just “law.” It is plainly written under the Old Covenant, that anyone who disobeyed God’s command was considered a sinner and deserved the just punishment according to the law. Yet, the wages of all sin is death, and no amount of our good behavior is enough and cannot ever annul the penalty that we have all incurred. James wrote:

“For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all” – James 2:10

Under the Jewish dispensation of the Old Covenant Mosaic Law, God provided a system of personal sacrifices which could be offered to only ‘cover’ sin. When offered by faith, these human harvested sacrifices of animals, birds and vegetables would show repentance of sin, and an appeal for forgiveness toward God. But note that these sacrifices never took away their sins, it just covered them until Jesus was offered on the cross for the sins of the whole world.

Under the current “dispensation of the Grace of God,” the nation Israel is “fallen” from their privileged state under the Old Covenant and has been set aside (Rom. 11:10-11, 15, 25). When they had been given miracles, laws, blessings, and even the Messiah, Jesus… Israel failed to obey righteousness even as much as the Gentiles. Their failure proves that despite help from God, every person is under the influence of sin, so long as they live in these bodies of Sin. Thus, Paul writes:

“…for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are ALL under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:” – Romans 3:9-10

 “For God hath concluded them ALL [Jew and Gentile] in unbelief, [so] that he might have mercy upon ALL [men].” – Romans 11:32

In God’s eyes the most self-righteous do-gooder is considered no better than the vilest wicked heathen, they are both unrighteous and deserving of God’s punishment.

During today’s “dispensation of the grace of God” there is no system of sacrifices or good behavior and performance or rites, creeds, and rituals that can prevent the wrath that God has against sin in this world. As a result, “God’s wrath is revealed against all ungodliness and [the] unrighteousness of every man” (Romans 1:18).

Yet, we see so much ungodliness and unrighteousness in the world that goes unpunished. Where is His wrath poured out?

Is God ignorant of the evil in this world? The Scriptures tell us He is not.

But, instead of pouring out His wrath upon the world nearly two thousand years ago when Israel had fallen and His wrath was well due… he ushered in today’s age of “the Grace of God.”

With that, God put the sins of the entire world upon Jesus Christ killing Him on the cross. Jesus’ propitiation [payment for sins] satisfied the demand for justice from God (Romans 3:26).

²⁶ To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Romans 3:26

Since God was in Christ ‘reconciling the world unto himself,’ He no longer imputes (counts) trespasses (sins) to any man today. Instead the entire world is already reconciled to God, but not yet saved until they … believe. Thus, we as believers have a ministry whereby, we can preach this reconciliation to every man without distinction.

¹⁹ To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing [not counting] their trespasses [sins]unto them] and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. ²⁰ Now then we [believers] are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. - 2 Corinthians 5:19-20

The whole world is given a period of grace paid by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ in order for men to come to salvation.

This payment for sins reconciled the entire world, but will justify only those who believe.

“Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:” – Romans 3:22

For every one of us who believes, we are not only reconciled, but also declared righteous and worthy of the gift of eternal life that is in Christ who indwells the believer (Romans 6:23). For every man who does not believe, they are reconciled as by God’s grace, but do not receive righteousness worthy of eternal life.

Those who do not accept the grace of God or his free justification by faith alone (without work, rituals or rites) will end up facing the wrath of God at the judgment for their ungodly rebellion against God’s grace during this age of the freely available salvation… by faith in Christ as Savior.

At the end of this age of unprecedented grace, God will return ‘in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (2 Thessalonians 1:8).

• But for the believer, his sin is placed upon Christ and he is declared righteous by God’s grace.
• For the unbeliever, his sin is not yet imputed during this age of grace because of Christ Cross-work, therefore there is no immediate punishment. Rather, he will have to answer for his own unrighteousness at “The Great White Throne Judgment.” (Rev. 20:11).

The fact of gospel (the good news) is that the due punishment for our sins was taken by Christ at the Cross, who “was made sin for us so that we can be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Cor. 5:21).

⁶ All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him [upon Jesus] the iniquity [sins] of us all. - Isaiah 53:6 (KJV)

Therefore, we who are justified [declared righteous] by faith are at peace with God and do not live in fear of judgment or punishment.

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:” - Romans 5:1

Today we have eternal life and we live daily by faith in the Son of God, following after the righteousness for which we were ordained to walk (Gal. 2:20, Eph. 2:10, Phili. 3:12-14).

²⁰ I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. - Galatians 2:20

Since Christ’s “Spirit of life” indwells every believer’s “spirit of man,” we are ‘sealed and secure’ with His Spirit.

“In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,” - Ephesians 1:13

Rather than punish the believers for their sins after first believing, the Lord permits the consequences of their bad choices come upon them. Thus, He permits the principal of ‘sowing and reaping’ teach us how to live our daily live in accord with His clearly delineated written word.

So, what does God do when we sin? He does not react; He does nothing because He now our daily living will teach us along with His written word to explain it all.

Knowing the foregoing, we realize that are securely saved in union with Christ and His cross-work, and at the same time God our Father is working by “all things” in our lives to “conform us to the image of His Son.”

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. ²⁹ For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. ³⁰ Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” - Romans 8:28-30

And for this, we love Him all the more and want to serve Him in righteous service, in accord with His eternal plan and purpose.