Redemptive Withdrawal: Another Major Cross Principle

There are four components of the cross principle of redemptive withdrawal:

1. God WITHDRAWS His protective hedge or hand from a person and permits the devil and his minions to attack the person usually within certain limits.  Main example: God withdrew His protective hand from Jesus and allowed Satan and his earthly representatives to attack and crucify Him.  This can and does happen to good believer people.  See Job 1:9-12; 2:1-7; Luke 22:31-33.  It can also happen as a corrective to people engaging in evil acts.  See 1 Cor 5:5; 1 Tim 1:19-20.
2. God always does this Withdrawal for a REDEMPTIVE PURPOSE, never for a vengeful or retaliatory purpose.  In Jesus' case, God's purpose was the salvation of the world.  In Peter's case (Luke 22) , to sift Him of his fleshly, impulsive and selfish tendencies.  For the sexually immoral man in Corinth (1 Cor 5:5), that his spirit might be saved on the day of the Lord; and for Hymenaeus and Alexander (1 Tim 1), so that they would learn an important lesson.  
3. God's withdrawal of protection GRIEVES Him and He always SUFFERS WITH the sufferer.  Luke 19:41-44; Col 1:23-24; 2 Cor 1:5; Ex 12:23 KJV; Gal 2:20; Dan 3:25; John 11:35-36.  God never inflicts suffering.  He only SUFFERS WITH the sufferer.  God never causes violence to anyone.  God absorbs violence for everyone, especially His enemies.  Rom 5:6-9.  The story of Calvary is the proof text for this principle.  God loves and suffers with His enemies but never directly causes them to suffer.  Rom 5:6-8.

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