Romans 2:9
9 Tribulation [thlipsis] and [kai] anguish [stenochoria], upon
[epi] every [pas] soul [psuche] of man [anthropos] that doeth [katergazomai]
evil [kakos], of the Jew [Ioudaios] first [proton], and [te] also [kai] of the Gentile [Hellen]; KJV-Interlinear
9 There
will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew
first and also the Greek, ESV
The word for Tribulation commonly refers to affliction,
or situations of being pressed down or closed in, by a burden, or of trials,
calamities, and therefore to be pressed down by the punishment or pain
inflicted for sins.
With respect to future punishment, it refers the
pressure of the calamities that will come upon the soul as the just reward or
the repercussion of sin or the spiritually neglected life.
Anguish, means literally narrowness of place, the want
of room, and then the anxiety and distress of mind which a person experiences
who is pressed on every side by afflictions, and trials, and want, or by
punishment, and who does not know where he may turn himself to find relief.
And as stated in this verse, there is no alternative,
and no one escapes this punishment.
People may have a social front where they hide or
conceal their inner concerns or worries, but escape is not an option of the perpetually
negative and/or contentious person.
Too often people have unreasonable expectations from
life. They place unreasonable priorities
in their life, from life in this world.
They make the things of this world as more important than the things of
God and heaven and their own spiritual life.
Spiritual things that they have neglected throughout their life.
And when you abandon the spiritual side of you, then
you open up a whole universe of trouble for yourself.
The soul is the living real you. It needs food in order to grow and remain healthy.
That food is Bible doctrine. And, you
eat and metabolize that food when you study and utilize Bible doctrine every day. Food was designed to be consumed every day.
When you refuse to eat, or neglect to eat for extended
periods of time, like your whole life, then what would you expect? Sickness, illness, a declined health of soul. And when that occurs, you place yourself in a
trap with all sides closing in on you.
That is the pressure cooker of life.
And that is not good.
So, how do you suppose you can avoid this predicament?
