The Lord God does not want us to suffer needlessly. He knows that we shall suffer for His sake; that as Christians we shall be the object of afflictions, perscutions, and tribulations. However, the Almighty does not want us to heap more suffering on us than we are allotted. Too often people characterize God as a tryrant task master who wants his children to atone through hardship and hurt. This view is a corruption of the Creator and Christ. The Lord lays laws before us and via the Holy Spirit convicts us to not participate in questionable things because He wants to spare us additional sufferings.
As believers we need to think of our Lord and God as a Father. Does a good and loving father want his children to be chastised and cut down? No, of course not! But Jesus did warn us that on this fallen planet we shall suffer persecution and sufferings (Matthew 24:9). For such trials and tribulations the Triune God shall give us the strength, but we must be wary of adding suffering upon ourselves. I read that Junipero Serra, the establisher of twenty one Missions in California frequently flogged himself and even burnt his chest with a torch! This literal self abasement was an idea of Junipero, he decided that genuine piety required such displays, but mutilating one's flesh is not the path to being free from sinful behavior.
Christ Jesus died upon the cross to set the captives free. His blood was the sufficient payment for our seditious souls. To believe that we can do anything more to atone or appease the Father is sheer folly! For if we accept that Jesus did satisfy all judgment for our sins with his sacrifice then we do not need to lay upon ourselves additional sufferings! I read that Origen, a Church Father from the 3rd Century did castrate himself. It was not sufficient that this saintly teacher hold to the doctrine of chastity, no he wanted to remove all possibility of failing. This is radical, Origin interpreted the verse, "if your eye offends you, pluck it out, and if your hand offends you cut it off, it is better to go blind into heaven than seeing into hell." (Matthew 5:29-30, Matthew 18:9-10, and Mark 9:47). Origen failed to see that Jesus was talking about habits that we do through these senses. If through your eyes you sin, that you look upon evil and it enters you, then you need to pluck out your eye in that you need to make yourself blind to that sin. In plain language, turn from your sin! Look no more upon gore and porn, look not upon morbid and Satanic things! If your hand causes you to sin: that you smite someone you love or you accost others for transgression, then stop and lift not your hand anymore to hurt people, but instead uses it to minister healing, to teach, and to touch in a loving and pure manner.
Everything contained in God's Laws: The Ten Commandments or The Two Commands is to create love and respect. If we do not worship other gods, than our relationship with the One True God is not infringed upon or effected. If we do not steal or murder, our fellow man will trust us and not fear our presence. The Lord is creating a family. What he does to us or allows is for our every benefit! The reason Christ does not want you to commit sins or to break his commands is because of the suffering and ill consequences. Life following Jesus is already going to be a road of sufferings, people will hate you just for loving the Lord (Matthew 10:22). God is trying to spare us needless and unnecessary struggles.
To be a discerning disciple and devout follower of the Lord we as Christians must live to a certain standard. That Standard is laid out in the two commands: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind; and love your neighbor as yourself." (Mark 12:10, Luke 10:27). The second command is where the sin problem comes in. If we transgress, if we sin it is against ourself and we reap suffering upon our own person which is not love. Thus if we walk in iniquity we do not love ourselves and thus cannot fulfill the second commandment of loving others as ourself. Sin also violates the first part of the command because sin separates us from God. Even if we repent of the transgression, we as believers who have stumbled often must wrestle with the feelings of separation from our Savior. The Lord went nowhere, He is with us always (Matt 28:20) and is faithful to forgives us of our sins if we repent (1 John 1:9). However, we often cannot forgive ourselves and thus feel the need for chastisement or to do penance to make amends. This is flawed theology. God no longer requires a sacrifice of flesh (technically he never did, that was man's idea: see Divine Precedence).
What God has always wanted is man's heart. See the First of the Two Commands again, "love the Lord God with all your heart, soul, and mind." The Psalmist David discovered this when he said, "You do not delight in burnt offerings or the blood of bulls, you desire a broken and contrite heart." (Psalm 51:16). The Offering the Lord wants is from our heart, not a hearth.
We serve a loving and compassionate God. He so loved us that he came in the flesh and died for our sins and thus broke the power of separation between us. As believers we are held to standard of character, that of Christ Jesus himself, but we should not despair but be delighted! The Lord imparts His character into ours if we stay true and follow Him. Jesus Christ is caring Savior and He desires that all be saved (1 Timothy 2:4). But, if we insist on holding to traditions of men such as self abasement and other doctrines that trample on His blood then we not only lose touch with that salvation but we misrepresent God. The Lord God is not a tyrant, but He is Just. He is quick to forgive and slow to anger. He is love, but also the Righteous Judge. We will suffer because He first suffered on our behalf. However, we should not make choices that will cause us additional hardships.
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