As an important aside, Japan has decided not to invite Israel to the 79th year commemoration of the dropping of the Atomic bomb in Nagasaki, Japan. Meanwhile, they have invited the “Palestinians” to attend the ceremony. In Belgium, they have not allowed Israel to participate in the frisbee competitions. Hostility toward Israel continues to grow. It is important to know the true God today. The invitation of the Lord to remove all New Testament Christians from this world is imminent. If you do not know the Lord before that event takes place, you will not turn to Him after that. You will believe the lies of the antichrist. The day of salvation is today!
In our text we are further reminded that chastening is not designed to be pleasant. It is something we need to endure. God’s chastening is never unjust. God chastens His child only when needed. His chastening is for our good. It is also designed to stop the true child of God from being a stumblingblock to others.
God reminds us that in His chastening, He deals with the recipient of the chastening as a son. Lost people do not fit the context of this passage. They are already under God’s condemnation. They have chosen a path of rebellion and as such they will suffer the consequences of rebellion.
Saved people cannot continue to live in sin. That is contrary to the gift of God. It is contrary to the new nature. God further stated that it is strange for a father not to chasten his son. Every father knows that his son will need chastening at times. A father who neglects this important duty, is a very cruel father. He should not be surprised when his son ends up in trouble with the law, if he has not bothered to chasten him when it was necessary.
In verse 8 God reminds us that if a person is not being chastened by the Lord, which every true child of God will face, then he is a bastard. That word, “bastard” has been corrupted by man. The Greek word translated as “bastard” simply means “illegitimate son”. The person who prides himself in not being chastened of the Lord, should be very concerned. That person is admitting that they are unsaved and not part of God’s family. If the person is not part of God’s family, they cannot enter heaven. They also cannot know God’s peace now.
In verse 9 we read that a wise son will honour his father even though the father had to correct him. A wise son understands that he needs correction from time to time. We learn here as well that chastening is designed for correction.
It is important for true saints to show reverence to God for His correction. We need to be in “subjection” to our heavenly Father. The Greek word translated as “subjection” means “to obey.” It involves a recognition that God is greater than we are and that He has the right to correct His child and His child needs to receive that correction and learn from it.
In verse 10 we see that our earthly fathers chastened us for their own pleasure. God recognizes that earthly fathers do not always teach the right lesson when they chasten their child/ren. Fathers want to see their children doing well. They want to have a good name and be respected in the community. They do not want to be embarrassed by their child. The true purpose for chastening should be to help the child to understand that what they have done is against God’s law. Children need to be reminded that there is an authority higher than their father. Children need to be reminded that they will be held accountable to the God of heaven.
God always chastens us for our profit. We need to be reminded that as true saints, we need to glorify God all the time. We cannot do that when we choose to keep sinful habits. God cares more for us than we sometimes care for ourselves.
In verse 11 we are reminded that God’s chastening is not joyous. No person relishes in God’s chastening. It is grievous. It hurts in more ways than one. However, God’s chastening is designed to yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto those who are exercised by it.
God’s design is to help His child/ren. He wants us to be bright shining lights for Him. He wants us to be able to produce fruit that remains. The only way we can do that is when we submit to His authority in our lives.
A good church will teach the members the truth. The pastor will carefully teach the whole counsel of God. He will help the members to see the blessings that God has in store for His child. He will also warn the members of the danger of holding on to sin. No godly pastor enjoys giving those warnings. He would rather praise those God has given him as part of the local church family. No godly pastor can turn a blind eye to the sins of the members in his church. He may need to address the issue in private with a certain member. He may need to address the matter publicly with all the members. He does not seek to draw out a certain person. Matthew 18 tells us how to go about that part. However, if there is a general neglect in some area, the wise pastor will teach on the importance of obedience to God’s Word in all things. He will help the entire church family to see the need to follow God’s way. If some certain member wants to persist in their stubbornness, the godly pastor will address the need of that individual in private first of all.
In I Corinthians 11 God directed the apostle Paul to teach on the Lord’s Supper. In that teaching there was also the warning against partaking unworthily. Some saints died young because they refused to take heed to the warnings. God does not want that to happen. He would rather give rewards to the saint when he enters heaven, than have to withhold rewards from the person.
As we look at this chapter in Hebrews, we need to be careful that we hold to God’s definition of righteousness. The New Evangelical crowd has a much different standard for righteousness. They have completely lost sight of what sin is. It could be that men like Harold Ockenga understood some part of sin, but even when I was in New Evangelicalism, the definition of sin had been greatly changed. It is an ever changing definition.
God’s definition of righteousness never changes. We can study God’s Word and we can know what He requires of us. Those who are saved, will not constantly fight against the will of God. They will want to submit to that will and especially when God chastens His child, that child will see the value of submitting to God.
Pastor Bartel