"And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons." (Hebrews 12:5-8)
Beloved, You may have heard it said that those who are the children of God, that is genuine believers, will be so cared for by their Father that they will not have to worry about any temporal matter. It is said that if something troubles you all that is necessary to remove the source of trouble is to claim protection in the name of Jesus and the problem will be removed. Additionally, you may have heard it said that the proof that God has saved someone is found in the level of comfort by which they live; that is how successful that person is in claiming divine protection over the various things that afflict us. While I do believe in the divine protection and provision of God, it is not at all focused on our earthly comfort or abundance. It rather is focused on bringing about the eternal abundance and security of God’s everlasting presence in the glories of heaven. Unlike many today who desire to give their children everything, God is more concerned with our becoming more like Him than He is whether we have some or all of the cool things this world offers. The writer of Hebrews speaks to this truth when he tells us that those whom God loves, He disciplines. Yes, He disciplines them! Why? Because even though the child of God has been born into the family, they have not yet learned how to behave. Just like a baby when it is born is genuinely alive, it has not yet learned how to behave like a mature human being; in short it must be trained. In the same way, believers must be trained how to behave in keeping with their Father’s expectations even though they have been born into His family. This process does not happen automatically but requires instruction, practice and yes, discipline. Furthermore, just like we do not go around correcting children who have not been placed under our care, God does not correct (discipline) those who are not specifically under His care. In other words, God does not discipline those who are not His; that is the lost. They are being trained by their father the devil and God has no need to train them to be like Him because they simply are not His. This does not mean that God will not move on the lost heart in such a way that it is born into the family; for every believer was once lost in their sin but when God moved on their hearts, they were born into His family and therefore brought under His authority and training. The logical conclusion is this. The child of God will experience divine discipline. Not unduly or without specific purpose but in order that they may mature into conformance with God’s standards. Many times this means that the child of God does not have (or even experience) the latest, greatest things this world has to offer. It also means that just because a person is not healthy, wealthy or wise does not mean that they have not found favor with God. Rather, the true child of God understands that what they do have is a gift of God to be used for the glory of their Father and that perseverance through times of discipline produces an enduring faith and eternal blessing that is better than anything in the here-and-now.
Older
Top
