GOD's CHASTENING

Do Not Despise God’s Chastening


"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne." Hebrews 12:1-2 (NLT)

"We’re signing up for God’s Permanent New World package. So let’s show some gratitude. Let’s work for Him out of respect for who He is. Like Moses said, "Our God is a raging forest fire."
Lacey

1. Jesus the Suffering Servant.

"He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53:3-5

"Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." Hebrews 2:14-15

2. God loves us with a tough-love.

[Tough love is an expression used when someone treats another person harshly or sternly with the intent to help them in the long run. The phrase was evidently coined by Bill Milliken when he wrote the book Tough Love in 1968 and has been used by numerous authors since then.]

"Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?" Romans 2:4

"You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: "My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives."
Hebrews 12:4-6; the quotation is Prov. 3:11-12.

We each have ailments. But we could make a long list of those ailments we do not have.

"No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach's sake and your frequent infirmities." 1 Tim 5:23

a) Have you forgotten? "You know, if you will remember, that sufferings are evidences of God’s love for you."

b) When the Lord. "Do not think sufferings just as accidental acts of blind fate (as the Gentiles do)." [Romans 8:18-23]

c) Discouraged. "This is not God’s wrath for your sin. See what Jesus said in Luke 13:1-5."

d) Because. "Instead of being expressions of His anger, punishments (chastisements) are proof of His love."

MacKnight says: "This scripture, by showing God’s Providence to be just and righteous, dispels the gloom which the misery and suffering which are part of life, may bring on us. We are here being trained and developed, by God who is our teacher. He uses the problems and suffering of life to teach us the good qualities and the character to serve Him in this world, and to enjoy the pleasures of the next. May every suffering child of God understand this and believe it."

e) That God is treating you as children. "He is giving you His blessing by causing you to grow spiritually." Who was not punished (chastised) by his father, who wanted to correct his faults and develop his character?

In the care of. "Our fathers punished us for our faults and we respected them." How much more. "Our spiritual Father uses more love and gentleness than our human fathers, and he will not give us more than we can bear (1 Cor. 10:13)."

f) But God does it. "We must be holy to live with Him in Eternity." Forgiveness and holiness (sanctification) takes place in the mind of God. He has put us in a world of Time and is making us perfect (complete, mature) to come to His Eternal City.

"But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does." James 1:25

"The faith that saves is a complete faith. Not just the mind believing and the tongue confessing, but the whole man trusting in the living God. Our faith grows and impacts our actions, or it dies." Wallerstedt