This is a topic of great importance and a lot of times misunderstood. It’s important because it deals with our understanding of God and His relationship with us.
Understanding God’s chastening or discipline is necessary to have a healthy relationship with our Father in heaven. Having an unhealthy view of God will cause us to doubt, fear, feel condemned, waiver, shrink back, or mistrust him. Are all the bad things that happen in our life God’s way of chastening or disciplining us? Understanding God’s true character and nature is essential in having the right perspective when it comes to God’s discipline or chastening in our lives.
So how do you view God? Our only hope of understanding is looking into God’s Word. Any parent knows discipline is not always something we look forward to. Why do we discipline our children? I guess most of us would say because we love them and want them to do the right thing. Sometimes our motives are not always the best. It’s more for our benefit than theirs. There are no perfect parents and no perfect kids. Having raised three kids of our own who are now married and living their own lives was filled with many challenges. There were times when we fell short in this department but we always tried to show them God’s love. It’s only by God’s grace that they are doing well today.
To understand the nature and character of God is to look at the life of Jesus in the New Testament. So many of us view God the way people did in the Old Testament. We see Him as harsh, strict, and to be feared- Exodus 19:16-18. We cower waiting for him to send us to our room when we have misbehaved. Remember that when Adam and Eve sinned they became afraid and hid themselves from God. That’s what the sin nature does. What did God do? He went looking for them. He didn’t say, ” I can’t believe you did that after all that I’ve done for you.” Remember that! Regardless of our performance good or bad, God is always reaching towards us. Jeremiah 31:3 (NKJV) 3 The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with loving-kindness I have drawn you.
You may ask what about Job, or verses in the Old Testament where we see how God brought chastening to God’s people in ways such as destruction of life, thrones, and kingdoms. God used armies of other nations to come against his people because of their disobedience. We see this in the book of Corinthians in chapter ten. 1 Corinthians 10:6-12 (KJV) -11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. We have to remember that God deals in covenants and he deals differently in those times and seasons. We are currently in the dispensation of grace (The Church Age). That started with the resurrection of Christ and then the outpouring of His Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Apostle John wrote that grace and truth came through Jesus and the law was given by Moses-John 1:17. We are no longer under the Old Covenant. Jesus was the end of the law. We are living in this new dispensation or administration of grace. So God deals differently with us than he did under the old covenant.
Hebrews 9:11 (KJV) -11 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Jesus changed everything. He fulfilled the law in perfect obedience and righteousness. Because we are in Christ through the New Birth we also fulfilled the law in Christ. We can’t take our theology solely from the Old Testament to determine how God deals with us today. Which one is better, the theology of Job or the theology of Jesus? Of course, we can learn from their examples especially what not to do. Our theology or teaching must come from the New Covenant (The New Testament) that Jesus established for us. Hebrews 1:1-2 tells us that God has spoken in these last days through His son. God views us through the redemption that is found in Christ. God has always been a God of grace and mercy even in the Old Testament. So, how much more through Christ our mediator between God and man? We have better promises and a better covenant- Hebrews 8:6.
In the New Testament Jesus came to reveal the nature of God. Look at this verse in John 14:8-9 (NKJV) 8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.”9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? In the book of Hebrews 1:3, the writer tells us that Jesus was the exact representation of God. To see Jesus was to see the Father. In the Old Testament God was Jehovah, in the New Testament He is Father. Jesus taught us how to pray in Matthew 6:9, ” Our Father who art in heaven.” Unfortunately, our earthy fathers may have disciplined us in a wrong way and we carry that over into our relationship with our heavenly Father. So our view or perception of God is often cloudy at best, especially if there was abuse in some way. Our earthy fathers may have disciplined us as a child with a rod of correction in our flesh but God doesn’t chasten us in the flesh like they did at times.
The Lord is our shepherd. His rod and staff comfort us- Psalm 23. I believe the staff is the Word of God for us today. His word is to lead and guide us in the right way. To bring us from childhood in Christ to mature adults in Christ. God your father isn’t trying to control your life. He has given us the ability to make the right choices in life. He has also given us the Fruit of the Spirit of which one is self-control. Again that speaks of self-discipline. It’s a beautiful thing when we realize that God our Father is much different than our earthy fathers who fell short when it came to love and discipline. I used to think every bad thing that happened in my life was God’s doing. That he was trying to build my character and cause me to mature- 2 Peter 1:5-8. As I grew in God’s Word I came to understand that is not the truth. 2 Peter 1:5, tells us to add to our faith godly features. It’s our responsibility, not God’s. We live in a sinful world, with sinful people and an enemy that as the Apostle Peter said is like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5:8. The truth of God’s nature and character and the work of the cross is the bedrock of our understanding when it comes to God’s discipline and chastening.
Let’s look at Hebrews chapter 12. In this chapter, the writer uses some analogies between earthly fathers and God our Father. Some of the themes in the book of Hebrews deal with the issues of immaturity and maturity- Hebrews 5:11-12, Hebrews 6:1.The writer is encouraging them to go onto maturity in Christ. The Hebrew Christians were tempted to return to Judaism because of the persecutions they were facing in their newfound faith. The writer says that had become dull of hearing, sluggish, or lazy. They had to be instructed again in the A,B,C’s of Christianity. He wanted them to grow in maturity to where they were self-disciplined. That their walk with Christ would not be influenced by their negative circumstances. Their focus should be on Christ-Hebrew 12:1-2.
The writer gives a lot of warnings about spiritual immaturity. The Apostle Paul in dealing with Christians in Corinth who were very carnal (flesh ruled) expressed God’s heart in 2 Corinthians 10:8 (PassionNTPsa) 8 You seem to always be looking at people by their outward appearances. If someone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should remind himself of this: we belong to Christ no less than he does. I am not ashamed, even if I’ve come across as one who has overstated the authority given to us by the Lord. For it is the authority to help build you up, not tear you down. I don’t want to seem as though I’m trying to bully you with my letters. In 2 Corinthians 10:8 (KJV) –8 For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed:
God wasn’t causing the persecution to mature the Hebrew Christians! It’s the Word of God in the persecution that brings maturity if you choose to act upon it. God isn’t an abusive bully. A father trying to get his way. He doesn’t cause bad things to happen to you. God doesn’t use or cause sickness, disease, and poverty to make you closer to Him. To get you to mature in your faith. It’s the Word of God in those situations that mature you in Christ. 1 Peter 2:2 (KJV) -2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby. How would you resist the Devil’s temptation, lies, assaults, and attacks as the Bible tells us to do if you think it is God causing the problems- James 4:7, 1 Peter 5:8. How would you pray for healing (James 5:14) if you thought God was the one who put sickness on you to teach you a lesson? What parent would put sickness on their child to teach them a lesson? God is a good God and He cannot be tempted by evil- James 1:13. Every good aand perfect gift comes from the Father above- James 1:17. Again Jesus represented the true nature of God in his ministry. He healed the sick, he provided supernatural provision, and he showed mercy and compassion. He taught kingdom principles and stories to his disciples and to others who would listen. He led by example. He didn’t come into the world to condemn people but that they would be saved and delivered through him- John 3:17. He also came to destroy the works of the Devil– 1 John 3:8.
2 Timothy 3:15 (NKJV)–15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
So how does God discipline and chasten us? First, the word chasten means to train up, to instruct, and to educate. From discipline, we get the word disciple. This one is taught by a teacher. That they would follow and adhere to their teaching. Like a natural father who disciplines, most of the time it is through words that are spoken. In the book of Proverbs, parents teaching their children was about listening to instruction- Proverbs 1:1-5. Taking heed to words of knowledge and wisdom. Those words would benefit them in life if they followed what was said. God is the Father of our spirit.- Hebrews 12:9. Earthly fathers were fathers of our flesh-John 3:6. “That which is born of flesh is flesh, that which is born of spirit is spirit.” Look at 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJV)–16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. The Greek word correction means a straightening up again, i.e. (figurative) rectification (reformation) :- correction (Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary.) It’s the Word of God that brings maturity, straightens us up, and brings reformation. The Greek word for chastening found in Hebrews 12 means: tutorage, i.e. education or training. (Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary.) Our Father in heaven has given us an education system called the Word of God, The Word of God to educate us, train us, and equip us to be shaped and molded into the likeness of Christ. Tests, trials, and tribulations in themselves don’t mature us. It is the Word of God exercised in those moments that mature us.
Satan is out to discredit God. Discredit his character and nature. To steal our identity in Christ, to get us to doubt God’s love. To blame God for all the bad things in our lives. By the way, a lot of the bad things that happen in life are because of our bad choices in life. God is not out to get us every time we do something wrong. The third person of the Trinity, God the Holy Spirit is called a counselor, comforter, advocate, and intercessor. John 14:16-18. The Holy Spirit convicts us of righteousness-that is doing the right thing because we are the righteousness of God in Christ- John 16:7-8. God is on our side. If God be for us who can be against us-Romans 8:31. God lovingly disciplines us through his Word. This is the first thing. That’s why reading, studying the Bible, and digesting it to the point that you walk in obedience to it, is crucial to maturing in Christ.
Here are some ways that God disciplines us: Again primarily through His Word. He also uses Fivefold Ministries to teach and equip us– Ephesians 4:11-15. God uses godly parents to instruct us in the ways of God. He can use close mature Christians to help us along the way. He also uses the Holy Spirit, the counselor to encourage and guide us into all truth. He can use Christian TV, Christian books, and articles. The writer of Hebrews tells them not to ignore the voice that speaks from heaven-Hebrew 12:25. Unlike the Old Testament God is speaking to us through His Son, Jesus. Like Adam and Eve, God doesn’t want us to run from Him in fear but to run towards Him. 1 John 4:8 tells us that God is love. His perfect love casts out all fear- 1 John 4:18, 2 timothy 1:7. We are encouraged to approach the throne of grace- Hebrews 4:16. Not a throne of punishment, condemnation, and retribution. To come boldly that we may always find grace, mercy, and help in time of need!
God’s motive towards us is always pure and always demonstrated in love. Yes, we will sin at times, miss the mark of our high calling, make wrong choices, and even disappoint our Father in heaven but He will never stop loving us because of Jesus our advocate-1 John 2:1-2. That’s good news. The story of the prodigal son illustrates so beautifully the love of a Father. Even though his son squandered his inheritance. The father welcomed him back home once he came to his senses. He realized being back with his father was better than where he was. Even if he became a servant in his father’s house. His father embraced him as a son and threw a party for him. For his son who was lost was now found- Luke 15:11-32. Oh the goodness and grace of God.
Yes, we need to honor God, reverence him, worship him, and serve him with all humility. –John 4:24, Hebrew 12:28-29. We need to stay on God’s side no matter what. In this dispensation of grace, it is not a license to sin, thinking that we will get away with it. Thinking God will not discipline us. Sin has consequences and opens the door to the Devil in our lives- Ephesians 4:27. If we sow to the flesh we will reap of the flesh corruption- Galatians 6:8. Grace is the gift of God to empower us to overcome sinful and carnal, fleshly living-Titus 2:11-12. Look at Psalm 27:13 (NKJV) where David a man after God’s own heart who sinned big time shares about the goodness of God. Yes, there were consequences for his sin but he got his eyes back on the goodness and the forgiveness of God.13 I would have lost heart (fainted) , unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living. Also inJ eremiah 29:11 (NKJV) –11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
One final thought. In our Born Again spirit, we are complete in Christ. We are the righteousness of God in Christ. In our spirit, we are holy and pure in the eyes of God. However, we may not always act righteous, pure, and holy. In Hebrews, it tells us the condition of our spirit now made alive through the New Birth and the writer calls it “the spirits of just men made perfect” or complete. Hebrew 12:23. God’s discipline in our lives is not for our spirit but to renew our mind through his word. Rom 12:1-2. In which we walk out here on earth that which is pleasing in his sight being conformed to the image of Christ- Romans 8:29. First in our spirit, which is already done and complete, then in our soul (mind, will and emotions) and then displayed in our everyday life the character of Christ. Until next time God bless!
Brent and Linda
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