Nov
9, 2016 WOFCF Bible Explosion God’s
Discipline – Lesson Two We
have seen how God shows us in our conscience (integrity/truthfulness/morality) what
is right and what is wrong in His sight. In this lesson, we will continue to see how
God trains His children to walk in obedience to Him. Point #1 God Disciplines
His Children by their Circumstances How does God discipline us? He disciplines us by
our circumstances. God arranges all sorts of happenings to teach us what He
wants us to learn. The things that happen to a child of God are not accidental.
All the things that happen to us are either ordered by God or permitted by Him,
and they are working together for our good. The Bible says, "We know that
all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the
called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28) Many things that happen to
us do not in themselves seem to be good. Indeed, they may be painful and bitter
to us. But God's Word says that we can know that "all things work
together for good to those who love God." Point #2 God
Disciplines His Children by Chastening Them If we do not heed His teaching and His
discipline, God has to chasten us.
Chastening is a form of discipline from God. God chastens us when we are
disobedient. Chastening is not the same as punishment. The object
of punishment is to make a person suffer for his wrongdoing;
whereas, the object of chastening is to help someone to
be a better person by correcting him. There is another
difference. Punishment does not involve love, whereas chastening does. A
father shows his love for his son by chastening him. The Bible says, "He
who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him chastens him
promptly." (Proverbs 13:24) Point #3 The Meaning of God’s
Chastening When God has to chasten us, we may feel sorry for
ourselves and wonder, "Why is this happening to me?" We may
look around and see others who have done the same things we have done, and yet
they are not having the problems that we are having. We wonder why. We may even
think that God does not love us or that He is angry with us. But these are
wrong conclusions. Chastening is proof that we are God's child. The first thing we need to see about chastening
is that it is proof that we are God's child. God does not chasten unsaved
people. He chastens only His own children. The unsaved will be punished for
their sins in the next life, but God chastens His children in this life. If
God chastens you, it simply proves that you are His child. The Bible says, "If
you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there
whom a father does not chastens? But if you are without chastening, of which
all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons." (Hebrews
12:7-8) Point #4 Chastening is Proof that God
Loves Us God does not chasten us because He does not like us or
because He is angry with us. He chastens us because He loves us. The
Bible says, "For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son
whom He receives." (Hebrews 12:6) When we realize that trials and
difficulties come from our Heavenly Father, and that they come to us because He
loves us, our whole attitude toward them changes. The psalmist said, "Blessed
is the man whom you discipline, O LORD, the man you teach from your law." (Psalm
94:12) How should we receive God's Chastening? God tells
us in His Word how we are to receive His chastening. The Bible says, "My
son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, nor faint [be discouraged] when
you are rebuked by Him." (Hebrews 12:5) |
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