12:8
In fact, if we were not disciplined then that would indeed be a sign that we were not really God’s sons, a sign that we were rejected. We should also note here that there is a modern notion that God does not find fault with us, that we should not seek to correct people. such ideas are complete nonsense and totally unbiblical. God desires the best for us. That includes forgiving us for our sins, but also includes transforming us. If God did not seek to transform our lives then we would have cause to say that He does not love us.
12.9,10
Natural fathers discipline their children, and eventually the children would respect them for it, in most cases. Now all human fathers are imperfect, yet they usually seek to do their best, and overall it is usually for the best. God is the perfect Father, so we can be completely confident that all His actions are perfect. His motive in disciplining us is not to reject us, but so that we can share in His holiness, so that we can become more Christlike. Therefore we should be all the more willing to submit to His discipline.
12:11
At the time discipline is always unpleasant. The discipline itself can be painful, and the fact that we are being disciplined is not pleasant either, because it makes us aware of our failings. However, the discipline will produce a harvest of righteousness and peace, if we allow ourselves to be trained by it. So the whole point of this is to understand what is going on, and for us to react in the right way. Discipline is not a sign of rejection but of acceptance. We must not rebel against the discipline, nor must we run away to some other supposed source of salvation. Instead we should learn from the discipline and be trained by it. Then we will increase in holiness.
No comments:
Post a Comment