More On Chastisement

 

I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

 

Every Holy Spirit attempt to convict us of our sin is a trip to God's woodshed. Let us be open to His correction.

Last time, we started talking about chastisement, or let’s call it our little trips to God’s woodshed. The word chastise means to correct. and the word rebuke means to tell a fault. Let’s see how these definitions fit as we re-read this portion of scripture:

 

Heb 12:5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: "My son, do not despise the chastening (correction) of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked (told a fault) by Him;

 6 For whom the LORD loves He chastens, (corrects) And scourges (flogs, which are stinging rebukes, (telling of faults by the conviction of the Holy Spirit if you will) every son whom He receives."

 7 If you endure chastening, (correction) God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? (correct)

 8 But if you are without chastening, (correction) of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.

 9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?

 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened (corrected) us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.

 11 Now no chastening (correction) seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained (the word means to practice nude, whoa, didn’t see that word coming! The comparison being made to Greek athletes who often worked out with little or no clothing as  part of their training process is. The goal of this training was athletic excellence, and the application for us is to empty ourselves of self (naked before God, with the goal of being open to correction and thereby  obtaining the peaceable fruit of righteousness.

 

Bottom line is don’t go looking at every painful physical occurrence in your life as God’s chastisement! Rather bare your soul to the Holy Spirit, look for His stinging  rebukes of unconfessed sin, and deal with them in accordance with 1 Jn 1:9, producing the peaceable fruit of righteousness.

 

 

1Jo 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word