for the Lord disciplines whom he loves, and he chastens everyone whom he accepts as his son.” Endure, endure as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?*
Where you disciplined by an earthly father? Many children grow up without knowing discipline, without reverence for an earthly father. We relate to our heavenly Father as we relate to our earthly and without an earthly example, it is much more difficult to submit. If we learned submission to an earthly father and reverenced them who disciplines us for what they might seem to be best, how much more will we live, experience life when we submit to the Father of spirits? Our heavenly Father loves us and disciplines us for our benefit, so that we share in his holy character.
for they disciplined for a short time as seemed best to them but He for our benefit, so that we share of his holy character.*
What would it mean if I were without discipline? It would mean either I am an illigitimate son or I am perfect and mature in character. It is important to understand the love of God disciplines us so that we are becoming perfected, like Him. As Paul writes, this is related to what God purposed in Christ before the creation of the world, "even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him in love, he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will."* Think about that, before he created the heavens and earth and man, he had a purpose. What purpose? God wanted people of His own, people like Him, to be holy and blameless before him in love... In the new covenant, the Holy Spirit is the pledge of such an inheritance until we receive in fullness. So we see why God disciplines the ones He loves, his children, it is our destiny to be with Him forever in His presence, forever in His love, and sharing in his holy character. Dicipline says I'm legit, I am a son.
all discipline, toward the benefit of that to come into existance, we think not to be joyful rather painful now, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to the one trained through it.*
We see there is discipline that brings out what God internally did inwardly. We also see there is training that bears the fruit of righteousness. We receive grace and righteousness as a gift through faith, but it is like a seed that needs to grow up and yield fruit. I have experienced this in my own life, not having an earthly father in whom I learned to submit to discipline and reverenced. But my heavenly Father has loved me and because he chose me to be holy and in His presence for eternity, he disciplines me. Sure it is painful and unpleasant, but even the Son of Man though he was the Son of God, learned obedience through suffering.* What happens in the discipline? transformation, the renewing of the mind, one that accepts His will as perfect, good, and pleasing, one that is like the mind of Christ. Oh what a blessing it is to be renewed in mind, to live with the mind of Christ, we pray for such. Because of God's eternal love for his children, he disciplines them so they share in his holy character. Endure discipline, God is treating you as children whom he loves.
for they disciplined for a short time as seemed best to them but He for our benefit, so that we share of his holy character.*
What would it mean if I were without discipline? It would mean either I am an illigitimate son or I am perfect and mature in character. It is important to understand the love of God disciplines us so that we are becoming perfected, like Him. As Paul writes, this is related to what God purposed in Christ before the creation of the world, "even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him in love, he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will."* Think about that, before he created the heavens and earth and man, he had a purpose. What purpose? God wanted people of His own, people like Him, to be holy and blameless before him in love... In the new covenant, the Holy Spirit is the pledge of such an inheritance until we receive in fullness. So we see why God disciplines the ones He loves, his children, it is our destiny to be with Him forever in His presence, forever in His love, and sharing in his holy character. Dicipline says I'm legit, I am a son.
all discipline, toward the benefit of that to come into existance, we think not to be joyful rather painful now, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to the one trained through it.*
We see there is discipline that brings out what God internally did inwardly. We also see there is training that bears the fruit of righteousness. We receive grace and righteousness as a gift through faith, but it is like a seed that needs to grow up and yield fruit. I have experienced this in my own life, not having an earthly father in whom I learned to submit to discipline and reverenced. But my heavenly Father has loved me and because he chose me to be holy and in His presence for eternity, he disciplines me. Sure it is painful and unpleasant, but even the Son of Man though he was the Son of God, learned obedience through suffering.* What happens in the discipline? transformation, the renewing of the mind, one that accepts His will as perfect, good, and pleasing, one that is like the mind of Christ. Oh what a blessing it is to be renewed in mind, to live with the mind of Christ, we pray for such. Because of God's eternal love for his children, he disciplines them so they share in his holy character. Endure discipline, God is treating you as children whom he loves.