Hebrews
12:7-13 tells us:
Heb
12:7 If ye endure chastening,
God dealeth with you as with sons; for
what son is he whom the father
chasteneth not?
Heb
12:8 But if ye be without
chastisement, whereof all are
partakers, then are ye bastards, and
not sons.
Heb
12:9 Furthermore we have had
fathers of our flesh which corrected [us],
and we gave [them]
reverence: shall we not much rather be
in subjection unto the Father of
spirits, and live?
Heb
12:10 For they verily for a few
days chastened [us]
after their own pleasure; but he for [our]
profit, that [we]
might be partakers of his holiness.
Heb
12:11 Now no chastening for the
present seemeth to be joyous, but
grievous: nevertheless afterward it
yieldeth the peaceable fruit of
righteousness unto them which are
exercised thereby.
Heb
12:12 Wherefore lift up the
hands which hang down, and the feeble
knees;
Heb
12:13 And make straight paths
for your feet, lest that which is lame
be turned out of the way; but let it
rather be healed.
Chastening then, is how God lovingly
brings His children from rebellion to
obedience. It is a method of teaching,
as well as a method of exposure. Through
chastening our eyes are opened more
clearly to God's perspective on our
lives. As King David stated in Psalm 32,
God's chastening causes us to confess
and repent of sin we have not yet dealt
with. In this way chastening is
cleansing. It is also a growth catalyst.
The more we know about God, the more we
know about His desires for our lives.
Chastening presents us with the
opportunity to learn, and to conform to
the image of Christ (Romans 12:1-2).
Chastening is a good thing!
We need to remember that sin is a
constant in our lives while we are yet
on this earth (Romans 3:10, 23). And as
such, we not only have to deal with
God's chastening for our disobedience,
but we also have to deal with the
natural consequences resulting from sin.
This is where many people get confused,
and need to be careful. So often I hear
people attribute consequences to God's
chastening, when it is obvious that the
consequences are simply a natural result
of the sin they were involved with. Can
God use these circumstances to teach us?
Of course! But, did God put these
consequences on us Himself? No, these
were brought on by our own actions.
Sin is black and white. Trying to rid
yourself of sin is what all of us as
believers strive for, but sin is still
sin, regardless of the effort to prevent
it. If God is chastening you for sin in
your life, then thank God for that
chastisement and prayerfully ask Him
what you need to learn from it. If you
are simply experiencing the natural
results of your sin, ask God to help you
get through these circumstances in a way
that allows you to grow in your faith
and that gives Him the glory.
