Sometimes we need to stop and reevaluate our thoughts on spiritual things. Many times, I get the wrong idea of what God is trying to do in my life.
Sometimes we listen to others and let them tell us what God is trying to do and they know less about it than we do. We should always trust God and know He makes no mistakes.
You cannot separate chastisement and suffering, and many times this suffering is hard to understand. In our life as well as others.
All of us suffer, some to a greater degree, and I believe it is how we bear it. The world’s way, or God’s way. There are three types of suffering.
1. Job type. To test or show your faith. 1 Peter 1:7
2. Jesus type. Suffered because He was Godly. 1 Peter 4:12-16
3. Jonah type. Suffered because he disobeyed and rebelled against God. This is the type of suffering I want to look at.
Understand God will never punish others for what I have done. I may make it miserable for others to be around me.
If the promises of God are true, God must chastise me.
1. We like the good promises: salvation, giving, serving.
2. We fail to believe the bad ones: lost, hell, living in sin.
I Want to Look at Chastisement in Three Ways.
I. The Ministry
1. To prove our Son ship. Vs. 8; Proverbs 3:12
a. When we are born into God’s family. The Bible teaches God will be a Father to us.
b. Not like some Fathers today.
c. God has the right to chasten us
1) Deut. 8:5
2) 2 Samuel 7:14
d. God always has a reason for His chastisement. Vs. 10
1) If you are living in sin and God never gets after you. You are not saved!
2) Example of two boys on the street and one is mine.
2. To purge us from our sin.
a. Look at Jonah.
b. When God chastens me, I learn not to do that anymore.
3. To promote our sanctification. Vs. 10
a. To make us holy
b. 1 Peter 1:15-16
II. The Manner. Vs. 5 – 6
1. By rebuke
a. I believe this is the work of the Holy Spirit. 1 Timothy 5:20
b. To convict, when we bow for prayer and we are reminded of sin in our life.
c. To reprove through the preaching of the word of God.
2. By chastening
a. I believe this is the work of the Word of God, through studying, and preaching.
b. The word denotes the training of a child, including instruction, discipline, correction, and chastening.
c. Need to feed on it. 2 Timothy 3:16
1) Doctrine or truth or what we should be. It is our blueprint for building.
2) Reproof or to expose, to bring to light or to cross examine, to show me my sin. This is the plumb line to show me where I am and which way I need to go.
3) Correction shows me how and what is right, or what I should be.
4) Instruction, or how to keep my life right.
3. By scourging of the rod.
a. This is done by God our Father.
b. When we fail to respond then God must use the rod.
c. Has God ever had to use the rod on you? He has me.
d. God says there is a point to which God will take you home.
1) Example of a Father and his son at someone’s home.
2) He may have to come get you.
III. The Message.
1. It should be a word of comfort. Vs. 6
a. The doctor’s hand that holds the knife and cuts into us because he wants to help us.
b. No chastening for the present seems to be joyous.
c. Where would I be if God had not chastened me?
d. God always does it as a Father not a stranger.
2. It should be a warning against carelessness.
a. Is your life in danger of being chastened?
b. Don’t make God chasten you to the fullest degree, take the mildest form.
c. Matthew 11:26; Psalm 86:11-12
