God Disciplines His Children

• Home

---

 “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,  and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,  because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,  and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?  If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all.  [Hebrews 12:5-8]

---

God Disciplines His Children

The passage distinctly states that God’s discipline is a proof of His love, and no son of His escapes chastisement. By remaining submissive to the chastening of God, we permit His discipline to m old us into His image. If we try to short-circuit His dealings with us, He may have to teach us over a longer period of time, using more instructive and consequently, more difficult methods. There are grades in the school of God, and promotion comes only when we have learned our lessons.

So when testing comes to us, we should realize that God is treating us as sons. In any normal father-son relationship, the father trains his son because he loves him and wants the best for him. God loves us too much to let us develop naturally.

In the spiritual realm, those who do not experience God’s discipline are illegitimate children, not true sons. After all, a gardener does not prune thistles, but does prune grapevines. As in the natural, so it is the same in the spiritual.

Most of us have experienced discipline from our human fathers. We did not interpret this as sign that they hated us. We realized that they were interested in our welfare, and we paid them respect.

How much more should we respect the training of the Father of spirits and live! God is the Father(or source) of all beings that are spirit or that have a spirit. Man is a spirit dwelling in a human body. By being subject to God we enjoy life in its truest sense.  God’s discipline is always perfect. His love is infinite and His wisdom is infallible.


A Father Disciplines His Child

 A father disciplines his child


 “Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live!  They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.  No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. ”  [Hebrews 12:9-11]