29th January 2006 AM

THE LORD DISCIPLINES THOSE HE LOVES. Pastor Linton Smith

One of the biggest challenges in life is being a parent.. and one of the biggest challenges parents face is disciplining their children. No parent finds it easy and no child enjoys it. It is just as the Bible says:

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful [Hebrews 12:11].

Then why do we do it?

Most parents will answer – because we love our children and want them to keep them from foolish ways and danger.. because we want them to grow into responsible adults. We do it for their good.

On New Year’s Day we looked at some favourite words in Proverbs – Proverbs 3:5-8. Last week we looked at Proverbs 3:9,10.

Today we are thinking about

Proverbs 3:11,12.. My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.

This is a statement that raises many questions.

In order to understand it we need to see it in a wider context.. need to look at the truths behind this statement. It is just a small part of a much larger picture.. We need to examine the whole picture. When we do we find that..

These words bring to mind four very important truths.. The first truth..

o WE BECOME GOD’S CHILDREN WHEN WE BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST.

The Bible teaches that God created us in His image. He created us for relationship with Him.. and with each other. But the first man and woman He created sinned against Him. They chose not to trust Him.. chose to disobey Him.. and as a result were frightened of Him.. and were alienated from Him.. and lived without God and without hope in this world. And that describes all of us. The Bible says that we have all sinned.. that we are all alienated from God..

But the good news is that God sent His Son, Jesus the Christ, into the world to die in our place.. to take the punishment due to our sin.. so that we could be put right with God.. reconciled to God.. become His children.. through faith in Jesus.

The Apostle John writes in John 1:12,13..

To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God - children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God

And in 1 John 3:1..

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

When we believe in Jesus.. believe He died for us.. turn to Him.. and entrust our lives to Him.. we become children of God.

And we receive the Spirit of God. The Apostle Paul writes..

Romans 8:15,16.. You did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.

What a privilege! There is no privilege like it! It gives meaning to the whole of life. It gives a sense of identity. It gives hope. Pause to say, Thank you!

The next truth that Proverbs 3:11,12 brings to mind is this..

o GOD LOVES HIS CHILDREN ABSOLUTELY.

We know He loves us because of what He did to restore us to His family.. to make it possible for us to repent and return to Him.. and be His children..

The Apostle John writes, This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.. and then says..

1 John 4:10..

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

There is no greater demonstration of love than that. When something ‘bad’ happens to us.. and we begin to doubt that God loves us.. remember this.. turn to the cross.. see the Son of God.. the Creator of the Universe.. dying there for you.. and see how much He loves you.

The Apostle Paul had a very tough life.. given the 39 lashes by hostile people five times.. beaten with rods twice.. stoned and left for dead on one occasion.. On top of that he appears to have had health problems.. bad eyesight.. and ‘a thorn in the flesh’..

Did he doubt the love of God for him? No. He wrote..

Romans 8:38,39.. I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God loves His children absolutely. Believe it. Remember it. Turn often to the cross of Christ to be reminded.

The next truth that Proverbs 3:11,12 brings to mind is this..

o GOD HAS A GLORIOUS FUTURE FOR HIS CHILDREN.

In Romans 8:17 the Apostle Paul points out that if we are children of God.. then we are His heirs.. heirs together with Christ.. His brothers and sisters.. and have a glorious future.. and then says, I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us [Rom 8:18].

The Apostle John also speaks of this glorious future..

1 John 3:2..

Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

Jesus will appear.. come a second time.. in great power and glory.. and when He does.. those who have trusted in Him.. will see Him as He is.. and be like Him.

Paul puts it like this..

Romans 8:29,30..

Those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

There are some great truths here about God. He knows what He is doing. He chooses us. He fulfils His purpose without fail.

His purpose is this.. to conform us to the likeness of His Son.. to make us like Jesus.. and he will achieve it..

Paul says.. those He justified He also glorified.. [past tense – Hebrew way of expressing certainty].. made just like Jesus!

That is our glorious future as children of God.

Remember that often.. ponder it often.. and it will make sense of the many apparently senseless things that happen here.. will help us to cope with suffering and hardship..

The next truth that Proverbs 3:11,12 brings to mind is this..

o GOD PREPARES HIS CHILDREN FOR THAT FUTURE.

God has a glorious future in store for His children.. and here and now prepares His children for it. At the very last minute.. when Jesus comes a second time.. we will be made fully like Him.. but God does not leave it all until then.. He is at work now.. changing us now.. disciplining us now.. preparing us.

Paul writes..

Romans 8:28..

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

God loves us absolutely.. and is at work in all things.. not some things.. all things.. for our good.

And what is that good?

It is to be conformed to the image of Jesus.. to be like Jesus.

What a truth this is! God at work in all things.. to make us like Christ.

The Letter to the Hebrews puts is like this..

Hebrews 12:10..

Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.

God disciplines us.. for our good.. that we may be holy.. be like Christ.

And Jesus Himself.. risen.. ascended.. says to the church in Laodicea..

Revelation 3:19..

Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline.

He is at work now.. in this life.. to prepare us for the glorious future ahead of us.. to prepare us to be with Him.. and like Him.

How does God prepare His people?

Through discipline. How does He do that?

God disciplines His children by rebuking.. correcting.. teaching.. warning.. we see many examples of this in the Old Testament..

And also by allowing us to go through hard times..

The people of Israel spent 40 years in the Sinai wilderness.. kept alive on manna.. Moses described that time to the people.. and said.. Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you [Deut 8:5].

The writer to the Hebrews is writing to people who are being persecuted for their faith. No one has been killed as yet but some have been imprisoned, some have suffered financial loss.

He reminds them in Hebrews 5:8 that even Jesus learned obedience from what He suffered. What a thought!

Then in Hebrews 12:2 he urges them to keep their eyes on Jesus.. who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame..

And then in Hebrews 12:7.. he writes..

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons.

When we go through tough times.. there are many questions.. and few

answers.. Did God allow this.. How can He allow this? Does He love me?

And there are many responses..

Some.. this proves God does not exist.. a loving God would not allow this..

Others blame God and bad name Him.. what sort of a God is He..

Others.. God had nothing to do with this.. but He understands.. because He saw His own Son suffer at the hands of evil people..

But the response the Letter to the Hebrews asks us to make is this..

God has allowed this hardship.. for our good.. to prepare us for heaven. Look up to God… trust Him.. endure hardship as discipline preparing us for heaven.

The story is told of a man who lost his job, a sizable fortune, and his beautiful home.. then his precious wife died.. but he hung on to his faith. One day when he was out walking in search of employment, he stopped to watch some men who were doing stonework on a large church. One of them was chiselling a triangular piece of rock.

'Where are you going to put that?' he asked.

The workman said, 'Do you see that little opening up there near the spire? Well, I'm shaping this stone down here so that it will fit in up there.'

The evangelist who tells the story writes..

Tears filled my friend's eyes as he walked away, for the Lord had spoken to him through that labourer whose words gave new meaning to his troubled situation.

May these four truths..

We become God’s children when we believe in Jesus Christ..

God loves His children absolutely..

God has a glorious future in store for His children..

God prepares His children for that future..

give new meaning to us in the situations we find ourselves in today.

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