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Scripture Reading:  Hebrews 12:1-7

"Whom the Lord Loves, He Corrects"

Intro.

1.  Parental discipline is an expression of love – Prov. 3:11-12.

2.  The fact that God disciplines His children is not in question:  He does – Heb. 12:5-7.

3.  Why God does so is not in doubt, either – Heb. 12:6, 10-11 (His love for us, our improvement…holiness, righteousness…trained by it).  Our responsibility is to accept it & obey Him – 12:9, 11; cf. Deut. 8:5-6.

4.  The question is often, how does God discipline us?

5.  We cannot always identify when God is applying His discipline, but we can be sure that God uses the circumstances of life to educate us, correct us & fashion us (discipline us) into His likeness.

  a.  He certainly did this with the nation of Israel – Jer. 18:1-11.

  b.  He rebukes & chastens us for our salvation – Rev. 3:19.

I.  THROUGH HIS WORD – 2 Tim. 4:2 (Psa. 94:12-15).

  A.  The Scriptures Reprove Us of our Sin – 2 Tim. 3:16 (Heb. 4:12).

    1.  To convict, convince, to bring to the light, to expose – 4:2.

    2.  Better to train ourselves with God’s word than experience sin & death that comes from disobeying God (see principle in 1 Cor. 11:31); 1 Tim. 4:6-8.

  B.  The Scriptures Correct us & Teach Righteous Living, 2 Tim. 3:16-17 (Tit. 2:11-12).  Instruction…edification…maturity (Eph. 4:11-13)

II.  THROUGH LOCAL CHURCH DISCIPLINE.

  A.  Designed to Save the Unrepentant Sinner – 1 Cor. 5:1-5, 9-13 (Matt. 18:16-17). (Local church identifies; Christians remove social contact.)

  B.  Designed to Shame & Warn the Sinner – 2 Ths. 3:14-15.

III.  THROUGH TIMES OF SUFFERING – cf. Heb. 5:7-8.

  A.  Suffering Due to Our Own Sin – cf. 2 Sam. 7:14 (Psa. 89:30-33).

    1.  David’s sin led to much suffering – 2 Sam. 12:10-12.

    2.  Solomon’s sin led to much adversity – 2 Sam. 7:14; 1 Kgs.11:9-14.

    3.  Israel’s sin led to many deprivations – Amos 4:6-12.

      a.  Famine, drought, crop failure, pestilence & disease, wars.

      b.  All of these were occasions for Israel to repent & return to God, but she didn’t learn…Israel refused to be disciplined!

  B.  Suffering Due to the Sins of Others – Heb. 5:7-8 (1 Pet. 2:21-23).

      -Jesus is our example to look to & gain strength from – Heb. 12:2.

  C.  Suffering Due to the Calamities of Life.  (cf. Job)

    1.  Job:  Loss of possessions, death of family & loss of health:  All of these things come to us all at some time in life.

    2.  How do we react?

      a.  Curse God? – Job 2:9

      b.  Trust God? – Job 1:20-22; 2:10

    3.  Physical illness, limitations, etc. – cf. 2 Cor. 12:7-10; 4:16-18.

IV.  THROUGH MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF TRIALS.

  A.  Hostility from Sinners – Heb. 12:3-7 (1 Pet. 4:16).

    1.  It is not a punishment from God to suffer for the sake of righteousness – Matt. 5:10-12; cf. Heb. 5:7-8 (2 Tim. 3:12).

    2.  It is an opportunity to be disciplined – to learn endurance & to grow in our faith, duty & service to Christ – Heb. 12:1-7.

  B.  The Trials of Life Test our Faith – Jas. 1:2-4.

    1.  When faith is tried & tested & endures, it is strengthened –cf. Jas. 1:12 (Prov. 24:10).

    2.  No doubt that God use such occasions to train us – 1 Pet. 1:6-9.

    3.  We can rejoice when facing trials because we know the result is our spiritual strength & reward – Jas. 1:3-4; Rom. 5:3-5.

Conclusion

1.  Either we accept God’s discipline (instructive or corrective) and improve from it, or we reject it, and (being undisciplined) we fall into sin & eternal death – cf. Job 5:17.

2.  Prov. 19:18:  God does not set His heart on our destruction; He disciplines us (teaches us & corrects us) so we will live eternally with Him.