Divine Chastisement

Well, good evening, everyone. Great to see you tonight. So thankful for the great privilege of being here. Your elders, I am just so thankful for already had some very meaningful interaction with them and they've been a tremendous blessing, great encouragement to Cindy and I during these days. As I mentioned to you last night, when I received this assignment last year to speak in this conference on the subject of the love of God, I said, where am I going to go with this? I mean, what references should I really unpack, you know, to be an encouragement to God's people? Because quite honestly, the pastor of the church that I was conducting the conference in, he was real concerned for the saints in his church because they were going through severe trials individually and many of the families were being greatly oppressed by certain testings in their life. And then of course, you know, it was not only maybe a year and a half before the COVID situation hit and everybody just seemed to be under a cloud of thick oppression. So I thought he was a wise pastor in feeling like this is what our people need to encourage them and to supernaturally sustain them during this hardship. And it's interesting, you know, in the last few months, the Lord has given me a number of messages to encourage the saints. This is important, you know, we really believe strongly that God has ordained his word for the salvation of people's souls. And obviously we appreciate good evangelistic preaching where the propitiatory work of Christ is at the center. But at the same time, God's people need to be encouraged. And there's no greater way of encouraging the people of God than to see the love of God in the person and in the work of Christ. You remember the passage there in Hebrews chapter 12, which we'll be looking at tonight, the context, but in verse three, where the writer says, for we are to consider him who endures such contradiction of sinners or railing insults of sinners against himself, lest we be weary and faint in our minds. So a great booing agent that really encourages and strengthens us and causes our head to rise is understanding that what Christ has provided for us in the cross is not only for our redemption, but also for our refreshment, also to sustain us during times of distress and hopelessness. So tonight we're going to look at another subject, another aspect of God's love here in Hebrews chapter number 12. And if you would tonight, take your Bibles and turn there with me, Hebrews chapter 12, beginning in verse number five. I'll be honest with you, I've been a Christian now since 1974. And you know, date is good. It's a good thing to know the date that you were converted. But there are a lot of people that don't have a specific date as to when they were converted. They believed God dealt with their heart, but as far as a day or an hour, some people don't have any recollection. And we got to be real careful at times, because if we put a lot of emphasis on a date, it can really engender a lot of doubt in other people. Some of the greatest saints in church history went to their grave, never knowing exactly the hour of their conversion. But they believed, they continue to believe, and they died in faith. And so I think it's very important. But we need to understand tonight that God does work in us continually, and he does it uniquely in the lives of his people. And oftentimes there are things that we need to be reminded of that will help us in our walk with God. I want you to look with me tonight at the subject of the forgotten factor of discipline. The forgotten factor of discipline. And where I was going with what I said a moment ago was, in all the years of my conversion, quite honestly, I've never heard a message on divine chastisement. Now I've heard some good men, I've heard some preaching where they would touch on it just in passing, but as far as a real solid exposition on nothing from beginning to end on the subject of correction, of God's discipline in the life of a believer, I've never heard a message on that subject. And so it was interesting as I began to study and plumb the depths of this truth of just how the Lord ministered in my heart, and once again going back to while we're sharing these messages, it certainly gave me greater hope in my fellowship with Christ. So tonight if you would, follow with me as I begin reading here in Hebrews chapter 12, beginning in verse number 5. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives. It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us, and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of Spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Let's once again look to the Lord in prayer. Now Father, I thank you for the saints here at Christ Community Church, for this precious faith family. I understand that I am here by divine appointment. I'm grateful for Corey and the elders allowing me to come and share. And Lord, I don't want to come in here like one that beats the air, just preaching aimlessly with no intent of helping your body. I see tonight, Father, the mind of Christ through the fullness of the Holy Spirit. And in light of last night's message, I pray that you would take the field, that there would be a corporate manifestation of the love of God where your people would know their hearts being strangely warmed by the pervasive presence of Almighty God. I pray, O God, tonight that you would encourage those who are distressed that are going through a time of despondency and a deficiency of reality. And Father, that Christ might be so gloriously presented before them and formed beautifully within them, Lord, that they would leave tonight animated by the Spirit, having had their heads lifted, that Christ might be seen and felt and glorified in their life. Please help me now. Help me make this, bring a dimension in this preaching for the next few moments that will really connect with your people to help them. And they'll know they've been helped by you. In Jesus' name. Amen. Well, tonight, you look back at this text here, and you find it is a balm for the beleaguered. We come to this passage that showcases, you'll note, the great love of Christ for his people. You know, this is an amazing thing, to be able to testify with all reality that Christ loved me and gave himself for me. Quite frankly, brothers and sisters, I am entranced by the fact that God so loved the world and gave himself in his Son for it. And I'm certainly enamored with the reality of Ephesians chapter 5, that Christ loved the church and gave himself for her. But I am moved beyond words when I realize that God made me an object of his love. He loved me and gave himself for me. And that's something that once you have experienced that, it's amazing how your perspective and even the very spirit of your life is lived out. My dear friend Paul Washer has said to me no less over the years on four different occasions, with such rapt certainty, he said, Brother Don, if there's one thing I know, and then he'll say, and this is Paul Washer modesty, he said, I don't know very much. But he said, if there's one thing I know, is that Jesus loves me. And he would tell you in a heartbeat that this has made the biggest difference in his life. If you want to know what's behind what has made Brother Paul, what he is, and he would call himself a very weak, pitiful man. But I'll tell you, there's no doubt there's a very distinct unction there, but what is the driving force is that he knows with a spiritual dimension that sadly very few Christians know of today, that he is the object of God's love. And tonight what we want to do is we want to consider the love of God when it comes to God's correction of his people. Think about this for a moment. We should never view God's discipline negatively. This is a powerful, affirming agent to help the people of God. You see, think about this. It is a token of God's steadfast mercy, his love toward his people. You see, the text here shows us how much the Lord cares for us. For it is by his correction that our spiritual adoption is confirmed, and our perseverance in faith is cultivated. We never know, never will we know how indebted to his love we are until we're glorified. You'll only see it in parts. You'll grasp it theologically to a great degree, and you'll have little manifestations of how much God loves you at times just in passing to see how he is so gracious to correct you for your sin. But I'll tell you, when we get to glory and we stand before the Savior, you will be blown away by the infinite mercy of God as manifested in his kindness in disciplining you because he loves you. Think of this for a moment. The testimony of many modern saints is life is difficult. People say that all the time. And what has been amazing to me while being in the Maritimes here in the last almost two weeks is that Christians' lives are just fragmenting, and the people that I never, never thought in my ministry that I've known for over 25 years of ministering in the Maritimes, I never thought would fall away from the faith, now have absolutely no interest in the Savior's blood. And my heart feels for them. I don't stand in judgment against them. I mean these same kind of people across our country. But something's happening. As our brother Paul recently told us as a staff at HeartCry, on two different occasions, he believes that right now in this season, there has been a legion of demonic activity unleashed upon the world. I never thought any of these people would turn their back on Christ and go the way of the world, but it's happening. So it's interesting that many people would say that life is difficult. And you find this in the Scripture in Luke chapter 17 verse 1. Jesus says, offences will come. And in Job chapter 5 verse 7, man is born into trouble as the sparks fly upward. And Paul in Barnabas exhorted in Acts 14 verse 22, we must through tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. You must, brethren, persevere through these things, because if you don't persevere, you'll perish. And God will help you. And I'm all for being reminded of God's scourge, but friend, what is the impetus for my ongoing endurance in my faith, is the beauties that I find in the atoning work of Christ. And that's what you will find as well in your life. You will note in our text here a promise that is made to all his saints. The Lord disciplines the one he loves. It is a promise that no one should overlook. You can ill afford to take this lightly. It's not to be looked upon casually. You'll note here we see that there are four ways, don't miss this now, four ways in the text that professing Christians can respond to God's discipline. And you'll notice the term I use, professing Christians. Because don't miss this tonight. Please take this home with you. Let it sink deep down into your heart, friend. All of life, God is testing the authenticity of your faith. Every trial, whether it's minor or something that is nothing more than a crisis in your life, God is bringing these things in you to try your faith. And so it's interesting, these things come. These tokens of divine love that we call chastisement. And the writer says there are four ways that professing Christians can respond. First of all, you find that often times some people forget. He says there in chapter 12 verse 5, And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons. And the exhortation is whom the Lord loves he chastens. Some people look upon God's correction with contempt, with utter disdain. As it also says in verse 5, My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord. Thirdly, you find some professing believers are wearied by it. It produces great despondency where they just want to give up altogether. And once again it says that in verse 5, My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary, there it is, when reproved by Him. There are three negative reactions, and there's a positive reaction. And you find that in verse number 7, that a true believer, not merely a professor, but someone that knows the reality of saving faith in their life, will endure the trial. Notice he says in verse 7 there, It is for discipline that you have to endure. Because in your endurance, you know that you're the object of God's love as He is treating you as a son. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? Now likewise, when any professing Christian in our day responds negatively to trials, it's interesting, he puts himself at great risk. For example, the entire book of Hebrews is a warning against apostasy from the gospel. Now you've got to hear this now, and I'm not going to try to drag the message out, but you must understand something. When I say apostasy from the gospel, I'm not talking about losing your salvation. Now I'm going to say something, and some of you will immediately respond, and you'll be ready to drag me out into the parking lot and stone me to death. I do not believe in one saved always saved. I believe if saved, always saved. If you're in Christ, you are saved to the uttermost once and forever. But the question today is how many people in our evangelical churches are really truly born again. The entire book of Hebrews is a warning against apostasy. And when we talk about apostasy, we're not talking about losing your salvation, and neither are we talking about, which I believe the Bible makes a strong case for this, biblical backsliding. The backslider at heart is filled with his own ways. Yes, a Christian can lose their grip of reality. But will they continue in sin and rebellion towards God? Not if they're a true Christian. If they're saved, God is administering his love of correction, confrontation, and correction or chastisement upon their life. Hebrews chapter 10 and verses 38 and 39 warns of the consequence of negatively responding to God's correction. God says, but my righteous one shall live my faith. Those who have had righteousness imputed to them will live my faith. But if this professing person, if they shrink back, as the ESV says, if they shrink back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But the writer says, we, and you'll notice that he includes himself, but we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls. Now the old King James says, we're not like those who draw back into perdition. And understand that the word perdition means an irrecoverable fate. Are you with me now? Listen, track with me. I believe if a person has the light of the gospel, they understand the way of salvation, they yield to it accordingly, they believe that Christ died for sinners, they believe in the propitiatory, fully satisfied work of Christ, that Christ satisfied the wrath of God once and forever. And they attest to faith in that gospel. If they fall back into perdition, which means an irrecoverable fate. You recall that the writer of Hebrews in Hebrews chapter 6 says, it is impossible to renew them again and to repentance. Now here's the thing you need to understand. Sometimes we might think that a person has apostatized from the gospel, that there's no hope for them. But you're not God. Sometimes what seems to you to be such hardness of heart after they've been introduced to the gospel, I've seen people, God suddenly comes upon them and saves them. A miraculous transformation. So take hope tonight. You are not God. You can't assess someone as to whether or not they've apostatized from the gospel, but it's a definite warning for you. God said there are people who have been introduced to the light of the gospel. If they spurn that after they've attested to faith in Christ and fall away, drawing back into perdition, it is impossible to renew them again and to repentance. So what is the positive response of a true believer? He endures. Don't always enjoy enduring. It's painstaking. It's encumbering. But the only reason, brothers and sisters, that you persevere in faith is because you're being preserved by the power of God. The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation. And in the context there, of all people, he's talking about a lot. Now let me move on, and I'll quickly give you a few things to consider, and then we'll pray and go home. But I want you to listen carefully now. The expression shrink back here represents an adverse response. In Hebrews 10, 38 and 39. It means literally to cower from or to neglect. You remember what he says in that epistle warning in Hebrews 2 and verse 3? How shall we escape if we reject so great a salvation? No, if we neglect it. If we're indifferent toward it. And that's the prelude to spiritual declension that could lead to utter apostasy from the gospel. You see, they profess, but they don't possess. Consequently, they forget the exhortation of discipline. Sometimes they're indifferent toward it, and sometimes they're wearied by it. But by shrinking back so as to remain in a state, listen now, a state of neglect, they imperil their soul. Remaining in any of these conditions, those three we mentioned a moment ago that are negative responses. Remaining in any of those conditions proves that their faith is not real and will ultimately lead to a falling away or apostasy. This is seen, once again, in that warning of Hebrews 2 and verse 3. But on the other hand, what is the response of someone that is enduring temptation and pressing on with God? The writer Paul, in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 2, says that they are ever keeping in mind the gospel. Remember that text? Listen to what it says. He says, concerning the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, those beauties of the atonement that are the very basis of our faith. He says, these you are being saved by if you hold fast to the word unless you believe in vain. So think about this quickly. If a person who professes faith in Jesus endures God's loving correction, don't look upon it as difficult or hard, friend. It is a loving correction. These are overtures of God's love. Side note. His correction many times manifests itself in a corrective way of dealing with his children and sometimes it's a preventative way to keep you from sin. It may be a physical malady. It may be a broken relationship. It may be something going on in your home that's very difficult for you to bear and yet God's doing it to protect you. When I go out and I preach and do conferences, I'm saying, Lord, please help me. Help me to connect with the people. Most importantly, I pray that you might use my message to connect with the people. And I pray that when I was recently in Florida, I said, Lord, please help me. And he always says, just reminds me, he said, have I ever disappointed you? I said, never, Lord. So I sat in the pulpit that night and friend, I tell you, literally as I preach, my words were just falling to the ground. All I was doing is spitting out bricks. It wasn't connecting with the people I was preaching to. And I was floundering, I was struggling, but I got through the message and I just wanted to go sit down. I just totally wrung out. Next morning in our heart cry prayer meeting, about 18 staff, you know, we're praying together. And I just was still reeling from the night before because I felt like God had failed me. I said, why, why God did you back off? I mean, my conscience was pure before God and man. Why is it that you backed off? And I was honest in our prayer meeting. And when we finished our prayer meeting, immediately, Paul, my brother, Paul spoke up and he said, Don, God didn't fail you last night. What do you mean? The reason God allowed you to flounder is to save you from you. To save you from your pride. And he was right. Sometimes you wonder why you struggle and why does that feel so out of sync? And it's like God says, I don't want you to build up and mistake. Trust in me or confidence in you as trust in me. And this is a prayer we pray constantly at heart cry. God, protect our missionaries from evil men. God, please protect our donors. Watch over these people, save their children, save many of them who are not Christians. But here's our greatest prayer is, oh, God, would you please save us as a staff from us? Save us from us. Because unless he does, friend. I can't imagine the outcome. So I move quickly here. Let me give you once again, just three or four points again tonight. First of all, in verse six, the first thing I want you to see is God's love is never conditioned by our walk. Never conditioned by your walk. You know what? Listen, there are some of you tonight as good a theology as you're subjected to by your elders. The music that our brother Daniel leads you in, the expositions that the elders lead you in. Listen, friend, we still tend to equate our spirituality with our performance. And we think, listen, depending on how well I fare, how rich my prayer life is, how much I'm getting out of my Bible reading, how well I'm faring in ministry, determines God's love for me. Don't believe for a minute his love is fixed upon you. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son whom he receives. There is no abate of his love towards you, brothers and sisters. No matter what you do. Now, if you continue in sin, yes, that's something that needs to be addressed. It's something you need to be concerned about. But listen, no matter how much you flounder and fail and at times stumble and fall, we're not talking about perfection. We're talking about perseverance. But there's no abate of his love. He doesn't love you any less. You see, the Father's love is unconditional. It does not fluctuate based on our obedience or disobedience. I don't know if you've read Jerry Bridges' book, The Discipline of Grace. Powerful. Probably the greatest, in my opinion, of all of his books. They're so life-giving. But in there, he gives the illustration of good days versus bad days. So here, let me just give you a little preview here. Here is a good day in the life of Don Curran. I start my morning anywhere from 4 to 4.30 in the morning to do all my spiritual disciplines. And then my wife calls me to breakfast after our heart cry prayer meeting at 7 o'clock. And we have a rich devotional time around the table. And this is good for me. Cindy and I will spar over theology. Not very often, but we have different perspectives, but it's good for us. And then we have our prayer time. And now I'm out to do my duties during the day. I pastor, I co-pastor a church, a little church in Sheffield, Alabama. Plus do it working with heart cry, my itinerant ministry. And so I'm out running errands and doing... And all of a sudden, I go out and get in the car to run my errands. And I just really feel like I've had a great prayer time that morning, devotional time, and a good worship time with my wife. And here I am going to town, and I'm running these errands. And you know what? I have such liberty. I'm cut off on the highway. And when I'm cut off, no problem. I'm having a good day. Listen, I don't utter anything of a negative nature toward that person who has been so rude to cut me off. And I go to town, and man, it's amazing. I feel just liberty in witnessing, and I share my faith. And I come back that afternoon, and I read for a while, or I answer some emails. And then that night, after supper, as I'm beginning to wind down to go to bed, I'm thinking to myself, good day. Been a good day. Well, next day, I stayed up too late the night before. I get up later. I feel rushed. Start reading my Bible. It's like a closed book to me. I'm rereading some things. There's something in here, and I can't decipher it. I try to meditate, and it's like there's a block there. And then I pray. It's like the heavens are brassed over, and my prayers are being repelled. I'm frustrated. I feel out of sync. And so I go over to the breakfast table, and my wife and I are talking about what we're doing in the course of the day, and something comes up. And we don't just have a dispute over it, we start to argue. And things aren't reconciled. And I go get my shower to go to town, and when I go out and get in the car, you know, I'm on edge. And here I am going out on 72, and this time, this morning, somebody cuts me off once again, and I mouth some very unkind words under my breath. I go to town. I don't feel like being a witness. I have an opportunity of sharing my faith with someone. I don't want to open my mouth because the devil's whispering in my ear, you're a hypocrite if you do. And I come home that afternoon, I'm wrung out emotionally, and I go out and sit in my recliner in my office, and I can't read, I'm distracted. And that night before I go to bed, I think to myself, bad day. Bad day. But here's the thing, friend. When you look at it from the economy of Calvary, every day is a good day. Because your days and God's love for you are not based on your performance, but His propitiation. And that's encouraging. God's love knows no abate towards you. You see, here is a powerful impetus for overcoming fear, unbelief, and depression. The great incentive toward Christ's likeness, brothers and sisters, is unconditional, unchangeable love. Being that is eternally fixed upon you and I, God's love, it never falters in response to what we do. Never. Every day is a great day because His love never ceases. It is eternally fixed. Number two. Another thing you see in the text here is God's love motivates us to endure. Verse number seven. It is for discipline that you have to endure. So God's love is behind it all. And I continue, even when I sin against God in my heart or in a relationship or with my words, God administers His love by correcting me. There was a former professor at Columbia Bible College by the name of Dr. Frank Sales. And a friend of mine who was a pastor in Rocky Mountain, North Carolina, every month he and a group of pastors would go down to take this old man, a godly man, a seasoned saint out to lunch just to pick his brain. And one day my friend Glenn said to Dr. Frank, Dr. Frank, were you ever tempted to run around with that wild crowd of the world when you were a kid, when you were a teenager? Were you ever tempted to run around with that wild, hilarious crowd that were bent on living for carnal things? And you know what Dr. Sales says? He said, no, Brother Frank, I never was. They listen on. And this is what he said. The reason I never was tempted to go the way of that crowd is because I had so much fun with my daddy. I had so much fun with my daddy. And to me, here's the concept, friend. To have so much fun with your heavenly Father, to enjoy His presence, is the greatest deterrent to you wandering away from Him. Father, let's have fun today. My wife told me, she said, you know, honey, when I was growing up in her home, my dad, if I got in trouble, if I was tempted to do something that was wrong, he warned me what to expect. He tried to instill fear in my heart as a deterrent to unrighteousness. But my mama, she loved me. She was so kind and loving to me. And what kept me from disobedience and evil was the loving embrace of my mama. I could not bear the thought that I would hurt my mama's heart. There's a difference. Not saying we should not correct our children. Not saying we should not discipline our children, friend. But it's got to go beyond that. They got to know how madly in love we are with them. So it is with the Father. Amen. Meditating upon the objectives of God's love, brothers and sisters, discipline, His loving discipline, stokes, stokes, how about that word, it stokes desire to change. You see, the tokens of His love in the text motivate us to please Him. Now notice some of these tokens very quickly. You find first of all the word discipline. That's an interesting word now in verse 6. What does it mean? It carries with it the connotation to watch over or to care for. And you think if you read in your English Bible, it means that God's going to get His big stick out and strike you and beat you half to death. And it may be severe as discipline. But the word itself here means to watch over. God is concerned for you, He cares. And the idea in the use of the word is to train. He's loving to train you. Secondly, there is the word receives in verse 6. Note this now. Which encompasses a longing, listen, this is what the word means, a longing to delight in. God's applying the pressure in your life because He's trying to cultivate in you obedience because He longs to delight in you even more. Another token of His love found in the text is in the word good in verse 10. Notice this. Other translations use the word prophet. But once again, the word carries with it the idea of affectionate care. Here is God revealing continuously His affection toward His people. And then finally, you see the fathers tend to care in the word fruit. The fruit that it produces. Don't miss this brethren, listen. The writer uses the expression the peaceable fruit of righteousness. And you will notice, men and women, that it does not say work of righteousness indicating something reaped from self-initiative or self-efforts. Rather, fruit here is the outcome, watch now, of the father's loving nurture as pictured in John 15-2. Listen to it now, you remember? John 15-2, when Jesus said, every branch that does not bear fruit, He prunes that it may bear more fruit. This is what He's after. In other words, this is the product of enduring. Arthur Pynch says, It's not the absence of sin, but the grieving over it which distinguishes the child of God from an empty profession. So let me ask you a question, can you just sin at will and take joy in it and never grieve over it? The greatest advice I can give you tonight is give diligence to make your calling and election sure. Because there's a very good chance that you're not truly born again. You grieve over your sin. Number three, here's another thing I want you to see quickly. God's love, so important. Always profits for the partaking of His holiness. For the partaking of His holiness. God's love always profits for the partaking of His holiness. Look at verse 10. But He disciplines us for our good that we may share, participate, partake in His holiness. Now this is important. Listen, just a brief commentary. The very words, but He disciplines us for our good denotes a constant love. You see friend, it incites us to endure, share in His holiness, and yield the fruit of righteousness. Here's the thought behind what I'm saying here. Often God is portrayed in preaching or parenting as an abusive authority. We don't mean to do that, many of us. But the way we handle our children and the disposition that we meet out of discipline portrays God as an abusive authority. But this very portrayal sucks the very life out of any child of God to walk uprightly. To give the impression that God is strict, a strict father just waiting for his children to step out of line will discourage the child of God. Now please listen. Here's the balance. Ted Tripp, the author of Shepherding a Child's Heart said, rules without a relationship equals rebellion. Rules without a relationship equals rebellion. So some of us, our dads were like this. Some of us perhaps were like this. I went through a season of my life that I thought this was the right way. I set up all type of parameters. I made all kind of rules. I'm not saying rules were wrong. But I totally negated my responsibility either through being preoccupied with other things and not taking my parenting seriously to really cultivate a relationship with my children. This may be the very reason why so many believers in this modern era are so unfaithful in their walk with God. Think about it. We're almost finished. Listen. They view God as a tyrant or harsh taskmaster who carries a rod of severity just waiting for them to commit the slightest infraction. Watch it. Be firm in your discipline. Do the necessary correcting. But once you do it, friend, don't stop there. Do everything you can to build a relationship that's predicated upon love. That's what the Father's after. Number four. Remember that God's love may be severe, but it's not punitive. You say, what do you mean by that? Look at verse 11 first of all. For the moment, all discipline seems painful. I remember one time I spanked my second son. Aaron's a pastor down in Clearwater, Florida now. But it's the funniest thing, you know. I spanked him. I spanked him pretty hard. And later that day, he did something that was just as bad, just as disobedient. Spanked him again. Next day, he comes dancing up to his mom. Got this smile on his face. He said, Mom, you know what Dad disciplined me for? I spanked you yesterday. And she said, Yes Aaron, I remember. He said, I just want you to know that the soreness of the spanking yesterday kept me from making the same mistake today. Well, there's pain. But there needs to be a love that accompanies the pain. Now here's my point when I say God's love may be severe, but it's not punitive. Think about this. God's correction is administered to transform us. Not to cast us out. Not to reject us. Not to stiff arm us. It's to correct or transform us. It's purpose, watch this now brethren, is never intended to punish His children or make them pay for their sins. Christ has done that. This is important. Now listen. While some methods of discipline are harder and more difficult than others, we should never think that the severity of the correction is because God demands payment. The payment has been made to telestai. That's what Christ heralded that the English translations translate paid in full or it is finished. Christ's propitiation is sufficient for the Father. Therefore we should not demand any self-inflicted punishment to atone for them. It is surely sufficient for me. It is surely sufficient for me. If the blood of Christ is sufficient for God, it is surely sufficient for me. You see there were saints in Scripture that were disciplined severely, but it was not an end in itself. Moses forfeited his ministry when he misrepresented God before the children of Israel in Numbers 20, but was permitted to see the land before he died. David incurred a prolonged season of pain as he witnessed the deaths of four of his sons, but he is restored to God's favor. Samson suffered the loss of his strength, his sight, and his sense of God's presence, but his name is recorded in the Hall of Faith. Remember friend, God's love always profits that he might produce holiness in his children. When he does these things, not out of a reaction because he is angry with us, because his discipline is not punitive. He is not punishing, but he is seeking to correct, to transform us into the likeness of his Son. He is not after retribution, but restoration. Now quite frankly, that ought to have us dancing in the streets. I defy Pentecostal doctrine, but sometimes I like the form of worship. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. So here's what I wrap things up with. Listen, we must not think of correction as a display of God's anger. Never. His love is eternally fixated on you. When the Father chastens, he doesn't do it out of frustration. His intention is never to exasperate, but to confirm, listen to this, confirm our sonship. He's doing it because you are his. He invokes soul-preserving endurance, watch now, enables us to share in his holiness and seeks to produce the peaceable fruit of righteousness in us. If God is for us, who can be against us? So think, to comprehend the love of God and discipline will afford a refuge for perplexed saints. And this is exciting. It is a glorious thing when God puts his love on display. And that is exactly what he does when he disciplines his children. Listen to this now. The words in verse 6, For the Lord disciplines the one he loves. He loves. That's worth its weight in gold. For it's promise, it's a promise that promotes endurance to the saving of the soul. So he disciplines me to perpetuate my commitment to him. He disciplines me to preserve my soul from perdition, an irrecoverable fate, apostasy. It's God. The only reason I persevere is because he preserves by his power and his love. So remember this. God's loving discipline may be severe, but it's not punitive. He's not out punishing you. Christ took your punishment. Rejoice, saints. Think about it. Rejoice, saints, that the chastisement of your peace was laid upon him once and for all and not daily required of you. Once and for all, laid on Christ. Therefore, to see the love of God portrayed in the death of his son gives me every incentive in my life to live my life in the glory of his grace. Amen. Let's pray together. Thank you, Father, for your people. Oh God, thank you for these great truths, this living reality of these overtures of your love. Many of these testings and trials and even crises in our lives are given for correction. And some of them are given as preventative agents to keep us from evil. So Father, we're satisfied with how you're constantly, you're faithfully meeting out these tokens of love to help your people, to know how much you care, how much your love is fixed, that not for a moment is anything done as an act of punitive reaction. But you're doing these things to correct us that we might be a partaker of your holiness, which is none other than being conformed to the image of your Son. Oh God, thank you for your love. Thank you, Father, that we have a God that cares for us. Does Jesus care? Oh, yes, he cares. And we're thankful, Father, that you've proven that. I bless you tonight that our perseverance is not based on our performance, but the propitiatory work of Jesus Christ. Help us to glory in that accordingly. Encourage your people. Help us, Lord, tonight to leave with a spring in our step within our hearts, to know such joy that we have a Father that cares and loves us indescribably. In Jesus' name, amen. Record if you would come.