Tag Archives: discipline

WHAT IF GOD HAS NOT SAID…?

Christian Life, ,

I can think of many things that God said in His Word that have given us reason to have confidence in the outcome of our faith in Him. Take for example, His stance on sin. What if He has never said, “Your sins and your iniquities I will remember no more.”

Jeremiah 31:34 NIV
[34] “No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

What a promise, spoken to Israel in the Old Covenant and ratified by Jesus in the New!

God’s explanation for suffering is another huge “light bulb” for us in our daily struggles. Problem is, first, that we so often ask questions without looking for answers in the Word and second, we don’t realise how serious God is about making us holy.

People have written books without number about suffering, to justify believers’ bad experiences in life. Unbelievers hold God responsible for their troubles. “Why did God let this happen…why did He do this to me?” as though God made them sin with its consequences so that He could punish them…a very good excuse not to believe in Him!

We don’t need “wise theologians” to write tomes to exonerate God for suffering when God Himself gave us His reason for our hardships.

Hebrews 12:5-11 NLT
[5] And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, “My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. [6] For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” [7] As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? [8] If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. [9] Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever? [10] For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. [11] No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.”

Sin is a serious issue to God. He sent His own beloved Son to take care of the debt humanity owes Him for sin. He left no stone unturned to save us from our own self-destruction. He explained the importance of dying to our old self-gratifying ways. Our station in eternity depends on overcoming the ravages of our old nature.

We know what happens when children are left to themselves, when parents indulge their every whim and fail to train them to be mature and responsible adults. Wise Solomon had much to say about training children. Perhaps he saw his own father’s indulgence and the consequences.

Proverbs 29:15 NLT
[15] “To discipline a child produces wisdom, but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child.”

Proverbs 23:13-14 NIV
[13] “Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish them with the rod, they will not die. [14] Punish them with the rod and save them from death.”

If our natural children need drastic measures to keep them from destroying themselves, how much more do God’s children need discipline to save us from eternal loss.

Romans 8:12-13 NIV
[12]” Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. [13] For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.”

What does God mean by “dying”and “living”? There is an eternal realm, the kingdom of God, in which we shall have a part if we learn, in this life, to submit to and obey our heavenly Father. He stated clearly, more than once, that without holiness, no one will see Him. Every time we sin thoughtlessly, we move farther from intimacy with God and nearer to eternal separation from Him.

Sin cuts us off from fellowship with God. If we persist in living sinful lives, Jesus said, He will eventually disown us and send us away.

Matthew 7:22-23 NLT
[22] “On judgment day, many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ [23] But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’ “

However, what if God had not told us why He allows us to suffer in this life! We would come up with all sorts of explanations and justifications but never really know God’s purpose for our suffering. We would not understand how much God hates sin, how sin prevents us from having fellowship with Him, our holy God, and what measures He has taken to ensure that we are ready for our role in His eternal kingdom.

Knowing God’s purpose for our hardships makes all the difference between resistence and rebellion or even fear of punishment, and our willingness to submit to His discipline without question.

I think that the worst way in which we can react to suffering is to blame the devil! We even think that Satan is more powerful than God or that he can harm us without God’s permission or intervention. The book of Job should put paid to that lie!

The Apostle Paul discovered the best and most reassuring solution to the issue of suffering.

Romans 8:28-29 NIV
[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. [29] For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.”

Armed with this assurance, of both God’s unassailable sovereignty and His glorious purpose, suffering and hardship take on a new meaning in this life.

We are God’s dearly-loved children. Our suffering is not random, mindless, or meaningless. He is training us for our role in eternity. He wants sons and daughters like His own Son. He will do what it takes to make us holy and like Jesus. He has promised us not only grace to endure and overcome but also assurance that He Himself will finish what He started.

God will test every facet of our faith in Him through trials of every kind until we pass every test with unshakeable confidence in His love and goodness, no matter what He calls us to suffer.

Armed with knowledge and understanding, we can embrace our suffering with joy because we are absolutely secure in God’s love.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NIV
[16] “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. [17] For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. [18] So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

THE BOOK OF ACTS – THE WORD OF GOD PROSPERED

Bible Study, , ,

THE WORD OF GOD PROSPERED

“They went ahead and chose — Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, Nicolas, a convert from Antioch. Then they presented them to the apostles. Praying, the apostles laid on hands and commissioned them for their work.

“The Word of God prospered. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased dramatically. Not least, a great many priests submitted themselves to the faith.” Acts 6:5b-7 (The Message).

The church…what was it? An organization, or an organism? It must have begun as an organism. Jesus didn’t start with a committee or a council — He began with twelve followers and taught and imparted to them everything He could about the way God runs things in His universe so that they would come under His rule themselves and bring others who would believe in Him under His authority.

When He returned to the Father, having reconciled alienated sons to the Father through His death, He gave them the same Person who directed and empowered Him throughout His earthly life to live in them and perpetuate His life through them.

Like any human family, the infant church needed fathers to protect, lead and teach them and mothers to nurture them. As the needs arose so the apostles guided the people along the growth process. Sometimes, like any immature child, they needed discipline. All the while, the church was growing numerically and spiritually.

The evidence of God’s favour on His church was the unusual spurts of increase whenever a new phase was successfully negotiated. Every problem, sparked by the old human nature rearing its head, for example greed, as with Ananias and Sapphira, and racism, as happened with the distribution of food to the widows, became an opportunity to bring God’s way of doing things into the situation.

The church submitted to the leadership of the apostles who wisely consulted with the people but, at the same time, exercised their authority and issued the instructions which the people carried out. They were recognized and honoured as their legitimate leaders and no-one rebelled against them by setting up rival leadership.

Why did the early church function so well? The Apostle Paul’s letter to the Corinthian church gives us a clue. There were problems in the church. Paul put his finger on the root cause. “I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.” 1 Corinthians 1:10 (NIV).

Why were there cracks in this group of believers? “My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, ‘I follow Paul’; another, ‘I follow Apollos’; another, ‘I follow Cephas’; still another, ‘I follow Christ.’ Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?” 1 Corinthians 1:11-13 (NIV).

When a leader wittingly or unwittingly connects people to himself instead of to Jesus, he sets up the potential for competition in the Body which will inevitably lead to the fracturing of unity which is exactly what the devil wants. Destroy the unity and you destroy the power of the church’s witness.

The answer? Jesus said, ‘Follow me,’ not anyone else. “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith…” Hebrews 12:2a (NIV).

MOLLY AND ME – SUSPICION

Christian Life, , ,

Strange, isn’t it, that my little dog who loves me and who, seemingly. can’t get enough of me, should be suspicious of me, and yet she is.

I see it in her eyes when, at times she wants to sit on my lap but, when I bend down to pick her up, she moves away and won’t come near enough for me to reach her.

“Molly, what have I done to make you suspicious of me?” my heart cries out. Of  course, she’s a dog, not a human, and does not understand when I stop her from doing something that would harm her. I put on her harness when we go walking because I dare not let her run free in the street; I pull her away from old chicken bones or decaying food that she sniffs out and would love to chew because I know they will harm her.

Molly does not understand that I always have her health and well-being in mind when I put boundaries around her. If I were to let her have her own way all the time, she would surely destroy herself before sundown! Restrictions and discipline are not the evidence of enmity but of my fierce and protective love for her.

Are we no so like Molly in many ways?

God chose Jeremiah before he was born to be His prophet to the nations. However, this great privilege came with a price. God warned him that his message would stir up hatred against him. His own people would not understand God’s intentions towards them. They would hound him and persecute him despite his love for his people. Instead of gratitude for God’s warnings and response to His love, they would try to silence the voice that brought the message.

Jeremiah is known as “the weeping prophet” because his people, led by the rebellious and wicked kings of Judah, refused to hear him and did all they could to destroy him. Eventually, Jeremiah turned on God, bewailing the fate that God warned him would happen, In response to his bitter complaint, God said, “Jeremiah, why are you suspicious of me? Take back your words and I will be with you and protect you, just as I promised.”

Likewise, Jesus warned His disciples (and us) that trouble and hardships in this life are inevitable but we complain when trouble comes and turn on God for abandoning us. forgetting that Solomon said, in the book of Proverbs, that God uses these circumstances to discipline us because of His love. He cannot allow us to run amok – we will surely destroy ourselves just as Molly would without restraint.

How kind and gracious of the Father to allow trials and hardships to come our way. Without them, we would forget Him and our need for Him. Jesus must keep us on a leash to remind us that, without Him we can do nothing.

Throw off your suspicion when you don’t understand why you are suffering, Trust in the everlasting love of God because He would never do or allow anything that will harm you. When you cannot see His hand, trust His heart. Run to Him, not from Him because He assures you and me.

“I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can people do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5b-6).    

MOLLY AND ME – FEAR

Christian Life, , ,

Molly has developed an irrational fear.

For some reason that I cannot understand, she is terrified of my fly swatter. Whenever I swat a fly (and they come in droves, uninvited, when I start to cook dinner) or kill a mosquito, she runs into my neighbour’s house (I live in a granny flat on the property of my son’s parents-in-law) and jumps onto her lap for protection.

Now, Molly has never been abused because I bought her from a breeder at the age of 6 weeks. I have never disciplined her physically, so she has no reason to be afraid of me. In every other way, she trusts me and is affectionate towards me to the point of being clingy at times when I have been out for a while.

Once again, she reminds me of many believers, including me in the past, who mistakenly believer, through ignorance, that difficulties and hard times in our lives mean that God is punishing us for something we have done. We are afraid of God; we don’t trust Him because we think that He is waiting to give us a hard time because of sin.

Satan has a field day in our minds. We hear his accusing voice when we have sinned and we believe the guilt we feel because we are ignorant of the truth. What is the truth?

So now, there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And, because you belong to Him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death (Rom 8:1-2 – NLT).

When Jesus died on the cross, He paid the penalty for all the sin of all people for all time. God is not angry with us when we sin, but sin does disrupt our fellowship with Him. We must acknowledge that He is right and we are wrong when we have sinned and receive the forgiveness and cleansing of the blood of Jesus that He freely gives us (1 John 1:9).

Why does God allow us to have hardships in our lives if it is not punishment for sin? The writer to the Hebrews gives us the answer.

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? …Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines is for our good, that we might share in His holiness (Heb. 12:7, 10 – NIV).

God passionately longs that we trust Him so implicitly that we never doubt His love, even when we go through hard times. It is in the difficulties we face that we learn that, in all things, He is working for our good that we might become like Jesus, the perfect Son who always trusted His Father’s love, even when He was crucified.

How can I communicate to Molly that I love her and that I would never do anything to hurt her. She does not understand my language and I cannot speak “dog”! I can only demonstrate my love by showing her in my actions that whatever I do is for her good – even to killing the flies that contaminate her food.

But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners (Rom. 5:8 – NLT).

God wants us to trust that love when trouble and hardships come so that we live our lives every day without fear.

And, as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So, we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face Him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced His perfect love (1 John 4:17-18). 

 

MOLLY AND ME – DISCIPLINE

Christian Life, , ,

At fourteen months, I guess it’s normal for Molly to have a little trouble with discipline. Like all human children, she also has a mind of her own.

The problem, though, is that she doesn’t know what is good for her. If she had her way, she’d chew every old bone, or bit of discarded food she finds on the pavement when we take our daily walk or, worse still, she’d sample every bit of rubbish that smells “good” to her, no matter whether it is harmful or not.

Fortunately for her (and for my peace of mind, I might add), our home is inside a walled garden from which there is no escape. She is never allowed outside the property except when she is securely under my control with harness and leash.

She sometimes obeys my commands like, “Sit,” when there is a treat being offered or, “Take your bone to your bed,” when I am on my way out and she gets a bone to chew while I am away. However, like a young child, she still falls short on obedience most of the time.

Why is it so important for her to learn to obey? An unruly puppy, like an unruly child, is a danger to herself. If I allowed her to do as she pleases, she would not last long in this world. For example, small as she is, it is her ambition to take on every dog in the neighbourhood, big or small, Fortunately for her, apart from my control, they are either behind a high wall and a strong gate or held securely on a leash by their owners.

Humans, from birth, have an inbred capacity to destroy ourselves. It all began with Adam. Lured by the promise of being “like God”, regardless of what God had instructed him, he fell for the lie that doing his own thing was good for him… and our world as it is today, is the result.

Believe it or not, God knows far better than we do what is good for us. Since He is our Creator and He loves us with a passion we will never understand, the whole world of us, good or bad, He has set the boundaries within which we can live in peace, safety and happiness. However, like self-willed puppies and toddlers, we test those boundaries because we neither love Him more than ourselves nor trust His love for us.

Discipline… obedience… trust… these are closely linked together. The writer to the Hebrews encourages his readers to trust the Father enough to submit to His discipline because, not only does He want to save us from ourselves but in doing so, He is slowly transforming us from wayward and unruly brats into sons and daughters who resemble Him and are fit to live in His presence

eternally.

…Have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as His 

children? He said, “My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when He corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes each one He accepts as His child.

As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as His own children.Whoever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father?

… Since we respected our earthly father who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits and live forever?

For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in His holiness. (Hebrews 12:5-7; 9-10) 

In all animal society, there are boundaries that each generation must learn in order to survive in the wild. Molly is only a dog. She knows nothing of God and His love for her but, like all creatures, she must submit to my discipline if she is to live with me in peace.

I you and I are members of God’s family, we are serving our apprenticeship on earth for an eternal home with the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. How important it is for us to submit to the hardships that are part of daily life and trust the Father to work in all things for our good so that He can prepare us to live with Him forever.

 

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