Before
I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Your word. Psalm 119:67
NKJV
“Just wait until your
father comes home”! Those words, of
course, were the most dreaded any of my siblings or I ever wanted to hear. Unfortunately, I seem to recall hearing them
quite a lot as I was growing up. I also
have plenty of memories of the judgment I received for a few of my more notable
transgressions. Yet I truthfully can
never recall receiving correction that wasn’t well deserved, nor punishment
that didn’t fit the crime. The lasting
effect of loving correction was to awaken in me the realization that if I
failed to follow the path expected of me, judgment would swiftly follow.
A
fact that seems to escape many believers today is the stated principle in the
Word of God that our Father will correct us in exactly the same way if we stray
from the path He expects us to walk on.
While most would agree that the Bible spells out exactly what the
Father’s expectations are concerning how we are to live our lives as His
children, many would also dispute that much of what we would consider troubles
in this life are actually God’s attempts to correct and/or discipline us for
not following His Word. If you look
closely at the passage from Psalms, notice the progression David shares with
us. He chose not to keep God’s Word, he
went astray, and the Father afflicted him.
“And
you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons:
“My son, do not despise
the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
For whom the LORD
loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” Hebrews 12:5-6 NKJV
“My
son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor detest His correction;
For
whom the LORD loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights.” Proverbs 3:11-12 NKJV
chastening
mûwçâr… properly, chastisement; figuratively,
reproof, warning or instruction
David,
although he knew better, made the choice to ignore God’s instruction and go astray. What resulted was God’s judgment on him as a
means of correction with the expectation that he would realize his mistake and
choose to follow God’s instruction. Something
I slowly figured out as I started to study scripture as a young believer is something
I like to call the rule of opposites. I suppose it goes something like this; in
the Christian life there is no middle ground, or gray areas where we can “negotiate” with God. Either we do as
God desires, or we do the complete opposite. I suppose there are many examples in life we
could use to illustrate this principle such as black and white, up and down, or
simply good and evil. I think you begin to get the picture. Yet as a believer I
find myself looking at things in in a way many might consider overly simplistic.
You see, in my way of thinking, we either do it God's way or Satan's way.
I
think it entirely possible that statement might offend some, yet if you think
about it, isn't it a logical conclusion? The Bible tells us, and certainly
illustrates by many examples, that God looks at our behavior in just this way.
Either we do as He commands, or we follow Satan’s alternative. Remember that
old classic song “I Did It My Way”? The truth is, it wasn't really your way it
was Satan's way if it didn't follow God's way. I have always been troubled by
believers who seem to think there is nothing wrong with ignoring God's commands
if they can somehow “justify” their behavior in their own minds, as if it is
possible to negotiate with God! Notice how children try to negotiate with you
in order to get what they want? Unfortunately, God has a message for His
children who think they can get Him to change His mind.
“Behold,
happy is the man whom God corrects; Therefore do not despise the chastening of
the Almighty. For He bruises, but He binds up; He wounds, but His hands
make whole.” Job 5:17-18 NKJV
We
should never forget that Satan’s first attack in the Garden of Eden was to cast
doubt on the Word of God. He still uses
the same tactic today as the world will tell us that God didn’t really mean
what He said and we can feel comfortable changing the Word to conform to
whatever it is we wish it to say. The
unfortunate reality is that God’s children often choose to ignore His Word and
wander in another direction. Equally
unfortunate is the fact that just like children, some are easily turned back by
gentle correction while others are stubborn and place themselves in a position
to receive a more severe discipline from the Father. The passages above should make it abundantly
clear that God will not hesitate to judge and discipline his children for
disobedience when it is deserved.
Looking to the world for answers or guidance in dealing with the
problems we might face in this life will lead to only one inescapable result
and that is correction and discipline from God.
“knowing
this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to
their own lusts, and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For
since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the
beginning of creation." For this they willfully forget: that by the word
of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the
water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water.” 2 Peter
3:3-6 NKJV
I
personally find this to be one of the most depressing passages in the Bible.
Why? Because if you study the context of the entire book, you find that Peter
is describing the problems that will arise in the Church in the last days, and
the "scoffers"
he is talking about are actually believers. How is it possible that someone who
says their hope is in God and claims to be a believer, could doubt the very
promise we have been given concerning His return? For the very reason Paul tells
us about in Romans.
“I
beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your
bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable
service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and
perfect will of God.”
Romans
12:1-2 NKJV
They
choose to do the 'unreasonable"
thing by letting their actions be controlled by "their own lusts",
and as we know by now if your actions aren't controlled by God, they are
obviously controlled by Satan. To some that might sound harsh, but the reality
is that the rule of opposites applies. Either we put our lives under God's
control as a "reasonable" (logical) decision, or we go the other
way. We either look to God’s Word for
answers, or to the world which is controlled by the evil one. Peter, Paul,
David, and many others throughout the Word make it clear that the unfortunate
result for those who choose the wrong way is God's judgment. God may delay, but
He never changes His mind. Those who choose the wrong path will pay, and pay
dearly.
Every
day we can look at the world in which we now live and see the arrogance of
those who have chosen to reject God's advice and look to the world for answers.
If you have chosen to believe that you are a sinner, and have accepted the gift
of salvation offered by God through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ, you
can rest easy with the knowledge that as a loving Father, He will always
correct us with proportionate discipline.
It’s our stubbornness which dictates the severity of the
correction. Listen to God when He speaks
and spare yourself the Father’s “chastening”.
Life
as a member of God’s family is the most rewarding relationship anyone can
experience. Not only can we live with
His promise to provide and help us in this life, we also look forward to the
promise of eternal life with Him in the place He has prepared for us. If you have never made the decision to become
a member of God’s family, I hope you would choose to do it today. You can do that by simply praying to God
wherever you are with a simple prayer like this;
Dear
Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and I believe You died for my sins. Right now,
I turn from my sins and open the door of my heart and life to you. I confess
You as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank you for saving me. Amen.
Keep
watching.
