Discipline from God
Discipline, trials, tribulations, and suffering are all
designed by God for our good because He loves us.
Ps 94:12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law; To be chastened by God is to be blessed by God. God’s purpose in discipline is to teach us to do His will, to teach us to be doers of His word.
Prov 3:11-12 My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
The Lord disciplines us and reproves us because He loves us, as a father loves the son in whom he delights. He does not discipline us in anger or in hate but He disciplines us in love, for our good.
Heb 12:5-7 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
We should be encouraged by the discipline of the Lord, because it is proof that God loves us and that we are His children. God disciplines and scourges every child He loves. No one is so mature, nor so perfect that he does not need discipline. Therefore, when we are disciplined by the Lord we should be encouraged and not discouraged.
Heb 12:8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
If a person is not disciplined, it is because that person is not a child of God. The lack of discipline is not a sign that we are good, but it is a sign that we may not be children of God at all.
Heb 12:9-10 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
God disciplines us to make us holy, as He is holy. He always disciplines us for our good and not to cause us harm. He also knows what is best for us, and does not makes mistakes as human parents do.
Ps 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
The Lord is loving and kind toward us even when He disciplines us because it is for our good, that He disciplines us.
Heb 12:11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
Discipline is designed by God to make us fruitful, and to make us righteous in our behavior.
John 15:1-2 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
Even when we are fruitful God disciplines us so that we will be made more fruitful. Therefore, even fruitful Christians can expect discipline, because God is faithful.
Rom 5:3-5 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Tribulations are designed to teach us to continue to trust and hope in God, to change our character, to make us to be more like Christ. Therefore, we should exult in our tribulations; knowing that God allows tribulations in our lives because He loves us.
Rom 8:14-17 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
We sometimes suffer as Christians because the world hates Christ. Because the world hates Christ, the world hates us also. The more we are like Christ, the more the world hates us. We should be encouraged by the fact that we are children of God, and fellow heirs with Christ. Someday we will be glorified with Christ; therefore, we should keep looking to the future and not be defeated by the suffering we experience in this world.
Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
All things, all our experiences, work together for our good; all things. God has a purpose for all things in the life of the person that loves Him. We must always remember that God is in control, He knows what we are going through, and He never makes a mistake.
Rom 8:29-30 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
All things are designed by God to conform us to the image of Christ, that we might be true brothers and sisters of Christ. That in the end we will also be glorified with Christ.
Rom 8:31-34 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
We must continue to remember that God is on our side, we have not been condemned, but we have been justified. Jesus Christ not only died for us, but He also now intercedes for us. God loves us and everything that happens to us is designed by God for our good.
Rom 8:35-37 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
God never stops loving us. We do not experience trials because God has stopped loving us. When we are in the most difficult trials, we must remember, God still loves us. All our trials bring glory to God, because we overwhelmingly conquer through Him, who loves us. Therefore, we should rejoice in our trials because they are opportunities for us to glorify God, by praising Him, even in the most difficult of circumstances.
Rom 8:38-39 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Nothing, nor anyone, not even we ourselves, can separate us from the love of God. Therefore, we know that God loves us, and no matter how bad the trial, God still loves us. We never experience trials because God has stopped loving us, in fact our trials and tribulations are proof of God’s love for us.
John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
Jesus has said it, tribulations are sure to come into the life of the Christian, but we can experience peace in the presence of tribulation, knowing that God loves us and that He is in control.
2 Cor 4:16-18 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Though we suffer in the flesh, our spirit is being renewed; we are being transformed. Our physical trials and tribulations are only temporary. The blessings, the joys, and the glories that are waiting for us in the presences of God are eternal. The present affliction can not even be compared to the future glory that is ours. Therefore, we should keep looking to the future, and not allow our present affliction to discourage us.
Phil 1:12-14 But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel; So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places; And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
Paul’s imprisonment gave him greater opportunity to present the gospel, and his example gave others courage to speak the word of God without fear. Our trials may also be opportunities, and may also encourage others in living for Christ.
James 1:2-4 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
Our trials are designed to strengthen our faith ,to make us perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. Therefore; we should consider it all joy when we encounter trials.
James 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
There are trials in this world but a crown in heaven; therefore, we should be happy even in our trials, knowing that the trial is temporary but heaven is eternal.
1 Pet 1:6-9 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
Our trials only last for a little while. They are designed to prove our faith, to strengthen our faith, to increase our faith. Someday, at the revelation of Jesus Christ, our faith will result in praise and glory and honor; because we believe in Jesus Christ and love Him. Therefore, we should greatly rejoice even in our trials.
1 Pet 4:12-19 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.
We never suffer various trials except by the will of God. We must trust in God, for He is faithful, and He always does what is right. Because God is the Creator, He is all powerful on our behalf ,and we can entrust our lives to Him. Because Jesus Christ suffered so much for us, we should be willing to suffer for Him.
Matt 8:20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
Jesus had nothing in this world but the clothes on His back, yet He still continued to trust in His Father, in heaven. If Jesus was living in this world today people would consider Him to be a failure, and many would think of Him as a sinner, because He had nothing. The truth is He was the most successful Person who ever lived, and He was without sin.
1 Pet 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
We must submit to God’s will in every circumstance in our life, if we are to know His perfect will and have success in living for Him.
1 Pet 5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
Keep on trusting in the Lord, He has a plan and a purpose in all the things we experience in this world, and He will bring us to His eternal glory someday.
Ps 138:8 The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.
The Lord will complete the work He began in each of us, He will never give up on any of us, and because He is all knowing and all mighty He cannot fail.
All Scripture taken from King James Bible
*Bible Studies by Max Swan
Thus says the LORD, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD. (NAS) Jer 9:23-24