Conclusion
Brothers and sisters, this is what the family of God is to look like. A community of closely–knit, co–invested men and women who make it their chief desire to be conformed into the image of Christ, who make it their chief concern the spiritual well–being and maturity of one another. For those this morning that are not Christians, this is the family and community that God invites you to be apart of. Jesus says if you will acknowledge your sin, acknowledge your need for a saviour, and trust Him to be that saviour, He will not only wash you of your sins and implant in you a new heart which loves and seeks God, but He will bring you into His family where you will be cared for.
Now no church is perfect. We sadly have often as many if not more failures than successes. But as the person and blood of Jesus Christ reminds us, every day is new; His mercies are fresh each morning. We can’t correct where we have failed thus far as a church. All we can do is ask forgiveness of God and of one another. But we can resolve in the power of Christ through Spirit as a response to the Father to joyfully receive His discipline and to commit ourselves to one another, that as I learn to take my own sanctification and holiness more seriously, I would be committed to help you do the same and I would be humble enough to receive your help in my life.
Friday, March 21, 2014
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Being Holy, Responsible Children and Siblings, part VII
As verses 15–17 show us, what concerns our author more here is that fighting of sin. In other words, when we come together as a church, even when we gather in small groups, what are we more likely to do, to talk about seeking God or to talk about our sin. I mean, honestly, when was the last time you asked someone in the church how their battle with sin was going? Do you even know what temptations and sins your brothers and sisters around you are facing? I mean the fact that we don’t know would be laughable to our author. I think he would say, how can you call yourselves a family, brothers and sisters, when you don’t even know the very struggles with sin that each of you are facing? And he’s right! How can we call ourselves close, how can we possibly help each other grow, if we are clueless to how each other are fighting sin?
In order to cultivate holiness, we must kill the earliest appearances of sin in our lives, and this is something we do in part collectively. You see, as we read in verse 15, God provides us the sufficient grace needed to overcome sin; yet, we seem to not avail ourselves of His grace. We could put sin to death, we could grow in the holiness of God only if we would receive His free aid! In order to help us, therefore, receive that grace and put sin to death, the New Testament exhorts us to work together to do this. 2 Cor. 6:1, “Working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain.” Hebrews 4:16, “Therefore, let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in the time of need.” 1 Peter 1:13, “Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
How clear our author is then in saying to us we cannot tolerate indwelling sin either in ourselves or in others. Now this is not to say that we must condemn ourselves or one another every time there is sin; for we ultimately know that the blood of Christ has cleansed us from its stain and rescued us from condemnation. However, to tolerate or permit sin, or to ignore it will lead to falling short of the grace and holiness of God. We must be engaged in putting sin to death, and we must realize how much we need the encouragement and help of one another to do so, and how we must be ready and available to do the same for others. Every root of bitterness and wickedness must be fought at first appearance. We are never to turn a blind eye to one another’s sin, but to call it out at the very beginning, when it is easiest to destroy. Wouldn’t each of us rather have the earliest slip ups called out, rather than have to one day deal with an entirely destructive sinful behaviour? It’s far easier to deal with lust of the eye than it is to deal with someone trapped in adultery.
Our author closes this exhortation with I think a very appropriate example, Esau. You see Esau was not overtly wicked or sinful. I mean if we were to list examples of wicked men in the Old Testament, I doubt any of us would have Esau ranked very highly on that list. But what we are to see is that Esau is not an example to us of a person trapped in terrible sinful habits; Esau is an example of the many people who sit in our pews, fill out our church roles, live as members of our church community and are completely indifferent to the spiritual things of God. Esau is an example of a person void of spiritual values. He’s not antagonistic to righteousness, but more concerned with other things than spiritual realities.
How aptly this characterizes so many in the church, and how dangerous such a person is. You see such a person goes through life without ever having a major stumble or getting caught in a scandalous situation. Such a person tends to fly under the radar. Such a person may be sitting in the pew next to you and you would never know the spiritual danger they are in, because from an outsider’s perspective, they seem fine, they seem without any major sin. And yet, though such a person has a decent appearance, inside they are consumed with the greatest sin of all; the sin of idolatry. This person cares more for work than Christ, for family than Christ, for hobbies or free time or relaxation more than Christ. Christ is so far low on their list of concerns and priorities that rarely is such a person genuinely engaged in the things of God.
This person, our author argues, is a demonstration of our failure as a church family to be invested and involved in one another’s spiritual growth. If we were engaged in one another we would see their spiritual indifference, it would concern us, we would have legitimate ground to question their salvation. But because we don’t know what’s going on in each other’s lives, because we are indifferent or because we turn a blind eye to the man or woman who is spiritually lukewarm, such a person spends their entire life in the church thinking all is well, but at the judgment seat is told by Jesus, I never knew you. As our author writes in verse 17, on this final day, when this person realizes that Christ is to be our ultimate desire, it will be too late for repentance.
In order to cultivate holiness, we must kill the earliest appearances of sin in our lives, and this is something we do in part collectively. You see, as we read in verse 15, God provides us the sufficient grace needed to overcome sin; yet, we seem to not avail ourselves of His grace. We could put sin to death, we could grow in the holiness of God only if we would receive His free aid! In order to help us, therefore, receive that grace and put sin to death, the New Testament exhorts us to work together to do this. 2 Cor. 6:1, “Working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain.” Hebrews 4:16, “Therefore, let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in the time of need.” 1 Peter 1:13, “Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
How clear our author is then in saying to us we cannot tolerate indwelling sin either in ourselves or in others. Now this is not to say that we must condemn ourselves or one another every time there is sin; for we ultimately know that the blood of Christ has cleansed us from its stain and rescued us from condemnation. However, to tolerate or permit sin, or to ignore it will lead to falling short of the grace and holiness of God. We must be engaged in putting sin to death, and we must realize how much we need the encouragement and help of one another to do so, and how we must be ready and available to do the same for others. Every root of bitterness and wickedness must be fought at first appearance. We are never to turn a blind eye to one another’s sin, but to call it out at the very beginning, when it is easiest to destroy. Wouldn’t each of us rather have the earliest slip ups called out, rather than have to one day deal with an entirely destructive sinful behaviour? It’s far easier to deal with lust of the eye than it is to deal with someone trapped in adultery.
Our author closes this exhortation with I think a very appropriate example, Esau. You see Esau was not overtly wicked or sinful. I mean if we were to list examples of wicked men in the Old Testament, I doubt any of us would have Esau ranked very highly on that list. But what we are to see is that Esau is not an example to us of a person trapped in terrible sinful habits; Esau is an example of the many people who sit in our pews, fill out our church roles, live as members of our church community and are completely indifferent to the spiritual things of God. Esau is an example of a person void of spiritual values. He’s not antagonistic to righteousness, but more concerned with other things than spiritual realities.
How aptly this characterizes so many in the church, and how dangerous such a person is. You see such a person goes through life without ever having a major stumble or getting caught in a scandalous situation. Such a person tends to fly under the radar. Such a person may be sitting in the pew next to you and you would never know the spiritual danger they are in, because from an outsider’s perspective, they seem fine, they seem without any major sin. And yet, though such a person has a decent appearance, inside they are consumed with the greatest sin of all; the sin of idolatry. This person cares more for work than Christ, for family than Christ, for hobbies or free time or relaxation more than Christ. Christ is so far low on their list of concerns and priorities that rarely is such a person genuinely engaged in the things of God.
This person, our author argues, is a demonstration of our failure as a church family to be invested and involved in one another’s spiritual growth. If we were engaged in one another we would see their spiritual indifference, it would concern us, we would have legitimate ground to question their salvation. But because we don’t know what’s going on in each other’s lives, because we are indifferent or because we turn a blind eye to the man or woman who is spiritually lukewarm, such a person spends their entire life in the church thinking all is well, but at the judgment seat is told by Jesus, I never knew you. As our author writes in verse 17, on this final day, when this person realizes that Christ is to be our ultimate desire, it will be too late for repentance.
Monday, March 17, 2014
Being Holy, Responsible Children and Siblings, part VI
We are to humbly equip and maintain the faith of one another, and stemming from the authority and empowerment of God, verses 12–17 show us how to do this.
First, we are to equip one another by, verses 12–13, strengthening those who are weak and discouraged and making straight the pathway of following Jesus. Simply put, these verses tell us what to do with less mature believers. You see early in the Christian life, it is easy to get discouraged because young Christians aren’t ready for what is coming. And so, our author says when someone seems unable and too fatigued to press on themselves, come along side them and help them. Isaiah 35:3, “Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble.” Proverb 4:26, “Watch the path of your feet and all your ways will be established.” We need to show the way of faith and make it as easy as possible so that the injured would not become lame. Simply put, do not place unnecessary burdens and standards on those who are already weak. Moreover, bind their injuries, where someone has stumbled or is hurting, treat that injury so that it does not become worse. We need to give the clear gospel message to those who are struggling, reminding them of who they are in Christ.
Second, we are to maintain the faith of one another, verses 14–17, by pursuing peace and sanctification. Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Romans 12:18, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.” Mark 9:50, “be at peace with one another.” This exhortation of verses 14–17 is of course concerned with the younger Christian, but is more directed at we already established in the faith. Peace, our fellowship together, is to be a chief pursuit of this church. This becomes easier for us to pursue, when we realize how important one another are to our individual growth. If you really believe the Scriptures that those around you are gifts of God for your well–being, then peace and fellowship will be important to you.
As we pursue peace, our author says we are also to pursue one another’s sanctification. Now you remember from Hebrews 10, sanctification is a two–step things. When we are saved, God sanctifies us, He makes us holy. But, then afterwards He commands us to become sanctified, to grow in holiness. This is what our author is speaking about in verse 14. Not only does God command you individually to grow in your holiness, in other words to grow more like Him, He also commands you to help others grow in holiness as well. Practically speaking, growth in holiness comes from a knowledge and fellowship with God and a mortifying or a killing of indwelling sin. Knowledge of God comes from His Word and from the Spirit, fellowship with God comes from fighting sin and seeking Him.
First, we are to equip one another by, verses 12–13, strengthening those who are weak and discouraged and making straight the pathway of following Jesus. Simply put, these verses tell us what to do with less mature believers. You see early in the Christian life, it is easy to get discouraged because young Christians aren’t ready for what is coming. And so, our author says when someone seems unable and too fatigued to press on themselves, come along side them and help them. Isaiah 35:3, “Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble.” Proverb 4:26, “Watch the path of your feet and all your ways will be established.” We need to show the way of faith and make it as easy as possible so that the injured would not become lame. Simply put, do not place unnecessary burdens and standards on those who are already weak. Moreover, bind their injuries, where someone has stumbled or is hurting, treat that injury so that it does not become worse. We need to give the clear gospel message to those who are struggling, reminding them of who they are in Christ.
Second, we are to maintain the faith of one another, verses 14–17, by pursuing peace and sanctification. Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Romans 12:18, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.” Mark 9:50, “be at peace with one another.” This exhortation of verses 14–17 is of course concerned with the younger Christian, but is more directed at we already established in the faith. Peace, our fellowship together, is to be a chief pursuit of this church. This becomes easier for us to pursue, when we realize how important one another are to our individual growth. If you really believe the Scriptures that those around you are gifts of God for your well–being, then peace and fellowship will be important to you.
As we pursue peace, our author says we are also to pursue one another’s sanctification. Now you remember from Hebrews 10, sanctification is a two–step things. When we are saved, God sanctifies us, He makes us holy. But, then afterwards He commands us to become sanctified, to grow in holiness. This is what our author is speaking about in verse 14. Not only does God command you individually to grow in your holiness, in other words to grow more like Him, He also commands you to help others grow in holiness as well. Practically speaking, growth in holiness comes from a knowledge and fellowship with God and a mortifying or a killing of indwelling sin. Knowledge of God comes from His Word and from the Spirit, fellowship with God comes from fighting sin and seeking Him.
Friday, March 14, 2014
Being Holy, Responsible Children and Siblings, part V
2. Accordingly, humbly equip and maintain the faith of your fellow believers Hebrews 12:12–17
You know verse 12 begins then with my favorite word, therefore. I love this word in the Scriptures, because every time we see it, it tells us something really important is coming next. We’ve seen in verses 4–11 that God disciplines us, or orders our circumstances in such a way, that we may grow and mature as citizens of the kingdom of God. This next section then says to us, THEREFORE….as God disciplines us for our own good, we must now engage with one another by whatever means necessary to ensure that we all finish the race. If God as our Father is committed to our growth, so, too then the local church, brothers and sisters in Christ must be committed to the same thing. God commands you to not only care about the spiritual well–being of those sitting around you this morning in the pews, but to also do something about it. Simply put, in verses 12–17 we see number two, humbly equip and maintain the faith of your fellow believers.
Now, we’ll go through the particular exhortations briefly, as they are largely self–explanatory; it’s pretty straightforward here what we are supposed to be doing. But one thing I just want to note first is this adverb I use, “humbly.” Some of us do not have a problem passing judgment and correcting others, because we think we have it all figured out, we know what’s important, we live up to those standards, and thus have no problem correcting others when they fall short of those standards we have artificially constructed. Ironically, such a person is usually so stuck in their ways that they ignore these very kinds of warnings. Nonetheless, some of us know that this kind of judgmentalism, legalism is where we struggle, and so, we need to be reminded of the importance of humility.
But such persons are not the only people who need to be reminded of humility, I would argue those who are too timid to engage others, perhaps those who are too self–conscious or feel too unqualified, such people are equally in need of humility. You see both the judgmental legalist and the self–deprecating quiet person suffer from the very same thing, and that is a focus on self. The legalist says you need to be more like me; the insecure person says who am I to say anything. Both kinds of people miss the fact that this sibling obligation that we have in the church has nothing to do with us, but stems directly from our Father.
This is what I mean then by humbly equipping and maintaining one another. We can only do these things of verses 12–17, if we recognize that we are merely instruments of our heavenly Father. In other words, the legalist must stop emphasizing those behaviors that the Scripture are relatively quiet about; the insecure person must realize that one does not have to be perfect to proclaim the Word of God. And so, as we as a church think about then, our duty to one another, we need to humble ourselves and view ourselves not as holy experts, but as co–ministers to one another.
You know verse 12 begins then with my favorite word, therefore. I love this word in the Scriptures, because every time we see it, it tells us something really important is coming next. We’ve seen in verses 4–11 that God disciplines us, or orders our circumstances in such a way, that we may grow and mature as citizens of the kingdom of God. This next section then says to us, THEREFORE….as God disciplines us for our own good, we must now engage with one another by whatever means necessary to ensure that we all finish the race. If God as our Father is committed to our growth, so, too then the local church, brothers and sisters in Christ must be committed to the same thing. God commands you to not only care about the spiritual well–being of those sitting around you this morning in the pews, but to also do something about it. Simply put, in verses 12–17 we see number two, humbly equip and maintain the faith of your fellow believers.
Now, we’ll go through the particular exhortations briefly, as they are largely self–explanatory; it’s pretty straightforward here what we are supposed to be doing. But one thing I just want to note first is this adverb I use, “humbly.” Some of us do not have a problem passing judgment and correcting others, because we think we have it all figured out, we know what’s important, we live up to those standards, and thus have no problem correcting others when they fall short of those standards we have artificially constructed. Ironically, such a person is usually so stuck in their ways that they ignore these very kinds of warnings. Nonetheless, some of us know that this kind of judgmentalism, legalism is where we struggle, and so, we need to be reminded of the importance of humility.
But such persons are not the only people who need to be reminded of humility, I would argue those who are too timid to engage others, perhaps those who are too self–conscious or feel too unqualified, such people are equally in need of humility. You see both the judgmental legalist and the self–deprecating quiet person suffer from the very same thing, and that is a focus on self. The legalist says you need to be more like me; the insecure person says who am I to say anything. Both kinds of people miss the fact that this sibling obligation that we have in the church has nothing to do with us, but stems directly from our Father.
This is what I mean then by humbly equipping and maintaining one another. We can only do these things of verses 12–17, if we recognize that we are merely instruments of our heavenly Father. In other words, the legalist must stop emphasizing those behaviors that the Scripture are relatively quiet about; the insecure person must realize that one does not have to be perfect to proclaim the Word of God. And so, as we as a church think about then, our duty to one another, we need to humble ourselves and view ourselves not as holy experts, but as co–ministers to one another.
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Being Holy, Responsible Children and Siblings, part IV
The second thing we are to realize when God disciplines us: it is for our own good. You see, as we already saw back in Hebrews 5:8, Jesus himself was disciplined by God during his life. Disciplining meaning not punishment for wrong doing, but refining for godly service. Hebrews 5:8, “Although Jesus was the Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.” Jesus endured hardship as you and I endure hardship, and such hardship, strengthened Him in his faith so that He may serve the Father better. Paul says the same thing in Romans 8:16–17, “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, so that we may also be glorified with Him.”
To put this in a big picture context, our heavenly Father has a perfect plan to restore creation, and when he does so, He will place Christ as ruler over the new heaven and new earth. But as Paul shows us, all those who have placed their faith in Jesus, who by the work of the Holy Spirit have been made brothers and sisters of Jesus, they will rule with Jesus as co–heirs of all creation. The problem is that we aren’t ready and prepared to do so. While we have been declared and made holy by the blood of Christ, in practice, in the way we live our lives, we are far from holy. And so, to get us to the place we need to be, our heavenly Father must discipline us. Just as an earthly father disciplines his son so that his son might grow up properly and be prepared for the real world, so too is our heavenly Father preparing us for the eternity to come.
I remember being in high school and as soon as I got a driver’s license, my parents said they would buy me a cheap car. The stipulation, though, was that I had to get a job and pay them back for half the car. This seemed the height of unfairness to me. All my friends were given cars by their parents; no one had to get a job except for me. While my friends would be out hanging out together, I was bagging groceries. While I appreciated my parents giving me a car, the way they gave it to me seemed unloving. However, looking back on it, I see how they prepared me for real life. Just giving me whatever I wanted wouldn’t have done me any favors, but by forcing me to work, to earn my car, to have balance spending money with a bill; they thought me how to function as an adult and prepared me for adulthood.
Sometimes the circumstances God puts us in seems unfair or unloving. Maybe its losing a job, maybe its an unexpected illness, maybe it’s the loss of friends or a relationship; however God is doing it, at the time it doesn’t feel loving, but what our author reminds us here is that this life is not all that there is. In fact, what we do in this life is nowhere near as important as the things we will do in the next, in the fully consummated kingdom of God. Why this life is important, is in those places where we are being prepared for the world to come. You see we have this opportunity to being life in the kingdom of God, even though Christ has not yet finished His work. Once we realize the importance of divine discipline, and we realize how this life is a training ground for the next, it is a dress rehearsal for the show to come, then we will be able to joyfully receive the Father’s discipline. It is by faith that we believe that God can be perfectly trusted in that whatever He imposes on us is for our own good. For God is refining us that we might live, think, and act in manner reflecting of His holiness.
Maybe this day you are frustrated at God because of the circumstances of life He has placed you in. When I was in high school and college, I was frustrated that I had to work while most of my friends were bankrolled by their parents. In seminary I would get frustrated by class or working a pointless hourly job. Even now some days, working on my doctorate, I get frustrated that God hasn’t given us greater financial blessings so that we can do more as a young family. Maybe this is true for you, your job is more of a frustration than a joy, you’re wondering why God hasn’t financially blessed you more. Perhaps, its your relationship status or situation that frustrates you; perhaps its family illness or death that has you asking God why. Whatever it is, we are all prone to get frustrated and defeated; but what our author shows us so clearly this morning, is that our attitudes about life are really just an indicator of the kind of faith we have.
The person who accepts discipline at the hand of God as something designed by his heavenly Father for his good will cease to feel resentful and rebellious; God has calmed and quieted his soul, and its this work of God in us that provides fertile soil for the cultivation of a righteous life, responsive to the will of God. By faith we must have assurance that God loves us and is working in our lives right now for our best, which is His ultimate glory. “We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those called according to His purpose.” This doesn’t mean one day we’ll be wealthy or have the perfect family or perfect job; but it does mean we have a heavenly Father who is concerned with the health of our souls and is working in all things to ensure that we grow and mature as we ought to; that we would be ready to reign with Christ in the consummated Kingdom. Therefore, you must joyfully receive the Father’s discipline, given for your growth and peace.
To put this in a big picture context, our heavenly Father has a perfect plan to restore creation, and when he does so, He will place Christ as ruler over the new heaven and new earth. But as Paul shows us, all those who have placed their faith in Jesus, who by the work of the Holy Spirit have been made brothers and sisters of Jesus, they will rule with Jesus as co–heirs of all creation. The problem is that we aren’t ready and prepared to do so. While we have been declared and made holy by the blood of Christ, in practice, in the way we live our lives, we are far from holy. And so, to get us to the place we need to be, our heavenly Father must discipline us. Just as an earthly father disciplines his son so that his son might grow up properly and be prepared for the real world, so too is our heavenly Father preparing us for the eternity to come.
I remember being in high school and as soon as I got a driver’s license, my parents said they would buy me a cheap car. The stipulation, though, was that I had to get a job and pay them back for half the car. This seemed the height of unfairness to me. All my friends were given cars by their parents; no one had to get a job except for me. While my friends would be out hanging out together, I was bagging groceries. While I appreciated my parents giving me a car, the way they gave it to me seemed unloving. However, looking back on it, I see how they prepared me for real life. Just giving me whatever I wanted wouldn’t have done me any favors, but by forcing me to work, to earn my car, to have balance spending money with a bill; they thought me how to function as an adult and prepared me for adulthood.
Sometimes the circumstances God puts us in seems unfair or unloving. Maybe its losing a job, maybe its an unexpected illness, maybe it’s the loss of friends or a relationship; however God is doing it, at the time it doesn’t feel loving, but what our author reminds us here is that this life is not all that there is. In fact, what we do in this life is nowhere near as important as the things we will do in the next, in the fully consummated kingdom of God. Why this life is important, is in those places where we are being prepared for the world to come. You see we have this opportunity to being life in the kingdom of God, even though Christ has not yet finished His work. Once we realize the importance of divine discipline, and we realize how this life is a training ground for the next, it is a dress rehearsal for the show to come, then we will be able to joyfully receive the Father’s discipline. It is by faith that we believe that God can be perfectly trusted in that whatever He imposes on us is for our own good. For God is refining us that we might live, think, and act in manner reflecting of His holiness.
Maybe this day you are frustrated at God because of the circumstances of life He has placed you in. When I was in high school and college, I was frustrated that I had to work while most of my friends were bankrolled by their parents. In seminary I would get frustrated by class or working a pointless hourly job. Even now some days, working on my doctorate, I get frustrated that God hasn’t given us greater financial blessings so that we can do more as a young family. Maybe this is true for you, your job is more of a frustration than a joy, you’re wondering why God hasn’t financially blessed you more. Perhaps, its your relationship status or situation that frustrates you; perhaps its family illness or death that has you asking God why. Whatever it is, we are all prone to get frustrated and defeated; but what our author shows us so clearly this morning, is that our attitudes about life are really just an indicator of the kind of faith we have.
The person who accepts discipline at the hand of God as something designed by his heavenly Father for his good will cease to feel resentful and rebellious; God has calmed and quieted his soul, and its this work of God in us that provides fertile soil for the cultivation of a righteous life, responsive to the will of God. By faith we must have assurance that God loves us and is working in our lives right now for our best, which is His ultimate glory. “We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those called according to His purpose.” This doesn’t mean one day we’ll be wealthy or have the perfect family or perfect job; but it does mean we have a heavenly Father who is concerned with the health of our souls and is working in all things to ensure that we grow and mature as we ought to; that we would be ready to reign with Christ in the consummated Kingdom. Therefore, you must joyfully receive the Father’s discipline, given for your growth and peace.
Monday, March 10, 2014
Being Holy, Responsible Children and Siblings, part III
1. Joyfully receive the Father’s discipline, given for your growth and peace Hebrews 12:4–11
As you’ll remember from last week’s passage, our author closes verse 3 with an encouragement to endure hardship and persevere through trials. He picks up this sentiment in verse 4. To put it plainly, he points out the obvious. Christians are going to go through difficulties. It’s simply apart of following Jesus. For some, there will be explicit persecution; for others, perhaps more subtle forms of persecution. Christians will endure loss, hardship, trials and tribulations. Some of this will be the result of living in a sinful world. Our bodies fail and we die because of sin. Some of the hardship we go through will simply be the consequence of bad, sinful decisions we’ve made. A person may go through financial hardship because they were unwise with their money. Some hardships we go through as Christians, however, our author says, will be the direct result of God’s intervention. In other words, some of the difficulties you face in life will be things that God intentionally places before you.
Now talk about something that seems entirely counter–cultural. What does the world love to say about God? God is love. God just wants you to be you. Our culture loves the idea of a loving, peaceful God. They hate and scoff at the idea of a just and righteous God. But what our author says in verse 4, is that God not only permits trials, but sometimes He even instigates them. Well this seems entirely contradictory to a loving God. This makes God sound like a bully or a mean, spiteful God. You see the objections to Christianity have not changed over the millennia. We like to think that we are smarter and more advanced than people and culture use to be, but the fact of the matter is that we have not changed a bit as people. Just as many reject the God of the Bible as a mean and spiteful God today; so too in the first century A.D. some rejected God because of the existence of suffering and hardship.
But here’s our author’s point,
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.
6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”
When God places trials and hardships in our paths, it is a sign and it is proof that He loves us; for these trials are not merely arbitrary or gratuitous, though sometimes in the circumstance it feels that way, but they are forms of loving fatherly discipling. Read verse 7, again. We come then to point of Hebrews 12: 4–11, number one, joyfully receive the Father’s discipline, given for your growth and peace. As we already said, some troubles are not directly divine discipline, but many of our troubles are just that. Our author gives us this quotation from Proverbs 3:11, therefore, to help us put our present circumstances in proper context.
In other words, there are two keys things we must realize whenever God disciplines us. First, that fact that we are being disciplined means that we belong to God. In other words, divine discipline is a sign of our salvation. Moreover, if we have never been disciplined, then we should question our standing with God. Read verse 8. Simply put, when hardship is our lot we should accept it as God’s method of training and disciplining us, and as a token that we are really his beloved sons and daughters. God spends considerable amount of time and care in the upbringing of his heirs; to prepare us to rule with Christ.
As you’ll remember from last week’s passage, our author closes verse 3 with an encouragement to endure hardship and persevere through trials. He picks up this sentiment in verse 4. To put it plainly, he points out the obvious. Christians are going to go through difficulties. It’s simply apart of following Jesus. For some, there will be explicit persecution; for others, perhaps more subtle forms of persecution. Christians will endure loss, hardship, trials and tribulations. Some of this will be the result of living in a sinful world. Our bodies fail and we die because of sin. Some of the hardship we go through will simply be the consequence of bad, sinful decisions we’ve made. A person may go through financial hardship because they were unwise with their money. Some hardships we go through as Christians, however, our author says, will be the direct result of God’s intervention. In other words, some of the difficulties you face in life will be things that God intentionally places before you.
Now talk about something that seems entirely counter–cultural. What does the world love to say about God? God is love. God just wants you to be you. Our culture loves the idea of a loving, peaceful God. They hate and scoff at the idea of a just and righteous God. But what our author says in verse 4, is that God not only permits trials, but sometimes He even instigates them. Well this seems entirely contradictory to a loving God. This makes God sound like a bully or a mean, spiteful God. You see the objections to Christianity have not changed over the millennia. We like to think that we are smarter and more advanced than people and culture use to be, but the fact of the matter is that we have not changed a bit as people. Just as many reject the God of the Bible as a mean and spiteful God today; so too in the first century A.D. some rejected God because of the existence of suffering and hardship.
But here’s our author’s point,
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.
6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”
When God places trials and hardships in our paths, it is a sign and it is proof that He loves us; for these trials are not merely arbitrary or gratuitous, though sometimes in the circumstance it feels that way, but they are forms of loving fatherly discipling. Read verse 7, again. We come then to point of Hebrews 12: 4–11, number one, joyfully receive the Father’s discipline, given for your growth and peace. As we already said, some troubles are not directly divine discipline, but many of our troubles are just that. Our author gives us this quotation from Proverbs 3:11, therefore, to help us put our present circumstances in proper context.
In other words, there are two keys things we must realize whenever God disciplines us. First, that fact that we are being disciplined means that we belong to God. In other words, divine discipline is a sign of our salvation. Moreover, if we have never been disciplined, then we should question our standing with God. Read verse 8. Simply put, when hardship is our lot we should accept it as God’s method of training and disciplining us, and as a token that we are really his beloved sons and daughters. God spends considerable amount of time and care in the upbringing of his heirs; to prepare us to rule with Christ.
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