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.
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