In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:
“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.”
In the church today I know many who believe they worship a push over God. They think they can say the right words and play the game, and that God will have a blind eye toward their little indiscretions. I have played this game myself. Thinking God won’t really punish me he will give me a pass.
But could God be loving, and could God be Holy, and could God be honest and true if he allowed his children to continue to live in sin? If we claim to be followers of Christ and we go about sinning and we never see the consequences or never feel a rebuke or feel the heavy hand of God come down on us, what should we think? If my son or daughters go out and do something wrong and I say nothing is that love? I love my children so when they purposely make the wrong choice I punish them. God is the same way. He cannot allow us to continue to make the wrong choices.
Often circumstances force us to our knees and to look up to God. Yes this is a sin scarred world, and often life comes at us and we have to deal with things that are not fair, that we have no control over. But sometimes the case may be that we are the cause of what is occurring. Sometimes it is our sin, our pride; our dependence on anyone other than God that leads us to failure.
When we fail because of our own choices and God’s discipline occurs in our life, we should not be embittered we should not gnash our teeth, but we should rejoice that we are considered the sons and daughters of God. For if he allowed us to continue to walk in our sin than we are probably not a part of the family of God.
