by Pastor Don Fromer
"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 sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 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. 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." (Hebrews 12:5-11)
It seems to me that Christians often mistake the loving discipline of their Heavenly Father for punishment. In doing so, they are in danger of missing the benefits of His chastening, and much of the sweetness and joy of their fellowship with the Father.
The confusion arises because punishment and discipline often look so much alike! But, although punishment and discipline may often take a similar form, they are not at all the same thing! The difference lies primarily in their purpose: Punishment is judicial: The Law has been broken, and Justice must be satisfied! Justice demands retribution; the crime must be punished!
Discipline, on the other hand, is neither judicial nor punitive, but rather it is instructional and corrective. It implies no debt to Law or Justice, but is designed to encourage and reinforce behavior that is righteous and productive, while discouraging behavior that is harmful and unprofitable.
It is good for Christians to recognize this distinction. We are not under Law, and therefore we cannot come under the condemnation of the Law. God has declared us righteous: The Law can no longer find us guilty! For this reason, guilt (of the judicial variety) has no place in the Christian life. One cannot be simultaneously righteous and guilty! And only the guilty are punished! For the Christian, every sin and violation of God's Holy Law has already been judged.
The demands of Justice were fully satisfied by the Lord, Jesus Christ, on the cross of Calvary. The debt to Law and Justice has been fully paid for all who are in Christ. They are now God's dear children, accepted in the Beloved One (God's Son, Jesus Christ).
Does this mean that our behavior is no longer a matter of concern? By no means! Since we have been made "the righteousness of God" in Christ, our behavior must now reflect our new identity. Our lives must now be regulated by our new nature. We have been "created in Christ Jesus unto good works." (Eph. 2:10) Thoughts and actions which are not in harmony with God's Holy Nature, that are harmful and unproductive, must now be purged from our lives.
We find, however, that our behavior does NOT automatically conform to our new identity in Christ. We are spiritual babies requiring spiritual nourishment, instruction, training, exercise; all of the disciplines that contribute to normal growth. Just as loving parents are careful to provide these necessities for their children, so our loving Heavenly Father provides them for each of His children.
This is where discipline comes into the picture. God, our loving Father, chastens EVERY child in love. He does not PUNISH His children. They are NOT GUILTY before Him! But God lovingly INSTRUCTS and GUIDES His children through discipline. He attaches CONSEQUENCES to our actions. When our behavior is righteous and productive, He gives us inner peace and joy. Think of it as "positive reinforcement." Its purpose is to encourage and reinforce righteous conduct.
When, on the other hand, our behavior is harmful and unproductive...of a sort God cannot APPROVE, He may withdraw some of those blessings; we lose our joy and the subjective enjoyment of our union with Christ. If that is not sufficient to correct our faulty behavior, He may chasten us: "Scourging," the Bible calls it...a trip to the woodshed, so to speak.
This is not a pleasant experience. It resembles punishment in its form, but it is really only "negative reinforcement." Its purpose is neither punitive nor judicial, but rather instructive and corrective. It discourages unrighteous behavior. We should always remember that God's purpose in chastening is ALWAYS to bring His child back into the place of joy and blessing; the place of spiritual health and fruitfulness. And it is a product of His great love for His children.