Discipline:The Proof Of Sonship

   In the letter to the Hebrews, we find a series of exhortations addressed to tired Jewish Christians struggling with the temptation to give up their faith. In various ways, the writer shows them throughout the letter how Old Testament people, objects, and rituals all point to Jesus and that vigorous pursuit of Him is better than any alternative life. Jesus is continually held up as the prototype for flourishing human life, the supreme example of how glory comes through suffering.

One such exhortation is found in chapter 12. There the writer encourages his readers to not grow fainthearted in their spiritual race by “looking to Jesus” (vs. 2), to “consider him” (vs. 3) who went through intense ungodly resistance on His way to God’s right hand. But how could the Jewish Christians maintain a zealous allegiance to God through their suffering, knowing full well that He has the power to stop it? The answer lies in the following verses. Christians are sons and daughters of a Father who actively and wisely disciplines His children. That this has always been true of God’s people is demonstrated by the Hebrew writer’s quote of Proverbs 3.11-12, in which King Solomon advises his son to guard his attitudes when he experiences the discipline of God. Rather than viewing their persecution as a sign of God’s neglectfulness or cruelty, His discipline of the Hebrew Christians was actually an indication of His love for them. He cared too much about their souls to allow them to drift into spiritual apathy, just as a parent ought to care too much about his child to allow him to hurt himself through foolish and immature actions. In fact, the Hebrew writer goes so far as to say that if Christians do not experience God’s discipline, we are “illegitimate children” and not His true sons. Although it is unpleasant to go through an instructional process, God leads us through them for wise reasons. He desires our “good” (vs. 10), wants us to “share his holiness” (vs. 10), and longs for our lives to “bear the peaceful fruit of righteousness” (vs. 11).

When we experience pain as Christians, especially persecution of some kind (which is the primary context of Hebrews), we cannot definitively know what is happening behind the scenes. We will not receive a letter in the mail from a Biblical writer moved by the Holy Spirit (as they did). We will not be prophetically told that we are currently undergoing an instructional period of life directly engineered by God’s hands. We can, however, use Hebrews 12.1-11 as our rubric for how to grow through suffering. 1) Look to Jesus – remember how the Son of God went through degrading hostility and is now reigning in glory at His Father’s right hand. 2) The Lord disciplines the one He loves – this is proof of His Fatherly care. 3) Do not grow weary when reproved – rather than grow discouraged, we should be emboldened, knowing He is changing us into a closer representation of His image.

Nathan