The Chastisement of The Father

Question: Does God PUNISH His Children?

Ans: NO.

Question: Does God CHASTISE His Children?

Ans: YES.

Explanation: Because of Jesus Sacrifice, No believer will be PUNISHED by God ever again! (Romans 8:1, Heb 10:22)But Because God is now your Father, you will be CHASTISED for necessary growth!In fact, any acclaimed believer that is not chastised by God, is scripturally referred to as a BASTARD!

‘… But if ye be without CHASTISEMENT, whereof ALL are partakers, THEN ARE YE BASTARDS, and not sons…’ (Hebrews 12:8)

The only thing now is for us to know the difference between PUNISHMENT and CHASTISEMENT! The word used for chastisement in the above verse is translated discipline in other translation. And according to the Greek lexicon, here is the definition:

discipline παιδείας (paideias)

Noun – Genitive Feminine Singular

Strong’s Greek 3809: From paideuo; tutorage, i.e. Education or training; by implication, disciplinary correction.

Punishment is what a man faces for the OFFENCES he committed! CHASTISEMENT in Biblical context for believers is what believers face in order to be FIT FOR THE MASTER’S USE!

‘…If a man therefore PURGE himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and MEET FOR THE MASTER’S USE, and prepared unto every good work…’ (2Tim 2:21)

Punishment is a CONSEQUENCE for what you did in the PAST! CHASTISEMENT is an EXERCISE or DISCIPLINARY CORRECTION you undergo so has to avoid unpleasant CONSEQUENCES in your FUTURE (which could also be as a result of the display of your frame of weakness as against God’s purpose for your life)! If you tell your 10year old son to do 20 press-ups because he committed an offence, that is PUNISHMENT! But if you take your 10year old son to the gym every morning to do 20 press-ups in order to keep fit without which could affect him physically, that is CHASTISEMENT in the context of the Greek lexicon! Can you spot the difference?

The call to Christianity is not a call to LAXITY and LAZINESS! It is not a call to YIELDING to the LUST OF THE FLESH! But the Human Body naturally loves to yield to the ‘FLESH’! This is where CHASTISEMENT comes in! The Bible admonishes all of us to:

‘…EXERCISE thyself rather unto GODLINESS…’ (1Timothy 4:7)

Just as to keep fit in life requires EXERCISE, to keep fit in the Spirit too requires EXERCISE! Punishment is STRESSFUL… But Chastisement is STRENUOUS!

‘…no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous…’ (Heb 12:11)

Punishment comes along with HARDSHIP! Chastisement comes along with HARDNESS!

‘…Thou therefore ENDURE HARDNESS…’ (2Tim 2:3)

Punishment takes the form of a condemned PRISONER… Chastisement most times takes the form of a faithful SOLDIER!

‘…Thou therefore endure hardness…as a GOOD SOLDIER of Jesus Christ…’ (2Tim 2:3)

Punishment is out of the ANGER of the PUNISHER… While CHASTISEMENT is out of the GOODWILL of the FATHER!

‘…For whom the Lord LOVETH he chasteneth…’ (Heb. 12:6)

Punishment is so as to make you RIGHTEOUS. Chastisement is so as to bring out the FRUIT of the RIGHTEOUSNESS you already have!

‘…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…’ (Heb. 12:11)

Can you now spot the difference? The problem with this subject is that many believers are not aware that God disciplines them even with some well calculated situations. (John 6:6, Mark 6:45-52) And because discipline and punishment both aren’t desirous to the human flesh a believer under discipline might be so myopic thinking God is being wicked, unreasonable or unfair to him. Hence some believers come out BITTER instead of BETTER which is the actual aim. It also takes a deal of Spiritual maturity to differentiate effectively when a situation is God’s training or orchestrated by the devil to make a believer have a wrong perspective about God. (Mark 6:45-52)

In Conclusion: No believer in Jesus will face the PUNISHMENT of God!

‘…For God chose to SAVE us through our Lord Jesus Christ, NOT TO POUR OUT HIS ANGER ON US…’ (1Thess 5:9 NLT)

But ALL true believers will be CHASTISED by God! If you are not experiencing significant spiritual growth in your Christian walk…you need to check yourself if truly you are a BELIEVER!!!

‘…Examine yourselves, WHETHER YE BE IN THE FAITH, prove your own selves…’ (2Corinthians 13:5)

It is either you are IN the FAITH …or you are being deceived to THINK you are in the faith! Being in the FAITH is provable! And the proof is in how much you are ‘enduring the chastening of the Father’!

‘…If ye ENDURE CHASTENING, God dealeth with you as with sons; for WHAT SON is he whom the father chasteneth not?…’ (Hebrews 12:7)

The aim of God’s chastisement could be to influence you in:

– choosing to dissolve all friendship that doesn’t profit your spiritual growth. ‘…abstain from all appearance of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:22)

– deciding not to eat in the morning except you have studied the word and prayed. ‘…I have ESTEEMED the words of his mouth MORE THAN my necessary food…’ (Job 23:12)

– Preparing you for ministry or your career in a way that will glorify His name… etc.

Every believer should be aware that there is PUNISHMENT already coded into life for stupid or careless decisions made by humans. But believers have an edge over this by the GRACE of our God through Jesus Christ. And one of the Gracious way to avoid them is the CHASTISEMENT of the Father. Embrace the CHASTISEMENT that produces the ‘peaceable fruit of righteousness’! You must NEVER try to WORK FOR your salvation! That is ERROR! But you MUST make sure you are WORKING OUT your salvation for men to see and GLORIFY YOUR ABBA FATHER!

“…work OUT (not for) your salvation…” (Phil 2:12)

As time goes by, you will thank God you yielded to His Chastisement. For only a LOVING Father chastises His Sons. The aim is not to DESTROY you. The aim is to EMPLOY you.

‘…If a man therefore PURGE himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and MEET FOR THE MASTER’S USE, and prepared unto every good work…’ (2Tim 2:21)

I hope this is clear? Remain faithfully under Grace.

Amen.