Bending to Our Father’s Discipline

Hebrews 12: 7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons.
For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without
discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
9
Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them.
Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?
10
For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us
for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems
painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to
those who have been trained by it.

Introduction
A mother once confronted her four-year-old boy with the lie he had told. He
started hitting his head with his hand. So she asked him, “Why are you
hitting your head?” He said, “Bad brain; it makes we lie.” So she wisely
asked her little boy, “Whose brain is it.” “Mine…” was his reply. “So its
your brain, right?” “Yes,” he said. “Since its your brain, then it is your fault
you lied, right?” He hesitated a fraction of a second, then he said, “Yes.”
“So you lied.” “Yes.” “Since it is your fault, I am going to have to punish
you. Because you lied I have to spank you three times. But, because God is
gracious and he forgives me and I need to be like God. So I will only spank
you one time.” So the mother spanked his hand one time, but hard.
Immediately, the boy wrapped his arms around his mother and said, “Thank
you mommy; I love you mommy.”

This event illustrates discipline, how to respond to discipline and the results
of good discipline.

Discipline, how to respond to discipline and its results are the subject of
Hebrews 12:7-11. Do we understand what discipline is? Do we understand
how to respond to discipline? Do we know why God disciplines us? Let us
look at the passage and consider each of these questions, one at a time.

But, before we look directly at the passage I will give a little necessary
historical context. These Christians, the author is speaking to in this
passage, are being persecuted. So, some have lost their job, others, their
property, some have been imprisoned and most had been ostracized. The
result was they were questioning God, “Why?”, and some had abandoned
their commitment to Christ while more had compromise.
We too, face many struggles in our lives. Hardships are inevitable.
Increasingly, we too are ostracized because of our Christian beliefs.
Brothers and sisters, the author has something to say to us as well.

So, now, let us understand what discipline is.

Body
I) Let us Understand What God’s Discipline is.
The Greek word here translated as “discipline” is also translated with other
words. Two of these the story above, it illustrates:
Correction…
Punishment…
Other words, also, used to translate this same word, discipline, are:
Education…
Training… See v. 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than
pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to
those who have been trained by it.
Upbringing…
Teaching…

Consider for example:

Acts 7:22
And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty
in his words and deeds.
And:
1 Timothy 1:20
among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to
Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.
Finally, consider Galatians 4:1&2. Here the noun form of this verb is
translated, “Guardian”. In Greek households guardians are those who care
for the upbringing and guiding of children:
Galatians 4:1
I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though
he is the owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set
by his father.

So, discipline includes punishment, but, it means much more than this. The
idea behind it is the training up a child in his thinking, actions and
relationships to be mature. This is something all our parents have tried to do
with us. It is something we all have had to endure as children. It is
something many of you are enduring as children under your parents.

Now when we consider the context of this passage, the hardship and
persecution which caused them to question, “Why”, we see that the author,
here, is saying this hardship is God’s discipline. He is saying that God is
using this persecution to train them, to correct them, to teach them, . . . to
transform them.

I remember when one brother was laid off many years ago, he came to me.
He told me he thought God was doing this to change him and that God
wanted him to focus on God first, then to serve more faithfully at church.
He has done so ever since. This temporary setback in his life was a
learning / growing experience which God used to transform him into a
different person.

God will give us many teachable moments in our lives; these he uses to
transform us to be more like Christ.

For another person I know, it was a temptation, a powerful temptation he

struggled tremendously with. He felt so overwhelmed and did not know
what to do except cry out to God for help, hour after hour, day after day,
week after week, month after month for years. And so, he stood his ground
and did not compromise. This was God’s training ground, God’s discipline
which God used to move this man to seek God’s face, to depend on God and
to renew his relationship daily with God. This is God’s discipline. God
used this, as a loving Father, to discipline his child, to train him up this in
the way he should go. And so his life was transformed.

For other people, God has brings an older sister or brother in the faith into
their life as a guardian or guide – remember Galatians 4:2. These people
come along side others and disciple them, teaching, training, guiding, and
correcting so the disciple might grow in faith and in service to the Lord.
This, too, is discipline from God. This, too, God uses to transform lives.

Very often, discipline is a hardship or a rebuke, or a tough circumstance that

God has brought into your life. Discipline may be punishment or it might be
a reward which encourages you to continue growing on your path or
someone to learn from. Whatever form it takes, discipline is a teachable
moment from God. God uses these teachable moments to grow you in your
walk with Christ, to transform you.

Yet, it is not automatic that we benefit from God’s discipline, just as it is not
automatic that we as children benefit from our parent’s discipline. It is, also,
necessary to respond correctly to God’s discipline before He uses it to
transform us.

So, let us now learn how to respond to God’s discipline.

II) Let us Learn How to Respond to God’s Discipline.

There are three responses found in this passage: endurance, respect, and
submission to the Father.

These three responses are all related to the truth that we are God’s children.
V. 7, for example, says, “God is treating you as sons.” And in V. 8 it says,
“…if you are not disciplined you are illegitimate.” Or, again, in V. 9 it says,
“How much more aught we to submit to the Father of our spirits.” So, we
are to respond to God’s discipline the same way children are to respond to
their parents’ discipline.

He is our Father, all of us in this room are children, his children. As a loving
Father, he disciplines us, for our good. We understand this, for as children
we are disciplined and have been disciplines. Those of us who are parents
know what it is to discipline our children.

When we are young our parents set our sleeping schedule, teach us the
proper way to act, force us to study, teach us when to eat and what to eat,
train us in hygiene (to take a bath, to brush our teeth, to comb our hair, to
change our clothes). The same is true for those of us who are parents. We
set a sleeping schedule for our children, teach them the proper way to act,
force them to study, teach them when to eat and what to eat, train them in
hygiene (to take baths, to brush their teeth, to comb their hair, to change
their clothes) and we correct and punish them.

In all this we are expected, as children, to endure our discipline, to respect

our parents and to submit to them. Likewise, those of us who are parents,
we expect our children to endure our discipline, to respect us and to submit.
It is the same between us and God. God, too, expects us to endure His
disciple, to respect Him, and to submit.

1) So, endure God’s disciple as says, v. 7: Endure trials for the sake of
discipline.
This response is given because discipline seems unpleasant to those of us
being disciplined. This is what verse 11 says and I quote: “For the moment all
discipline seems painful rather than pleasant…”

We always want to know why, just like children. We resist discipline unless
we understand and agree with its purpose, just as children, who resist
discipline unless they understand and agree with it.

But, unlike our parents, God always knows best and always does best. Note
how this contrast is pointed out in verse 10: “For they [speaking about our
earthy parents] disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he
disciplines us for our good,…” And He always does what is for our good in the
way which is for good. God’s discipline is without fault.

Therefore, we must endure His discipline if we want to benefit from God’s

purpose in disciplining us. The unpleasantness is necessary; otherwise God
would not let it be unpleasant. Not knowing why is part of His plan to raise
us up as his children. Enduring is part of the training to trust him. Therefore
endurance works with the discipline to transform us, making us more like
Christ.

Endure trials, they are God’s training, teaching, correcting so as to transform

your faith.

2) We are, also, to respect God, as v. 9 says: “Moreover, we had human

parents to discipline us, and we respected them.”

Since we are to respect our parents for their discipline of our lives, how
much more aught we to respect God, our Father, for his discipline of our
lives!

This response has mostly to do with our attitude. Often we want to

complain to God, or, even tell God our better idea for our life. But, when we
are busy questioning God’s discipline, we are not looking to learn what He
is teaching us. Then we either have to endure the discipline longer or God
has to repeat the lesson. Likewise, when we are busy trying to find a better
way for God to treat us, we miss His lesson for us.

However, if we will respect our Heavenly Father, then we will be asking

Him, “what is it you want me to learn, Father”? or “How can I grow from
what you have brought into my life?” We will, then, be in the humble
position of saying, “Yes Lord, I hear and change.” With such a respectful
attitude, we will be ready to be transformed by Him through His discipline.

3) Now we come to the third response, submit to God, v. 9 continues by

saying: 9 …Should we not be even more willing to be subject to the Father of spirits
and live? To be subject to is to submit to and so other translations even use
the word submit.

The focus of this response is not the discipline but the discipliner. The first
response is to the discipline. Endure it. The second response is to the
discipliner, God, respect him. This third response is also to the discipliner,
submit to Him. Notice how the emphasis in this passage then is our
relationship with our Father and how we are to respond to Him as He
disciplines us.

Our Father is in charge of our lives. As a father he has the say so over our
time, our possessions, even our attitudes, to train us and direct us in the way
we should be. If we are submissive to God our Father, then His upbringing
and training, his teaching and correcting of us will go all the more smoothly.

The third response is the logical. Obviously, if we rebel, we will not learn to
grow in the Lord. If a runner, for example, does not submit to his coaches
instructions he will not grow as a runner. He will not learn and he will not
get the training he needs. In the same way, submit to the Lord as an athlete
should to his coach, as a student to his teacher, as soldier does to his
sergeant, as you would your own Father in his house.

One of the constant frustrations of parents is how our children fail to reach
their potential because they do not listen to us and obey us. They always
seem to have something to say back. Isn’t it true? Don’t your parents
complain about this? The same is true for all of us with respect to God our
Father. Therefore, let us be even more diligent to obey him.

Our focus this year is to “be transformed”. God is constantly working to

transform us. But, it is necessary for us to understand this and to respond to
His discipline. We will find that God is transforming our lives when we not
only endure His discipline but, also, as we respect Him for His discipline of
us and as we submit to Him as our heavenly Father.
So we have seen what discipline is and we have learned the necessary way
to respond to God’s discipline. Now let’s move on to one more thing. It
helps for us to understand what God’s purpose is in disciplining us. If we
understand where we need to be going, then we know what direction to point
our lives.

This one more thing is necessary so that we might be transformed by God’s

discipline. It is also necessary to strive with the purpose of God’s discipline.

So,

III) Let us, Now, Strive with the Purpose of God’s Discipline.
This passage tells us two grand purposes for God’s discipline. Those two
purposes are: that we may share His holiness, v. 10, that and we might yield
the peaceful fruit of righteousness, v. 11.

Ultimately these have to do with our relationship with God and our
relationship with each other. Look a little further down this same passage to
verse 14 where the author brings both of these together in relationships when
he says: 14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one
will see the Lord. 1

Holiness and the peaceful fruit of righteousness, with these we may strive
for peace with everyone and see God.

Ultimately, discipline transforms us so we can have a wonderful relationship

with each other and with God. It doesn’t do so directly. God’s discipline
does this by way of growing us in holiness and righteousness, the fruit of
righteousness being peace.

Let these goals of God’s discipline encourage you to strive to cooperate with
our Father’s training. Let this motivate you.

Who does not want better relationships with others? Who would not want,
one day to actually see God and dwell in His presence?

Then be alert to what God is doing in your life. See the events, particularly
the ones that make you struggle, as God’s discipline; see that God is
1 The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Heb 12:14). Wheaton: Standard Bible
Society.
working in your life, by these events, to transform you into holiness and
righteousness which bring peace.

The mother who disciplined her son in the introduction trained him for
relationship by teaching him three important lessons: 1) do not lie, 2) we
must suffer the consequences of our wrongs, and 3) yet, there must also be
mercy. It was because of the mercy that he hugged her. In the years to
come, he will hug her for teaching him not to lie and to take the
consequences of his wrongs. He will hug her then because he will have
learned the richness of friendships and family relationships he has because
she guarded them with her correction.

Ultimately, God is transforming us for relationship with him and with each
other.

Conclusion
Brothers and sisters, my purpose in this sermon is to open our eyes and
make us alert to God’s transforming work in your life. My purpose is that
you will benefit and grow in all your relationships. My hope is that CBCGL
will be blessed by transformed of marriages and friendships, parent-child
relationships and that the community of our fellowships and our church will
grow richer and deeper and broader. I dream of a day when we will live in
peace and harmony and delight in one another and with joy in the Lord.
Will you not join me in this dream?

Too often we miss opportunities to mature because we fail to see that God’s
hand is at work, that these interruptions of our lives are teachable moments
to train us and to change us for our good. If we will recognize this, if we
will be alert to see this, then we will be more ready to benefit from this
discipline by choosing to endure His discipline, by respecting Him and by
submitting to Him. Then we will find that He is transforming us, working
His holiness and righteousness in us. The ultimate result of this will be
better relationship with God and with others.

Our vision is: “seeking to transform lives and communities”. Before we can
become ones who God uses to transform lives and communities, we, first
need to be being transformed by God, daily; all of us. If we will be alert to
respond to God’s disciplining moments in our lives with endurance, respect
and submission, then we will see God transforming us.
Brethren, bend to the Fathers discipline.