Hebrews 12:8
"But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, (illegitimate) and not sons."
"If you be without chastisement…" In other words, if nothing ever happens to make you run to the Lord for help, or causes you to rethink upon what you believe and why you believe what you do, then we have every right to doubt that maybe we’re not a child of God, because we’re going to have problems. If we're in religion we're in the wrong place because neither God nor Christ are found within religions framework, only the evil one is found behind its veil. Therefore Satan’s not going to leave us alone if we’re a true child of God. If we can notice that Israel and the Jewish religion is left alone by God, then we'll learn that God judged it at the cross and found it and them wanting. That is why Paul said that it only took a partial blindness to hold them in a state of suspension in the enigma of the interim. The duration of Christ verses Satan or Religion which now has been almost 2000 years in duration. Now this slaps many in the face as they teach another doctrine another gospel then this and therefore believe a lie. Now verse 9:
Hebrews 12:9a
"Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh (see, here he brings it into the earthly experience) which corrected us, and we gave them reverence:…"
I bet I can make everyone in this room smile. When did your parents lay the switch to you? Sure, every one of us can remember. I can remember one in particular, and I imagine I can strike a cord with all of you. After Dad had given me a good whipping, I’ll never forget, he sat me on his knee and he says, "Give dad a hug." I wouldn’t do it. Then he told me what had happened was because he loved me. You’ve all been there or should have been at one time or another. Even my mothers father did this to me on one occasion, which I'll never forget. Every one of you should have had at least one of those happenings.
Parents are to do these things because they love their kids, and a child should respond knowing that this is why they got it, for their own good. All right, Paul is saying the same thing spiritually! So he says, "We’ve had fathers in the flesh which corrected us" or spanked us, whipped us, switched us, whatever the case may be. I always say switched because my Mom’s favorite weapon was a willow stick. Have you ever been hit with a willow stick around the calf of your leg. Yeah, stings like fire. But doesn’t hurt you all that much but it sure stings. All right, that’s what God does to us - He chastens us. All right, now then, if our earthly fathers got that kind of response:
Hebrews 12:9b
"…shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?"
Now here's the name that we've used throughout “the Father of spirits” Elohim is the all knowing Father of spirits its in His likeness and image that we were formed at creation. We're to carry His character before all humanity through the ontological essence of Christ restored within us. In other words it was this ontological essence which was separated from God when Adam ate of the forbidden fruit. Now verse 10, he comes back again to the earthly scenario.
Hebrews 12:10
"For they (our parents, our Mom and Dad) verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; (that is their responsibility. But, what was their reason?) but he for our profit, (for our own good) that we might be partakers of his holiness."
Now we said that we're to exhibit His character before all and one of the attributes of God's character is Holiness. Another is righteousness and godliness. Now verse 11 – oh, this is so true.
Hebrews 12:11
"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."
Is it joyous to be chastened? Of course not. When we were kids and we got that whipping, we cried our eyes out, right? It was awful. But the end result, hopefully, was for our good. All right, now Paul is bringing it right back into the spiritual, "Nevertheless afterward it yielded the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby." Verse 12. What’s the first word? "Wherefore." In other words, learn the lesson that as a child is disciplined for his own good, God does the same thing with us, to increase our faith. And our growth into our salvation, His nature (likeness and image), His character. This is what it means to have the mind of Christ and to count it all joy throughout the discipline process. With a Thank You Father through it all for it will last until the day of the Lord. Whether it be by natural death or by His second coming on the clouds of heaven, this even may not be visible to all as He may just call us out, us being those who have become sons of God, ie...Christ-ones! We'll know them because they exhibit the character of God through their life and life's activities. Paul calls this our conversation ie...life style.
Now ,I’ve given a warning as long as I’ve been sharing - always be careful that when a believer is going through hard times, that you don’t say (in your own mind, or even speak it to others), "Well they must be guilty of some sin and God is spanking them." No! Because this is the response of religion, as religion judges all by the externality of man. It knows not or rather I should say it denies the spiritual part of man. Because there are two reasons God brings adversity into the life of the believer - two, not one. The first one is, yes, he needs disciplining and needs to be brought back into fellowship, right relationship and God will discipline for that. The second one is as Abraham was told to give up Isaac - it wasn’t because Abraham needed discipline. What was the purpose? His trusting which became counted as faith. To exercise his faith. So always remember that. If a believer is going through hard times (health, finance or whatever), God may be just doing all this to increase their faith, and strengthen them spiritually. We tell people, the individual himself knows what it is. The individual believer knows if God is spanking him because he’s been a disobedient child. He knows it. It’s not for you and I to determine and so we just look at it that God in His own purposes deals with the believer as He sees fit. And the main thing is the development of His character which Jesus Christ exhibited throughout His earthy ministry. Now verse 12.
Hebrews 12:12-13
"Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed."
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