“ Encouraging Words From God”

 “Encouraging Words From God”

 

And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as His Children?  He said, “My Child, don’t make light of the LORD’S Discipline, and don’t give up when He Corrects you.  For the LORD Disciplines those He Loves, and He Punishes each one He Accepts as His Child.    Hebrews 12:5-6

 

In our Scripture today, we are going to try and UNDERSTAND the PURPOSE of CHASTENING.  The Hebrew Believers had FORGOTTEN these ENCOURAGING WORDS from God, their Heavenly Father, when He said:  “My Child don’t make light of the LORD’S Discipline, and DON’T GIVE UP when He CORRECTS you.  For the LORD DISCIPLINES those He LOVES, and He PUNISHES each one He ACCEPTS as His CHILD.”  CHASTENING means to DISCIPLINE and this is a “CHILD -TRAINING DISCIPLINE, and this is NOT PUNISHMENT.  You can look at it as a “DIVINE DISCIPLINE, and REMEMBER that when you come under GOD’S CHASTISEMENT it is because He is treating you as His own CHILD.

 

This is one of God’s Methods of bringing His Children into MATURITY and to get them where they should be, He uses TRIALS, which is a time of SPIRITUAL GROWTH, and LEARNING WHAT the BENEFITS of TRUSTING GOD are and HOW to TRUST Him.  The act of PUNISHMENT is the work of a JUDGE, but CHASTENING or DISCIPLINING is the EVIDENCE of the FATHER’S LOVE, and is given for the BETTERMENT of the CHILD.  Many REBEL against this CHASTISEMENT of the LOVING FATHER, instead of SUBMITTING to His WILL and GROWING in their FAITH. When a Child of God REBELS against the WILL of GOD, they experience SORROW and BITTERNESS in their SOUL.  God’s Discipline is ALWAYS GOOD for us , so that we might share in His Holiness.  No DISCIPLINE is ENJOYABLE while it’s happening—it’s PAINFUL!  But afterward there will be a PEACEFUL HARVEST of RIGHT LIVING for those who are TRAINED in this way.  (Vv 10-11)

 

Some Christians, who are going through trials will GIVE UP and want to QUIT.  But, if they think of all the HOSTILITY, SUFFERING and SHAME that our LORD JESUS CHRIST endured from SINFUL PEOPLE, then they WILL NOT GIVE UP.  But they will PRESS ON toward the JOY that AWAITS them and will  spend ALL of their ETERNITY in HEAVEN.  The CORRECT ATTITUDE is that they will NOT GIVE UP!  But that they will REMEMBER GOD’S ENCOURAGING WORDS, and will ENDURE BY FAITH.  And that they will let the PERFECT PLAN of GOD work in them.  And they SHOULD KEEP their EYES on JESUS, the CHAMPION who INITIATES and PERFECTS their FAITH.  

 

If God doesn’t DISCIPLINE YOU as He does ALL His Children, it means that YOU ARE ILLEGITIMATE and are NOT His CHILD at ALL.  And if you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you are DEFINITELY NOT one of His, but you belong to the Devil, who will cause YOU to be DISOBEDIENT to GOD and to NOT have an ETERNITY in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS, but instead YOU will spend your ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE once you are there.  But, part of GOD’S PERFECT PLAN is that NO ONE SHOULD PERISH, but that ALL would come to JESUS for their SALVATION.  The WAY is to FIRST ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, who GAVE His Life to SAVE your SOUL from an ETERNITY in HELL.  And you MUST BELIEVE that Jesus DIED for YOU, with ALL YOUR HEART, and that He is ALIVE in HEAVEN, making intercession for you, before God.  You MUST CONFESS your SINS to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  Then you MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION, and REMEMBER GOD’S ENCOURAGING WORDS.  And DON’T GIVE UP, but PRESS ON to the PRIZE that AWAITS you.  Do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t be LEFT BEHIND!!!