Grace and peace to you from the Lord Jesus Christ! Welcome to „Daily Word for Spiritual Edification”! Today I would like to talk about
how God chastises and disciplines His children . Basically, there are four ways God uses to discipline us:
- God uses His Word, the Bible to discipline us.
Do you have some separate time to read and personally study God’s Word? Do you study the Word together with other believers? Do you listen regularly to the preaching of the Word? All these issues are very important, since it is the Holy Scripture that God uses to speak to us. Through the Word God corrects us and gives us important instruction concerning the way we should live. God sees and know how we live. God knows all of our hidden desires and thoughts, and He wants to correct us through His Word.
«All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work» (2 Timothy, 3:16-17).
«Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statues, and I shall keep it to the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart. (..) Direct my steps by Your word, and let no iniquity have dominion over me» (Psalm, 118:33-34, 133).
- God disciplines or disciples us through the people that have authority over us.
God sometimes speaks to us by sending us a word through our pastor or someone else who has spiritual authority over us. None of us should live isolated from other believers. We must be connected to one another and be accountable to one another. This is one of the ways how God can change, correct and prepare us to be the instruments of His mercy. The following Scripture passages emphasize the importance of this thought:
«…submitting to one another in the fear of God» (Ephesians, 5:21).
«Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you» (Hebrews, 13:17).
«Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”» (1 Peter, 5:5).
Apostle Paul encouraged young preachers to do the work of the ministry that God had called them to do. The important part of their work was to correct and reprimand the people in the church that lived incorrectly or in sin:
«I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching» (2 Timothy, 4:1-2).
«Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you» (Titus, 2:15).
Tomorrow we will continue talking about what other methods God uses to correct us, to prepare us for such a ministry that will be pleasing to God and bring fruit for His Kingdom. God bless you! Pastor Rufus Ajiboye
