Hebrews 12:6 (KJV) 6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
The word chastisement is sometimes misunderstood because of wrong representation of God or simply wrong understanding of His heart. This is why I called my ministry “Real heart fellowship,” because if we have the real heart of God understood – then all the scriptures will fall into place.
Vrs 6 of Heb 12 is not the start of the teaching, but in vrs one. The author is trying to compare our fight against sin to the unpleasantness of the discipline we receive from our earthly father. He is in no way telling us of bad things coming our way from God to train us and “whip” us.
When were resisting temptation it is a struggle and often a full on fight. But this fight is in our minds not by way of fleshly wrestling. Our spirits are the born-again “new creation” ones and our minds are the one that is in need of correction to line up with the will or word of God. So what were seeing is that we are in need of Rom 12:1-2 of having our minds renewed and no longer conformed to this world. Not always is this renewal fun, nor is it pleasant, but it dose bring forth fruit if we yield to its correction.
Heb 12:8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
Sons of God resist temptation, or should be trying. But this trying is not found in our strength but in the fact that we are dead and our life is hidden with Christ in God. We were crucified with Him and raised with Him. This is the grace message- for it’s all done by grace through faith. Sons take the word of their Father and train themselves to be true to the word…
Jesus was perfected by the things that He suffered.
Heb 5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
Of course Jesus suffered but not by being sickened or whipped from His Father, but by persecution for the words sake. And you too as a Christian will be persecuted for the words sake.
Jesus did take sickness and diseases on Himself on the cross- but were talking now about His earthly day-to-day walk. He was the perfect sacrifice and became our sin, sickness and disease from the whipping post to the thrown of God where He sat down and we are seated with Him in His victory. 2Cor 5:21.
He was tempted in all ways, yet without sin Heb 4:15. In fact He resisted to the point of shedding His blood. He even went to the point of asking His Father in the garden if this cup can pass by Him –“but not my will but yours be done”.
How does our Father make us perfect? First we are made perfect in Christ perfection. Then in our souls were perfected by both the word and the Spirit and our yielding to them. 2 Tim. 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
So we can see that we are made perfect in our renewing of our minds without tragedy or sicknesses or diseases. It is in-fact the word that corrects us. And our yielding to it works out this salvation we already have inwardly. The image of Christ begins to manifest in our thinking and our wills. 2Cor 5:21
Hebrews 12, the author is establishing the context in the first few verses. 'Let us run with patience,' 'lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.' 'Ye have not yet resisted (temptation) unto blood (as Jesus did in the Garden), striving against sin.'
Heb 12:3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
Therefore, the resisting of temptation and the striving against sin is the context of the chapter. Even Jesus found it unpleasant to resist, and strived to the point of shedding blood. Context is something we must always strive to stay in when reading the word.
Then he compares the chastening of the Father to our earthly fathers correction.
Were to be subject to the Father of spirits, hence the resisting of the temptation previously mentioned.
Sickness has never perfected anyone and the Fathers hand to reach out and spank the flesh is not the new covenant way. Jesus has paid for all the sins of the world. We just need correction by renewal of our minds to line up with who we are in the spirit.
What perfects the saints?
Eph 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints,
John 15:1-3, Jesus speaks of 'purging' or pruning the branches that they might bear more fruit. Some have taken this to refer to sickness and calamity as well. However, in verse 3 Jesus says: "Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you." The word 'clean' is the same Greek word translated 'purgeth' in the prior verse, and shows us that Jesus cleanses us, or purges us, by His Word, not by sickness, calamity or tragedy.
To be chastened of the Lord is when you make the decision to allow the word to be preeminent in your thinking. To cast down imaginations not of God, to yield to His mind that is found in His word. Through this you become perfected in your thinking and will.
Heb 13:22 And I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of exhortation: for I have written a letter unto you in few words.
~David
