And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?
'My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him.
For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.'
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? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 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? 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. 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" (Hebrews 12:5-11)
This is a mature topic for Christians. It probably won't make it into the pulpit on your average Sunday service. But, having dived into it honestly in our men's group tonight, I feel it's a good time to bring it up. I am working from a few notes I took from a great sermon by Mike Fabarez of Focal Point Ministries, from his "Our Fight with Sin" series Part 4. < You can listen to it here.
When we come into struggle in life, the world's answer is usually to blame God, or something outside of themselves. "If I'm a good person, why is this happening to me?" they might say. Christians are not immune and face that same temptation. But, my goal for us as mature believers in Christ is to step back and truly assess what we're going through. And, rather than blaming God for our troubles, discover through prayer and thought, what the troubles we're facing could mean.
I'll start by saying, it is possible as a Christian, that it is a sort of "Spiritual Spanking" - that is, God's discipline. If we are to sanctify ourselves from our point of justification in salvation, a little course correction can be necessary. Much like a parent would discipline their child when they've done something wrong, so too God may discipline us. After all, in Christ we are his adopted children, and as the verse above mentioned, what father would not lovingly correct his children for their betterment. But, this does not mean every headache you get is God punishing you. Or that it's an attack from satan. We must not take this to an extreme, but to its logical point based on the Word of God.
We'll get into what to do if we discern it is God's discipline, but let's cover a few other possibilities first, as that can help with our process of elimination when praying and thinking through the troubles and struggles we may be having.
I'll state it here again, but the Christian life was never promised to be an easy one. In fact, it may often be the harder road. Christ said to take up our crosses, not our pillows, and follow him (as I've said before in other blogs).
So, if we are experiencing a time of struggle or hardship, what are some possibilities that could be behind it?
1. The World's Opposition: Are we experiencing hardship due to the opposition of the world/culture?
As simple as this first option seems, it is likely a pretty common reason for struggles. As professing Christians, our faith will put us at odds with the world and its ideas about right and wrong. And, if we're NOT at odds, we should examine our faith to be sure it is real. We aren't going to be at opposition with everyone day by day, but if we find ourselves leaning more towards what culture says is right, versus what God says is right, we may need a quick heart check.
"Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood (Hebrews 12:3-4)"
The writer is saying here, not to grow weary in our struggle with the world's opposition. It's to be expected, just as Christ experienced it to the ultimate degree, shedding his blood.
What can we do? We can rest in Christ, and know He has experienced the same. Just as He said-
“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you" (John 15:18-19).
2. Sin's Consequences (Global): Are we experiencing hardship due to the natural consequence of our fallen world?
How to Identify it: We understand that God cursed the world because of the sin of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3). And, though He made a way of redemption, the earth and all of us are still living under the curse. Sometimes our hardships may simply be born out of the fallen nature of the world we live in. There are some things out of our control, and it's not God punishing us, it's a product of a broken world. The Global curse of sin is that our body dies eventually, not discipline for something we've done in the immediate, just nature of the curse and fallen world.
What can we do? We understand as followers of Christ that this world is not our home. We can rest in the hope of our future existence with Christ, in redeemed bodies that are free from disease and pain, in a world free from disaster and chaos, is His promise to us.
"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away" (Revelation 21:4).
To some degree these first two possibilities are not completely in our control. They are more consequences of the world we live in. The struggle and hardship due to those possibilities is not discipline on us from God, but simply the nature of our existence in this life. Resting in God's promises to His people, and trusting Christ and those who have gone before us to be with Him is our best means of getting through struggles which originate from these.
The next two possibilities are a bit more personal.
3. Testing to Prove Your Faith is Genuine: Are we experiencing hardship as new believers as a means of testing our faith, and demonstrating that we don't forsake Christ when struggle comes?
"And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty" (Matthew 13:4-8)
"When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.[b] As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty" (Matthew 13:19-23)**
**The highlight colors correspond to parallel explanation of the parable.
This is a tough one, but it something every new Christian will deal with at some point in their walk. In fact, the newer one is to the faith, the more likely something is happening in their lives for this reason. When Jesus gave us the parable of the sower, and spoke of the types of ground in which the seed fell, he was speaking to this idea.
Are we the seed on the rocky ground that hears the word with joy, but falls away when persecution arises? Will be curse or blame God? Will we give up and go back to our old lives?
Or are we the seed choked by weeds? Will we seek to ease our struggle with worldly things?
While not directly God's discipline, we could argue it's a means in which God can test the genuineness of our profession of belief in Christ. The believer who perseveres is truly in Christ.
"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful" (Hebrews 10:23).
What can we do? We can persevere, and be in prayer and the Word in the midst of our struggle. We can lean on Christ, not our own understanding, and seek His peace in the midst of our pain. And, we can persevere, proving our faith is genuine.
In some instances, the trials we face to test our faith, once proved genuine, prepare us to help others going through the same struggles.
"... who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God" (2 Corinthians 1:4).
This was the case when we experienced the miscarriage in 2013 (see, Joy Comes in the Mourning)
4. God is Training You/Preparing You for Something Bigger- Are we experiencing struggle much like an athlete may struggle in preparing for the big game (growing pains)?
"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" (Hebrews 12:11).
This is actually the best reason for our trial or struggle because built within it is a hope that God has something great in store. That, even in the valley, He is carrying us through for a purpose.
To use a sports example, this is God as our coach training us for the “big game”
Unlike #3, this isn't a test of our faith, we're already on the team "saved" and have proved genuine.
Now it's time to prepare for the great purpose He has in store for us as believers in Christ.
It's to get us ready to bear fruit in trials and fire of the world. But, much like an athlete must train his body to absolute peak performance, so too, in pain and struggle, we train ourselves mentally, physically, and spiritually, while God coaches us along.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit"(John 15:1-2).
Pruning doesn't feel good to the branch, but it is to better the branch, and to allow it to grow and bear more fruit. Trials are not always painless, and pruning can hurt, but its ultimate purpose is to bear fruit in our walk with God, and for us to mature in our faith as we sanctify ourselves to become more like Christ.
Remember, Paul was given a "thorn in the flesh" to keep him humble after what God revealed to him. He asked many times for God to remove it, but God did not, saying His grace was sufficient. And, while we can only speculate as to what this "thorn" was (probably not a literal thorn), we can understand that something that may be painful, has purpose in our walk with God and our growth.
"So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).
Like a runner or athlete using ankle weights, the "spiritual ankle weights" may be something God uses to grow us and prepare us for our work in His ministry.
What can we do?
Recognize it's not discipline, it's training. Its goal is our betterment in Christ, and an increase in bearing fruit so that we become more effective witnesses. And, since we all have a talent and purpose given by God, it prepares us to use our God-given skills and abilities to further His kingdom. This type of struggle should be welcome, as it tells us something great is around the corner, and we're truly where God wants us to be.
As we go about our walk with Christ, we will run into struggles. But, if we've already proved our faith genuine, we can have hope that what we go through now, if it is not discipline, is God coaching us and preparing us for something greater.
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5. God's Discipline (Spiritual Spankings): Are we experiencing struggle as a consequence of unacknowledged sin or disobeying God's command for us?
God has given us clear commands, and even in the New covenant after Christ, we have to follow those. Disobeying God, or the prompting on our hearts of the Holy Spirit, just like any Sin, has consequences.
Perhaps they're obvious and manifested right away. If you steal something and get caught, even as a genuine believer in Christ, you may not lose your salvation, but you will be in trouble with the law as a consequence.
In that instance, we can know right away the consequence of our sin.
However, if we are experiencing struggle in our lives, we must also consider if there is any sin or behavior we have not brought before Christ.
What can we do?
Unlike the other possibilities for struggle in the Christian life, this can have a process for discerning it that looks different.
First: Ask God sincerely and wait for answer. He needs and wants us to know the problem so we can adjust accordingly.
A parent who disciplines a child doesn't keep the reason for the discipline secret. More than anything they want the child to understand the purpose in the discipline. In the same way, God wants to make it clear to us.
Second: If we truly are in Christ, God will make the answer clear to us. That is, as his adopted children, we will know if we have done something to cause God's discipline in our lives.
And, we can then come to God in repentance, and experience the perfect grace and forgiveness found in Christ. The Holy Spirit is our resource here, sent to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, as it relates to us, God’s children. We have the Holy Spirit to let us know and to convict us when we've done something against God's clear commands.
Third: Make sure we are willing to receive the answer.
If we do find that we've trespassed, and that what we are experiencing in our life is a consequence of this, be ready to accept this. We can't hide from God's discipline if we're truly his children. We will occasionally mess up, and while His grace prevents us from total loss of fellowship, He must, like a good parent, correct us and redirect us back to the right path.
What should we pray? How about David's prayer to God for God to reveal to him if there was any unacknowledged sin or disobedience.
"Search me oh God, know my heart, test me and know my thoughts, see God if there is any offensive way in me" (Psalm 139:23-24).
"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" (Hebrews 12:9).
If it is God’s Correction ...
THANK HIM - If we experience God's correction (and the Holy Spirit's conviction) our lives, it is our assurance that we truly are His children.
Remember too that grace is not a license to Sin. We are forgiven and saved to be with God for eternity, but sinning intentionally because of God's promise of grace is a good way to invite some discipline.
As Mike said in his message, "Our God believes in spanking!"
IDENTIFY THE SIN
Is it something in our heart? Is it something we've omitted, or overlooked?
CONFESSION AND REPENTANCE
The Greek word, Homologeia, means speaking the same thing. In the case of our spiritual discipline, that means agreeing with God that what we did is wrong. No excuses, No rationalization, No trying to justify it. Just acknowledging we have sinned, and asking His forgiveness.
The greek word, Metanoia, means to turn back on something, to repent of an action. So, we "turn back" on our Sin- we repent.
"For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death" (2 Corinthians 7:10).
David's Psalm of Repentance-
"Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin!
For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
and blameless in your judgment" (Psalm 51:1-4)
EMBRACE HIS FORGIVENESS
Believe God is a God who does what He says
“If we confess he is faithful and just to cleanse your sins and cleanse you of unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
The ultimate point here is that when a Christian, that is a believer professing faith in Christ as the only means to salvation (John 14:6), undergoes struggle, there are many reasons it could be happening. Yet, we must not overlook the fact that in some instances, it may truly be God's discipline.
That doesn't make him "mean" or "a bully"- that makes him our loving Father. And, for me, it gives assurance and hope that if God is willing to course correct me, as painful as it may be, He truly has great things planned and cares about my life.
When we come to faith in Christ, we are justified in the moment. But, if we neglect our on going sanctification, we are babies in the faith. We are still on milk, when God is calling us to solid food.
There should be growth in our walk with Christ, we should bear more fruit, not less, as time goes on. And, because God wishes that all would fulfill their purpose which he has prepared for them, He will lovingly guide us towards maturity in our faith.
For new believers, do not falter in your faith, but when trials come, let it strengthen and confirm that your faith is genuine. Testing will come for all who confess Christ, and though I admit I'm not always a fan, it seems the closer we grow to Christ in our walk, the more likely we are to experience attacks from the enemy as well.
Don't let him snatch us away, but grow from it, and lean ever more into Christ.
And, finally, as we mature in our walk, know that God will coach and train us, strengthen our spiritual muscles, and build our endurance, so that when we are ready, and not before, He will put in our path those circumstances which will lead us to our ultimate purpose in this life. A purpose which will use our skills and abilities to glorify Him, and to bring others into savings knowledge of Christ.
So, struggle is not a bad thing for the Christian. It is not always pleasant, but at the very least, it's a confirmation of the genuine nature of our conversion from death in sin, to life in Christ, and preparation to do great things for His kingdom!
Be blessed friends!
You can hear the original message from Mike Fabarez of Focal Point Ministries, which helped inspire this post, here: "Our Fight with Sin" series Part 4.
