Dedicated To The Men of God Who Preach the Word of God As It
Is To Men As They Are
"Preach The Word"
Because He Chastens Us
Proverbs 3:11 says, "My son, be not weary of His correction." The New Testament word "chasten" comes from the Greek N.T. word "paideuei". The word means "to correct, train, instruct, teach, beat, whip or punish." God has not designed to keep us from trouble and pain on this earth, but He delivers us from our pain and trouble, saving us for heaven and an eternity of bliss. God does this through chastening. The main idea is not that of punishment, but rather child training us or instructing us.
When we fail God and fall into sin, God lets us reap what we have sown. He then uses the suffering of sin to cause us to think about Him and our failures. God takes the sufferings caused by sin and uses them to "child train" His people.
I. Because He Chastens Us, We Know We Are Sons. The Bible clearly says in Hebrew 12:8 that if we are not chastened by God, then we are "bastards" or not really God’s children. People who profess to know the Lord, who live wickedly, and do not have God’s disciplining hand upon them, have not really been born again.
II. Because He Chastens Us, We Know We Are Special. Proverbs 3:12 says, "For whom the Lord loveth, He correcteth". This is one of the ways that God manifests His love to us. If you love your own children, you certainly want to correct them when they are wrong that they might do what is right.
III. Because He Chastens Us, We Know We Are Progressing. A saint of God may be growing in grace, but when visited with affliction and chastisement, we are advanced to a higher degree of excellence in our spiritual living. God is ever moving us forward in all that He is allowing to come our way.
IV. Because He Chastens Us, We Know We Will Be Productive.
The Bible says that when we are chastened, that it brings forth the "peaceable fruit of righteousness" (Heb. 12:11). If we endure our chastening with patience, it will promote practical holiness in us.
V. Because He Chastens Us, We Dare Not Be Careless. If we thought for one minute we could sin and get by, then our carelessness would be an ever growing thing in our lives.
VI. Because He Chastens Us, We Can Be A Brighter Witness. Chastisement can act in our lives, like oil to a dimly burning wick.
Sermon From Tom Walker
