Steven A. Bush - September 22, 2013
Our Father Spares Not The Rod
We live in a time where some falsely assert that good things come from God but troubles, trials, and tribulations come from the devil. The author of Hebrews, not to mention the authors of Proverbs, Romans, James, and other books, make clear that God is a loving Father who therefore disciplines His children for their good. We love His undeserved favor but not so much our well deserved correction. While the saying, "Spare the rod and spoil the child" is not from the Bible, it might as well be and the Father of fathers certainly does not spare His rod. And yet He does not abuse. As Charles Spurgeon astutely preached on God's chastisement, "His rod has been baptized in deep affection before it is laid upon the believer's back." My dad once said before a spanking, "This is going to hurt me more than it's going to hurt you!" That didn't seem true at the time. But in Hebrews 12:11 the Holy Spirit breathed these words through the author: "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." While God's wrath and punishment are stored up for the wicked for that great and terrible Day, His adopted sons and daughters, purchased by the blood of His One and Only Son, undergo discipline because we are deeply loved. Our Father's chastening is merely a sign we belong to Him.