Hebrews 12 B

{12:5} And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the
chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him
{12:6} For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
{12:7} If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
{12:8} But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
{12:9} Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected [us,] and we gave [them] reverence: shall we not
much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
{12:10} For they verily for a few days chastened [us] after their own pleasure; but he for [our] profit, that [we] might be
partakers of his holiness. {12:11} Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless
afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.


For whom the Lord loveth he—


Chastens and Scourges.


EVERY son he receives.


Dict. chasten (châ´sen) verb, transitive
chastened, chastening, chastens
1. To correct by punishment or reproof; take to task.
2. To restrain; subdue: chasten a proud spirit.
3. To rid of excess; refine or purify

scourge (skûrj) noun
1. A source of widespread, dreadful affliction and devastation such as that caused by pestilence or war.
2. A means of inflicting severe suffering, vengeance, or punishment.

Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary

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If you feel as if you're being knocked about by life, when you want to cry out-- why God, why me, why this, haven't
I endured enough, I can't take it any more, don't be surprised.


Every son of God's is chastened and scourged, every son. You can't get away from it.


People go to God for comfort- God will help you, comfort you, ease you. It's this image of God as all loving that
leads us to forget that a Father, a good Father chastens his children. We are forever God's children and we will need
chastening. We need to realize that our sins need to be forsaken- we need to resist unto blood- that's a lot of resisting.
We have to realize that while resisting our sins unto blood will not save us, that only the grace and mercy of God
saves us, we have to set aside those sins that beset us and we are chastened to do so.


No one will ever obtain a stature, a position in life, that will allow them to do as they please without consequences.
You might think oh- kings, queens, rulers, dictators, so on and so forth but that's not true- every person has to answer
for their actions. Some might think they don't, they'll live their lives as if they don't, but they do. If we have to answer
to each other for our actions how much more do we answer to our Creator and Savior?


Once we are convicted of something we are accountable for that something. People who are given titles such as
doctor, lawyer, teacher, are very excited upon receiving their degrees- their titles. Does receiving that title change
anything? Are they no longer accountable to know how to heal, to defend, to teach? No, they are expected to know
exactly what their title claims. They are expected to be well learned doctors, lawyers, and teachers. They are expected
to keep up with the advances in society in order to remain well learned and to live up to their titles.


Why is it then that when some Christians accept Christ and are 'saved', do they believe they are no longer
accountable for their actions? That automatically they are forgiven whatever they do? Yes, we are forgiven is we ask
for forgiveness, but being a Christian isn't a license to sin. It isn't a get in free card that you flash each time you sin
and go on to the next sin happily because you can flash that card. If anything being a Christian and knowing that we
are forgiven because of Christ's sacrifice, that He suffered for our sins, should have us striving not to sin- not because
it will save us, but because sin separates us from God and the last thing any Christian should want is to be separated
from the God who can save them, who loves them with a love beyond our comprehension.


Don't get caught in the trap that you don't have to resist sin unto blood- that you don't have be chastened and shown
your wrong ways, that you won't be scourged or punished in various ways throughout your life. Don't believe that
God has left you when you are suffering at your worst, don't believe that this world will be all fun and games, all light
and happiness, it's not. Only our life in Christ can bring us happiness and NOTHING can take Christ from us unless
we allow it to happen, nothing.


Remember--
{12:5} And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the
chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him
{12:6} For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
{12:7} If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
{12:8} But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
{12:9} Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected [us,] and we gave [them] reverence: shall we not
much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
{12:10} For they verily for a few days chastened [us] after their own pleasure; but he for [our] profit, that [we] might be
partakers of his holiness. {12:11} Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless
afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.


By His mercy and grace now and forever in Jesus we ask that we remember and take heart, that we can endure till
the end in His righteousness.

Amen.