The Loving Discipline of God: Revealing our Sonship and Growing Our Trust (Hebrews 12:4-10)
When we hear the words, The Kingdom of God, different ideas may come to mind. The popular notion is that the kingdom is heaven. While it is true that God’s kingdom exists in a place, the kingdom extends beyond the borders of the eternal city. Jesus tells us the kingdom is also “within us” (Luke 17:21). I have heard others say the kingdom is the Church. While it is true that the Church is part of the Kingdom of God, it is not in itself the kingdom. Others reduce the kingdom to merely the rule or reign of God. God is the LORD of His kingdom, but there is more to it.
Recently I read Patrick Schreiner’s excellent book The Kingdom of God and the Glory of the Cross. He argues that the Kingdom of God is a three-part reality that includes power, people, and place. As Sovereign King, God rules (power) over places and people. Without people and place, argues Schreiner, power is empty. So, God’s kingdom is about divine rulership but not for the sake of power alone. God’s power to rule creates a place where His people can flourish.
When we repented and put our faith in Christ, our citizenship and allegiances changed. Before Christ, you and I were far away from God (Ephesians 2:12) and children of the devil (1 John 3:10). However, by faith and grace, we are no longer strangers to God (Ephesians 2:19), and Christ’s righteousness we become capable of overcoming sin (1 John 3:10a). We belong to God, our citizenship is in the kingdom, and our allegiance is to its ruler.
God is our Father; therefore, He has expectations of us. He is not a permissive parent who believes love equals having no boundaries. God is not a neglectful Father who abandons us in our time of need. Neither is God an authoritarian whose commands stretch beyond our capability to fulfill (because He gives us the power to obey every command through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit).
Buckle up and prepare to receive a hard truth. God is love (1 John 4:8). He demonstrates that love for us through discipline. Hebrews 12:6 teaches us, “…the Lord disciplines the one he loves.” The Kingdom of God sits upon the foundation of love, but it is not the kind of love that capitulates to tantrums. “No discipline,” says the writer of Hebrews, “seems pleasant at the time, but painful” (Hebrews 12:11a). But His correction “produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11b).
Stop for a moment and consider the context of Hebrews. The author is writing to a group of Jewish Christians tempted to walk away from Christ and return to legalism because of severe persecution.
They are facing persecution because God, their loving Father, sees a need to bring discipline to them. The writer does not tell us the exact reason for these corrective measures. We do know they have not struggled against their sin to the point of “shedding blood” (Hebrews 12:4b). They have:
“…completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you” (Hebrews 12:5).
The writer is asking these Hebrew believers to remember the words of Solomon to his son (Proverbs 3:11-12). He encourages them to remember that discipline does not equal rejection—quite the opposite. God proves His love for His children through tender, compassionate, and just correction.
We live in a permissive culture that views discipline negatively (and even with disdain). We hear people talk about unconditional love, which means no boundaries or rules. God does not parent His children this way.
God’s loving discipline reveals our sonship. His actions toward us give us confidence that we are His, and He is ours. Hebrews 12:7-10 says,
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.
God’s love for His children brings life! We may not enjoy the discipline, but the fruit of it brings us joy. And, as God leads us in paths of righteousness, we grow in our trust and respect for Him.
(The links above are affiliate links. If you click on these links and purchase the resources, a small commission will be paid to Equipped Servent / Danny Davis).
If you find this blog helpful and want to say thanks, click here to buy Danny Davis a coffee.
