Is it Suffering or Discipline?
This is the first question we need to ask ourselves when hard times are upon us. Look up 1 Peter 4:12-16 and then follow along here. Suffering for Christ is something to rejoice about, being disciplined by the Father means there is something to repent about.
Verse 12 - Think it not strange: the expectation is that suffering will come into your life, how fiery and fierce depends on what God’s purpose is for you, but the trial (suffering) will come.
Verse 14 - Joy in Suffering: Suffering is good, even welcome when it is because of Christ in you. When you are persecuted, ridiculed, mistreated, shunned, passed over, thought weird, laughed at, whatever the case may be, and it is based solely on your profession of faith in Christ or actions you have taken because of your faith, then rejoice. This is right and good suffering which is very different from discipline.
Verse 15 - Discipline not Suffering: This short list sums up most sins wouldn’t you agree? Violence and the emotion that gives rise to it; covetousness and greed which lead to stealing; the all encompassing evildoer, one who is in rebellion to God; and lastly the subtle but destructive busybody, the one who meddles in other peoples business for no good reason. God states you will suffer if you do these things and this suffering is a right and just punishment for your actions. This is discipline, corrective punishment to teach how wrong these things are. It may be informal suffering or legally binding suffering such as prison, but either form does the same thing, it convinces of the wrongness of what you did. Discipline always seeks to point out wrongs and convince not to do it again.
Verse 16 - Lest you forget: The Holy Spirit makes sure we remember that suffering for Christ is to be expected and in doing so we can have confidence we are faithfully serving God and therefore glorify the Father in the midst of this hard time.
So what? When hard times fall upon you, consider your situation and honestly evaluate how you got here? Is there sin, thoughts and/or actions which I have committed and I am now reaping the bitter fruit of this rebellion to God? Maybe it is the result of some very poor decisions I made? You may need to pray and be very honest in your self-examination.
If you find sin and rebellion, go to the throne and confess and find forgiveness as 1 John 1:9 exhorts. God is faithful to forgive and desires relationship with you.
If you find no sin, have you taken steps in proclaiming God and standing for His purpose? If so rejoice in that you are following in Christ’s footsteps.
Once you are able to determine if what you personally are going through is some form of discipline, then the other articles in this section may help you to know what to do next. If discipline is falling around you because of a group you are a part of or your nations actions, which may be the most difficult to deal with, the example of how God saved a faithful remnant during the Babylonian exile may help you. If it seems more like God is trying to correct the church you are a part of then looking to the letters to the seven churches in Revelation may help. Or it could be discipline for your actions or a trial to build your strength, the page on personal discipline may help.
Posted November 27, 2011
Verse 12 - Think it not strange: the expectation is that suffering will come into your life, how fiery and fierce depends on what God’s purpose is for you, but the trial (suffering) will come.
Verse 14 - Joy in Suffering: Suffering is good, even welcome when it is because of Christ in you. When you are persecuted, ridiculed, mistreated, shunned, passed over, thought weird, laughed at, whatever the case may be, and it is based solely on your profession of faith in Christ or actions you have taken because of your faith, then rejoice. This is right and good suffering which is very different from discipline.
Verse 15 - Discipline not Suffering: This short list sums up most sins wouldn’t you agree? Violence and the emotion that gives rise to it; covetousness and greed which lead to stealing; the all encompassing evildoer, one who is in rebellion to God; and lastly the subtle but destructive busybody, the one who meddles in other peoples business for no good reason. God states you will suffer if you do these things and this suffering is a right and just punishment for your actions. This is discipline, corrective punishment to teach how wrong these things are. It may be informal suffering or legally binding suffering such as prison, but either form does the same thing, it convinces of the wrongness of what you did. Discipline always seeks to point out wrongs and convince not to do it again.
Verse 16 - Lest you forget: The Holy Spirit makes sure we remember that suffering for Christ is to be expected and in doing so we can have confidence we are faithfully serving God and therefore glorify the Father in the midst of this hard time.
So what? When hard times fall upon you, consider your situation and honestly evaluate how you got here? Is there sin, thoughts and/or actions which I have committed and I am now reaping the bitter fruit of this rebellion to God? Maybe it is the result of some very poor decisions I made? You may need to pray and be very honest in your self-examination.
If you find sin and rebellion, go to the throne and confess and find forgiveness as 1 John 1:9 exhorts. God is faithful to forgive and desires relationship with you.
If you find no sin, have you taken steps in proclaiming God and standing for His purpose? If so rejoice in that you are following in Christ’s footsteps.
Once you are able to determine if what you personally are going through is some form of discipline, then the other articles in this section may help you to know what to do next. If discipline is falling around you because of a group you are a part of or your nations actions, which may be the most difficult to deal with, the example of how God saved a faithful remnant during the Babylonian exile may help you. If it seems more like God is trying to correct the church you are a part of then looking to the letters to the seven churches in Revelation may help. Or it could be discipline for your actions or a trial to build your strength, the page on personal discipline may help.
Posted November 27, 2011
