Hebrews 12:3-11

Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.  In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.  And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?  “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him.  For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”  It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?  If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.  Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?  For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.  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.

Suffering is a part of living in a sin cursed world.  Persecution will often happen in the life of a believer as an instrument of Satan to discourage and defeat the advancement of the Gospel.  However, God in His infinite wisdom is able to use the sinfulness of men for His own glory and to accomplish His perfecting work in our lives and His mission in this world.  Satan and sinful men may seem to be in control of this world and there is a sense in which they are, but God is still on the throne of the universe.  He is our Father and is at work in our lives to discipline us through the sufferings we face to perfect is into the image of His Son.   

CONSIDER THE CROSS OF CHRIST: In the face of persecution, it is easy for us to become tired of the struggle and the pain.  Suffering in the present can easily cause us to lose sight of the rejoicing promised in eternity.  Hope is essential for the life of every believer but especially for those experiencing hardships.  The author of Hebrews asserts that our source of perseverance and courage in the face of suffering is considering the sufferings of Christ.  He is our example in every aspect of life but most certainly in the endurance of unjust persecution.  No matter what we might face, His suffering and His faithfulness far exceed our own.  The same Spirit that empowered Him empowers us.  Whenever we are tempted to give up or give in, we need to look to Jesus and love He displays for us on the cross.

REMEMBER YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FATHER: We are born into families that are not of our choosing.  In much the same way, our children my proceed from us but we have no control over so many aspects of who they truly are.  Our relationship with our heavenly Father is different because He chooses us, forms us, transforms us, and is actively working in our lives to conform us to the image of Christ.  As believers, we are sons and daughters of God.  He is our Father and is committed to disciplining us so that we might experience the joy of living as members of His family.  Often the persecution and suffering we face are suffered at the hands of ungodly people.  However, our loving and wise Father is able to redeem, even these sinful actions, for His own purposes to reprove, restore, and renew us.  Nothing happens to us either good or bad without the Lord’s consent and commitment to achieve His own glory and our eternal good.  It is a blessed thing to be a member of the family of God.

DESIRE THE DISCIPLINE OF THE SPIRIT: The sufferings of Christ and the discipline of the Father are gifts in our lives.  The Spirit is at work in our hearts to accomplish the Father’s plan of redemption in our lives through the work of Christ.  We should desire this more than anything else in our lives.  The discipline that our parents practiced in our lives and the disciple we practice with our own children is always imperfect and has results that are unsure.  The discipline of our heavenly Father is always perfect, and the results are guaranteed.  It is always for our eternal good and will result in our sharing in His holiness.  There is nothing more precious than the holiness of God.  The opportunity to participate in this glorious gift should be our deepest desire.

APPLICATION: Never take our eyes off of the sacrifice that Christ made on our behalf.  Rejoice in the redemption that He purchased with His own blood and use His sacrifice as motivation to endure whatever we might face.  Trust in the Father’s control and discipline in our lives.  Remember that He is at work in ways that we don’t always understand and cannot readily see.  Desire the holiness of God in our lives as the most precious possession we could ever have and place our hope on Him.