The Peaceable Fruit of Righteousness – Part Three
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Hebrews 12:11 AMP says, "For the time being no discipline brings joy,
but seems grievous and painful; but afterwards it yields a peaceable
fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it."
Discipline – consisting of instruction, training, and correction – is
not pleasant at the time it is being administered, but it produces
righteousness in the person being disciplined and ultimately it
produces peace. If you value and desire the fruit of righteousness and
peace in your life, you must submit to God's discipline – through His
Word and His Spirit.
My son, do not despise or shrink from
the chastening of the Lord [His correction by punishment or by
subjection to suffering or trial]; neither be weary of or impatient
about or loathe or abhor His reproof, 12 For whom the Lord loves He
corrects, even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.
Proverbs 3:11-12 AMP
The dictionary meaning of chastening or chastisement is: to discipline;
punish; humble; purify; simplify; to correct by punishment or reproof;
to take to task; to restrain, to subdue; to rid of excess; refine.
Chastening or chastisement is an infliction of punishment, usually in
the form of a whipping or a beating. In the Bible, the term
chastisement usually refers to punishment or discipline inflicted by
God for the purpose of education, instruction, and training and
corrective guidance and discipline. Chastisement, discipline and
correction are not done for the benefit of the Father, but for the
benefit of the child – to quench the will and desires of the flesh, and
to bring them under control, and bring forth and release the fruit of
the Spirit.
David was a wise man – a man after God's own
heart – and he passed that wisdom on to Solomon. David's wisdom came
from God's Word as he spent time in God's Word; as he submitted himself
to it; as he applied it to his life. Don't shrink from the Lord's
chastening; don't avoid God's correction and discipline; don't get
tired of, or impatient with, or despise, God's reproof. Remember that
God only corrects those He loves.
Those whom I [dearly and
tenderly] love, I tell their faults and convict and convince and
reprove and chasten [I discipline and instruct them]. So be
enthusiastic and in earnest and burning with zeal and repent [changing
your mind and attitude]. Revelation 3:19 AMP
God corrects us
for our good. We should love, welcome, and embrace His discipline;
being willing and eager to repent; burning with zeal to be like Him -
to be pure as He is pure. We must be hungry for righteousness. We must
be enthusiastic about getting right with God, having clean hands and a
pure heart. When the Lord corrects us, we should not be petulant or
defensive; we should not pout or try to justify our actions. We should
rather welcome the positive input, cheerfully make the corrections in
our attitude and our life, and be grateful that we have received the
truth because we know that all of it is for our good and benefit!
Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man whom You discipline
and instruct, O Lord, and teach out of Your law, 13 That You may give
him power to keep himself calm in the days of adversity, until the
[inevitable] pit of corruption is dug for the wicked. Psalms 94:12-13
AMP
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of
cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given
us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind
and discipline and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7 AMP
The
person on the receiving end of God's discipline and instruction is a
blessed person. God's discipline and instruction gives you the power to
keep calm when everything goes wrong around you. God blesses us with a
Spirit of power, of love, of a calm and well-balanced mind, discipline,
and self-control. As we receive God's discipline, we grow and learn and
our senses and mental faculties become trained by practice to
discriminate and distinguish between what is good and evil (Hebrews
5:14). God disciplines us and trains us, bringing us to a place of
self-discipline. Discipline should come from within and, until it does,
it must come from without. Outer boundaries must be in effect until
inner boundaries are properly established. Immature people need outer
boundaries; mature people have developed appropriate and effective
inner boundaries.
For if we searchingly examined ourselves
[detecting our shortcomings and recognizing our own condition], we
should not be judged and penalty decreed [by the divine judgment]. 32
But when we [fall short and] are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined
and chastened, so that we may not [finally] be condemned [to eternal
punishment along] with the world. 1 Corinthians 11:31-32 AMP
We must humble ourselves, search our own heart and judge ourselves and,
then when we fall short, we must welcome God's discipline and yield to
it. The Lord wants to have the opportunity to burn with His holy fire
through us, burning up sin and rebellion and every ungodly presence and
force. He wants us to have His fire now so we don't have to burn with
hell's fire later. God's judgment and chastisements, here on earth, are
a much better option than eternal judgment. You do not want to be
judged and punished with the world! God has no desire to condemn you or
judge you – He only desires to pour his mercy out on you (John
3:17-18). By respecting and submitting to His authority, you give Him
that privilege and opportunity.
Recent:
Righteous Now
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV
Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17 AMP
“Therefore if any man be in Christ…” What does it mean to be “in Christ”? Galatians 3:27 says, “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” You are baptized into Christ when you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Romans 10:9-10 says, “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” And Romans 10:13 says, “For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” The moment
Defeating Strife
These six things the Lord hates, indeed, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 A proud look [the spirit that makes one overestimate himself and underestimate others], a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that manufactures wicked thoughts and plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 A false witness who breathes out lies [even under oath], and he who sows discord among his brethren. Proverbs 6:16-19 AMP
Faith Facts
Faith is persistent
Luke 11:9-10 AMP
So I say to you, Ask and keep on asking and it shall be given you; seek and keep on seeking and you shall find; knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks and keeps on asking receives; and he who seeks and keeps on seeking finds; and to him who knocks and keeps on knocking, the door shall be opened.
John 16:24 AMP
Up to this time you have not asked a [single] thing in My Name [as presenting all that I AM]; but now ask and keep on asking and you will receive, so that your joy (gladness, delight) may be full and complete.
Faith is single-minded
James 1:5-8 AMP
If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him. 6 Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating, no doubting). For the one who wavers (hesitates, doubts) is like the