Whom He loves, He chastens. What of it?
Chasten is from the Latin “castus”, “pure,” “chaste ;” and to chasten is, properly, to purify.
Originally meant “to bring up a child, Hence, to instruct; To discipline or correct.” The word is not synonymous with punish, since it always implies an infliction which contemplates the subject’s amendment” Vincent
“For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.” Hebrews 12:3
He that endured is Christ. As we consider Christ in his dying, suffering on our behalf, suffering for us and as us: it is a picture of love. It is a picture of justice, but justice suffered by another on our behalf. Christ was our substitute, dying in our place. And taking us with Him not only in death but in burial, resurrection, ascension and session. Our consideration of Him is a consideration of his love.
And this consideration has the potential of guarding us in our resistance against sin. And this consideration is what enables us — It keeps us from despising the external happenings in our lives.
“Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. ” “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.” Hebrews 12:4-5
Hebrews 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth,
The private channels of the Christians heart reveal his capacity for love toward God. His capacities for love toward God reveals how much he has received God’s love as his capacity. The measure in which he has received God’s love for his capacity will be the degree to which he loves God in his capacity.” Dr. Carl H. Stevens from “The Psychology of Humility.”
“The most important thing for the mind and the emotions is to receive the grace of God experienced in love.”
“That love opens up the individual’s capacity to love God. The healthy virtues of that love cast out fear, fretting, anxiety, and insecurity.”
So, to be accepted by him is the believer’s first ambition . To live in such a way that he is accepted by God in every step that he takes must be the believers first goal. What does it mean?
- He does not live in a mutual confusion of his own ideals.
- He does not live in the atmosphere of discovering himself.
- He does not realize his problems.. He is occupied with a person, Christ.
- He does not experience an analytical mind at the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
- He experiences the life of love in grace at the tree of life.
Let’s summarize:
When certain events of life occur, I must not be confused with what is happening. In other words, I must be able to define through the scriptures my personal event. For example, this is chastening, this is training, this is testing, this is God promoting me. Sometimes we are not exactly sure, nevertheless, we do what it says in the book of Jude. “Keep yourself in the love of God.” Jude 20
Secondly, I do not live in self discovery. This is secular psychology. The art of self realization. The Christian does not discover himself this way. Instead we gain our identity from the scriptures, “for me to live is Christ, to die is gain.” Philippians 1:20
A Christian does not live in a continual consciousness of his problems. He has the realization from the scriptures, that God will supply all of his need through his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. We cast our care upon him, and we know that he cares for us. See 1Peter 5:8
Many Christians are natural analysts. However self analysis is not a profitable practice for a believer. Having my identity defined by the scriptures, I have no need for introspection. In fact, my self observation is just that, an empirical study. Unfortunately , my intricate self observation still fall short of truth.
Beloved , we have been reconnected to the tree of life. All is about life now. The deadly pitfalls of our soul have been exposed at the cross. Introspection, self analysis, self consciousness, preoccupation with self, these are hindrances to life. Self realization is a psychological error. God is resting in his love, see Zephaniah 316. We can also rest in that love. Love ya
