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Discipline


It should be noted that discipline has to do with teaching.

If Christian parents would just teach their children the way that God tells them, those parents and children would have much greater blessing.  God tells parents to be constantly teaching their children.  Deuteronomy 6:7-8 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

Here are some Scriptures God has given to help us understand discipline:

Speaking of Jesus:
Hebrews 5:8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.

Romans 16:17 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught (the apostle's interpretation of Scripture); avoid them.

Hebrews 12:5-11 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?

Galatians 6:1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.

Proverbs 20:30 Blows that wound cleanse away evil; strokes make clean the innermost parts.

2 Thessalonians 3:14-15 If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.

Proverbs 6:23  For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life,

Proverbs 13:1 A wise son hears his father's instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.

Exodus 20:12  Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

Proverbs 15:32 Whoever disdains instruction despises his own soul, But whoever pays attention to rebuke gets understanding.

Proverbs 15:5  A fool despises his father’s instruction, But whoever receives correction is prudent.

Proverbs 10:17 Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but he who rejects reproof leads others astray.

Proverbs 12:1 Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, But whoever hates correction is stupid.

Proverbs 13:18 Poverty and shame will come to him who ignores correction, But whoever regards a rebuke will be honored.

Proverbs 19:18 Discipline your son, for there is hope; do not set your heart on putting him to death.

Proverbs 29:17 Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart.
Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish them with the rod, they will not die.

Proverbs 29:15 The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.

Proverbs 13:24 One who spares the rod hates his son, But one who loves him is careful to discipline him.

Proverbs 15:32 He who refuses instruction despises his own mind, but those who hear reproof set their minds free. 33 The reverence of Jehovah is the instruction of wisdom; and before honor is humility.

Proverbs 22:6  Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.  If you strike him with the rod, you will save his soul from Sheol. My son, if your heart is wise, my heart too will be glad.

Proverbs 22:15  Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.

Ephesians 6:4  Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Proverbs 30:21-22 Under three things the Earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up: a servant who becomes king . . .
God sets people into offices of authority.  Parents have such an office.  Local Church Elders and Deacons have such an office.  Traveling Elders and Deacons have such an office.  These offices do not allow those in authority to lord it over those in their care, but they may have to exercise discipline in obedience to the Holy Spirit.  In a rebellious society, when those who are under the discipline of these God-set offices rise up in rebellion the Earth trembles and cannot bear it.  It's that serious.  When a son or a daughter begins to rebuke his or her father or mother, this is a severe problem.  If it continues, God will bring harsh judgment.  Many have set themselves up as little gods judging God Himself.  If that continues, God will bring judgment.  Judgment is God's way of purifying.  All God's judgments are remedial.

The following is a verse that emphasizes the seriousness of the need to walk in submission to true authority and to walk in God's ways.  It deals with the situation of a son or daughter who, having grown through the teen years, has not learned to obey.  Such a person would drag down the entire society and destroy it from within, just as we are now seeing in so many countries around the world.  Under the law that God gave through Moses, this law was given to protect and preserve society and to save lives.  They didn't obey God's laws and the whole country deteriorated and the people became slaves of other countries at that time.  Now, we have also not taught our children and throughout the world there is unbelievable violence and evil.  Deuteronomy 21:18-21   If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and, though they discipline him, will not listen to them, then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gate of the place where he lives, and they shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This our son is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.’ [Obviously, this is not a child but an adult who never accepted discipline when he was young.] Then all the men of the city shall stone him to death with stones. So you shall purge the evil from your midst, and all Israel shall hear, and fear.

How Satan destroys Christians

He convinces Christians that it's OK to compromise.  They may compromise because they fear the pressure of the ungodly people around themselves or they want to fit in with the ungodly culture.  God's direction is exact.  It is a target, a line with no thickness but an absolute line.  God speaks into each mind and explains what is expected.  When we modify that direction, we have stepped across God's line.  No one goes without a line.  If a person steps outside of God's will, that person makes his or her own line.  One thing that person knows: their own line is arbitrary and it can be moved at will.  They willfully created it and they can move it.  It has no force of God's will to it, though the person may use their own arbitrary line to judge others.  This is the problem every ungodly person faces.  They believe in a morality, but they know deep down that it is illogical for them to have a morality.  The logical conclusion of the Atheist worldview is to kill before being killed and to do everything to serve self.  However, being uncomfortable with that, they will grab parts of the Christian worldview even though it makes no sense for them to do it.  A Christian who begins to walk outside of the will of God is in the same never-never land as the Atheist, having no hope.  They can only wait in fear for the judgment of God to fall.

(some caveats about hearing God's Voice)

When Satan is trying to get a Christian to stumble and leave faith, he will use rationalizations, examples, and compromise to do so.  The schools have learned ways to entice young people into sexual sin, for instance.  They teach such things as Naturalism, relativism, materialism, or uniformitarianism, though these are religious doctrines of the Atheist religion.  Once Christians get into sexual sin, they are looking for a way out.  They become open to the lies concerning whether the Bible is accurate or relevant and other kinds of lies that make up much of what they are being taught in school.  Once a person begins to drift into prideful sin, they tell themselves that it won't matter because God won't see, God doesn't care, or they'll get away with it.  From there, it's not that big a step to saying in their mind that God doesn't exist


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