“You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the LORD, Nor faint when you are reproved by Him; For those whom the LORD loves He disciplines, And He scourges every son whom He receives.” It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons” Hebrews 20:4-8.
Suffering is evidence of sonship. Apparently the Hebrew audience had lost sight of this fact and needed to be reminded. As loving parents discipline their children for their own good, so our heavenly Father does His children.
Rare would be the individual who favors adversity. A life of ease and lack of trouble appeals far more. But, the trite saying is true: hard times make you strong. An honest assessment of our lives reveals that out greatest spiritual and character growth has taken place during the hardest of times.
As a pastor of nearly fifty years, I’ve had a ringside seat in witnessing the amazing character of those who have suffered the most. I have seen those stricken with deadly cancer courageously fight the battle until the unseen enemy emptied them of their physical life and energy; all the while exhibiting grace and spiritual strength. I have seen those deeply wounded by friends and family; undeserving blows because of their stand for Christ and the kingdom. Their character while under fire vastly overshadowed the evil heaped upon them. As with all the suffering saints I have known, it is as if I have personally witnessed the living hall of faith (Hebrews 11).
Like every follower of Christ, I too have seen suffering. Too often, I have faced my Father’s disciplining hand more as a spoiled child than a mature saint. Lamenting His discipline as being unfair, I have too often lost the benefit of it by resisting and bemoaning rather than humbly submitting.
It is time for each of us to fully face the prospect and benefit of suffering in light of the times we live in. A growing anti-christian sentiment in our culture and the world necessitates that we assess what we are to face. As 1 Peter 4:17 says, “For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?”
Suffering is evidence of sonship. While unpleasant to experience, there is cause to rejoice in it in that it is clear indication that our Father loves us enough to correct us. Wouldn’t we rather be disciplined for our own good than to be spoiled brats who miss the kingdom?
©Steve Taylor, 2025 --Used by permission
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