The Fruit of Discipline

Memory Verse: "For the time being no discipline brings joy, but seems sad and painful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness  [right standing with God and a lifestyle and attitude that seeks conformity to God's will and purpose]. (Heb. 12:11, AMP)

Scripture Reading: Heb.12:4-11.

The Scripture speak of three major categories of "trouble" for the believer:

• Discipline, judgment or rebuke from the Lord.
• Tests, trials, and suffering.
• Temptations or attacks from the devil.

So when trouble comes, what type is it? Some kinds of trouble can be avoided and some cannot. Each requires a different response from Scripture! So how can the type of trouble be discerned? Is this God directly moving to correct me? Or is this persecution for His Name sake? Or is Satan behind the trouble? You need to be able to discern.

However, our focus today centers around the first: "Discipline, Judgment OR Rebuke from the LORD." 

Sons are the ones that are disciplined and as sons we are all partakers of this discipline. The discipline of the Lord is the only way to righteousness: God disciplines us out of the unrighteous way into the righteous way. If we escape this discipline, we are bastards.

God uses discipline as a last resort. If all God needed to justify mankind to Himself was a bigger cattle-prod, then Christ died for nothing! No, God's plan for the earth is love first, discipline last. 

To get us to listen and repent, He will use deep convictions, the rebuke of friends, coincident sermons, the quickening of Scriptures, and every other means before disciplining us. But if we resist God's Spirit of light and mercy, we are promised the rod of correction. When God disciplines, the punishment fits the crime. Time and again, we realize that we cannot get away with unrepentant sin. 

God is sculpting us into holy vessels, and the process can be very painful; nevertheless, the rewards are promising and eternal.

Ponder Point: The fruit of discipline is the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

Action Point: Submit to God's discipline.

Prayer Point: Dear God, I repent of willfully resisting Your discipline. I choose to align and willingly submit to Your discipline so its fruit can be produced in my life in Jesus name.