“Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” (Heb. 12:11)
“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” (John 3:36)
There is a great gulf of difference between chastisement and the wrath of God, the former is done in love, as to a son, the latter knows no love, and is reserved for those that despise the name of the Most High.
Chastisement is brought for the sake of correction, whether that child has willingly disobeyed or unintentionally strayed from the path set before them. Unlike the works-based cults that set rules to be obeyed to appease the Almighty, when we are in error we have 1st John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” If you do not confess them, repent of them, but knowingly live in them, you will be punished. You may call it chastisement if you so desire, but punishment is what it is.
But the child who is too young to realize that they should not chase the ball when it goes into the street needs also to be chastised. It is how we learn, it is how we are taught by the Lord that there are, for lack of a better phrase, rules to be adhered to. Those who are willingly trapped in those works-based religious organizations have many rules, traditions and bylaws that must be adhered to, those who do not understand the grace of the Lord follow many of the laws of man.
But there are those who use that grace as an excuse for what they continue in. “As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.” (1st Peter 2:16)
Have you ever wondered why so many people who claim to be Christians live freely apart from the Lord, enjoying the pleasures of the world while professing to be a servant of Him, yet seem to suffer no chastisement? “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.” (Heb. 12:6)
We cannot always see the wrath of God abiding on the wicked, but it is quite visible when His punishments come upon those He has called to Himself. They are not saved, that is why they are not chastised.
If you are living your life by the power of and submission to the Holy Spirit for the glory of God, then you know and have experienced that even your thoughts of sin, if you continue in them, will bring the chastisement of the Lord upon you. It is not necessary for you to go and physically act upon those thoughts. But recall, that chastisement is also brought upon us for inadvertent actions, the child must be taught to obey.
In love, always in love, but always in firm truth as well.
No, my friends, means no.
We are human though, we test the fence, we see sometimes just how far beyond it we can go before provoking the Lord to action. Not a wise thing to do. It is wise for a man to know his limitations; it is even wiser to know those set by our Father in heaven.
What we desire is not always the best thing for us to have, and many times it is better to want something than it is to have it. “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Heb. 13:5)
But do not be fearful of asking for more; He knows your needs as well as your wants, but it is always wisest to ask first.
We are chastised when we sin, we are chastised when it is necessary for us to learn a lesson, but we will never, not in this life or throughout all eternity experience His wrath.
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1)
