Uses of Affliction 05 031814

Uses of Affliction 05

4.  Correction and punishment for sin.

For those who do not think God punishes our sin here perhaps a re-reading of the OT would be appropriate.  We like to avoid that word punishment by using words like correct or discipline but changing the word does not change God's purpose.  Nor is it any better to talk of God allowing us to suffer the consequences of our sin as opposed to saying He punishes them.  Allowing us to face the consequences of our sin is in and of itself a form of punishment.

Sorry folks, but God not only forgives but He punishes as well.  Afflictions are His means of conveying His displeasure, correcting, applying discipline - punishing sin.  It is His mercy and grace that limits the intensity of the affliction for we all know quite clearly what we actuallly deserve for our sin.

I know few believers for who a simple note concerning some sin they are trapped in would suffice.  It seems the bigger and deeper the sin the bigger and deeper the punishment.  Wow - aren't we distressed by the idea of God punishing us for our sin?

Now many of you will have a hard time with this idea and I can sympathise.  For many of us punishment means an excessinve act of arbitrary anger on the part of someone in authority.  It does not seem so much like correction as revenge for some wrong we have committed hence we have a terrible time thinking of God's punishment.

But, at least for me, the important thing is that God's punishment has a point, a purpose and it is done in love.  God's punishment is intended for our sanctification - our being conformed to the likeness of Christ - which should be a point and purpose for us as well.

Grace is NOT a free pass, a get out of jail free card.  Grace is the turning away of the eternal punishment we deserve onto Christ so that we may never never need fear it.  But in our daiy lives, in our daily sanctification God will punish us for sins especially those sins which are deeply set in our hearts.

You love temporal tiing too much, they are little gods in your life?  That is sin and god may well see the need to punish you for your idolatry.  He may well see that only exile will bring you back from the edge.  Perhaps He may allow or impose some physical issue or impairment.  Perhaps you will suffer the loss place or position.  Perhaps, as seems more and more likely, you will suffer imprinsoment, a loss of freedom for your sin.

But punshment is a mean God uses to correct and discipline His children in love and a deep unknowlable desire that they be comformed to Christ's likeness.  Punishment always has a point - a purpose.

I struggle with this as Patti and I pass through the affliction we are facing.  I used all the soft words (correction, discipline, refining, etc) for what is taking place but as time passes and my sin was made clearer.  I ceased to be shocked by the idea that God might be punishing me - I certainly deserved it and I don't know that anything less would have made the impact this punishment did.

I struggled with the idea that God was mad at me and was rejecting me even that I had never believed in the first place.  But the more I prayed and read the Word the more I came to see that God was never closer to me than when He found it necessary to punish me to bring me out of sin.

Not all afflcition must be seen as punishment.  It may very well be simple correction or common discipline but we can not afford to refuse the idea that God does and will punish His erring children for His glory for their good.

Punishment is not the absense of grace or mercy.  Indeed I've come to think that, for the believer, God's punishment for sin is an act of mercy and a great reminder of grace.  There is a certain sweetness to the rod when we see it as an act of mercy.  He loves us that much.

When my father used to punish me he would always tell me "This hurts me more that it does you."  I neve believed him - don't believe it even today - but what I feel about that is not what I feel about God's punishment.  His love is so mighty, so intense that I do believe that when He punishes one of His, it does hurt Him more than it does us.

One of the uses of afflcition is indeed to punish - to show us in a very up close and personal way if not the wages of sin then the pocket change.

Finger Thinking 082513

Mat 6:10  Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Thomas Case wrote:
"By suffering God's will we learn to do God's will:  God hath no obedience children as those whom he nurtures in the school of affliction.  At length brings his scholars to subscribe, what God will, when God will, how God will."

Our striving after godliness is no mere walk.  It is a constant struggle to overcome the flesh (self).  Being wholly unable to make any progress on our own, our loving Father often uses the rod of corrections to teach us obedience.  And indeed, for the redeemed, all affliction carries with it a critical lesson /God desires us to learn.

No, it is never pleasant and it gives provocation to our flesh (self) but we must remain under it as the lesson He has for us unfold.  Whatever the lesson, we must learn it.  It is His will for us.  Learn it not the first time and His love demands we learn it under a new affliction.  His holiness and indeed His love demands He teach us in whatever way He must that we may be conformed to the likeness of His Son.

We fight it to our own hurt.  We crave deliverance to our own detriment.  When we resist His instruction through His Word and Spirit.  When we ignore the ordinary means He uses to teach us and mold us He must use those methods which we call affliction and suffering to quiet the flesh (self) - to overcome the abiding principle of evil we carry within our selves.

We have a choice.   We can humbly submit to Him in the exercise of those duties He calls us to or we expect the rod of correction to drive us to them.  In His mercy and grace we have the choice.  In our fallen struggle we must fight for the right choices.  If we do not, if we reject or ignore His common means for our instruction He has no choice but to correct us by what ever means for what ever duration towards His end for us.

There in lies a lesson.

Psalm 6:6

I am weary with my sighing; Every night I make my bed swim, I dissolve my couch with my tears. (Psa 6:6)

Everyone who knows what this is like, stand up!

Now the Psalm goes on to express great confidence in God and His mercy and justice so we're not going to have a pity party.

But - this sighing and tears should not be uncommon in the life of the believer.  We should be sighing and shedding teasr not only for our sins and our needs but for all those who do not have the comfort of knowing God and being His.

Oh, the verse struck me because of our hard times right now but God was gracious enough to not allow me to get stuck on me.  I not only thought of all the redeemed who are suffering affliction and need but of the countless millions who live (or lived) in the utter darkness and hopelessness of being godless and rebellious.

Our problems seem as nothing compared to the problems the un-redeemed live with and will face.  Imagine being in whatever situation you find yourself in and NOT having a loving and caring Father.  Imagine believing that you're here and you die with no purpose or reason.  Worse still (for me at least) imagine living believing that you were at the mercy - the utter mercy of fate (or whatever capricious entity you want).

Oh, I still weep for us and our affliction and need but I weep for others now as well.  Why?  Well - Jesus did.  the shortest verse in the Bible reads:


Jesus wept.   (Joh 11:35)

He wept even though He knewHhe was about to resurrect Lazarus. Why did He weep?  Well, we'll probably have to ask Him later.  But, He loved and He loved not just as the Son of God, the Redeemer but He loved as Jesus the teacher from Galilee - the guy.

Perhaps the thing I am learning the most recently is about the humanity of my Lord.  The more I see it the more amazed and humbled and comforted I am.  His Lordship and Savior-hood are indeed amazing - but to think that He was like you and I and He would weep for a friend - and for many many others - makes it OK for me to weep.

But, as I said - I have had to broaden the subject of my tears in His honor, for His glory and because He did.

Father let me weep but let me not simply weep for myself and my loved ones!  Let me weep for the brothers and sisters who struggle with every thing from the common difficulties here to the catastrophic difficulties here.  When I weep for me, open the arms of my heart to take in Your body and the lost as well.  Let my heart break yet make my soul sing in Your grace for Your creation.
Amen

Psalm 139:2 He understands!!!!

You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. 

(Psa 139:2)

Think about it.  I know you know that God knows when we sit don and when we rise up.  But have you considered that He "understands" our thoughts?  That's not just our good thoughts or our thoughts about Him but He understands our less than acceptable thoughts as well.  He understands!!

Consider:

Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.   (Heb 2:17-18)

He understands!!

I don't know how to express the depth and breadth of this.  It, for me, is overwhelming and kind of a scary comfort.  He understands!!

Consider - He was made like us- He was tempted Himself.  Yes, unlike us He did not sin but He "gets it."

Now, this can in no way be taken as some sort of an excuse for our way-ward and inappropriate thoughts - sin is still sin and error will always be error - but He understands!!

As Patti and I pass through this time of testing and trial we have "not so good thoughts."  Fearful thoughts, legalistic thoughts, hopeless thoughts, fleshly thoughts and murmuring thoughts.  They just come and when they do they distress us - greatly.  But I keep having some interesting thoughts as well.

I think, "Why me, why this,why now, why so heavy?"  Kind of like Moses I want to say, "Here I am Lord, send Aaron!"   Even, "Let this cup pass from me!"  But I am humbled when

I have the thought, "If not me, then who?"  I struggle to accept that this is His will for us right now.  Not to sound arrogant - but, He picked us for this and this for us for His glory and honor - not to mention our blessing.  This makes us no more "special" than any other believers - it just makes us the ones He is using where we are, in this circumstance.

With no Egypt there would have been no Exodus.  Without a crucifixion there would have been no resurrection.  No, I'm not elevating myself or my situation but I am trying hard to see it within the context of God bringing glory to Himself and strengthening me.

What helps is, He understands my fearful and anxious thought,s and though I know He desires that I overcome them by trusting Him, He is sympathetic to my weakness and frailty (which is part of what He wants me to see and appreciate so I will lean on Him).

Please dear ones hold tight to the truth that He understands all our thoughts!  Yes, He disapproves of many and worries for us over others but none of them come as some cosmic shock to Him.  He knew we'd have them and has provided relief for and from them because He understands!

Father my heart and my mind are weak and rebellious.  Only You can temper and tame them.  Knowing that You understand and that You sympathize and provide is such a comfort.

But Father, do not let me grow lazy or complacent concerning them.  Let me take hold of them and bring them to You for Your ministry and mercy.  Be gentle with me Lord for I am much like a little rabbit - jumpy and anxious.  Care for me by giving me the heart of a child when it comes to You.  Give me stronger trust and firmer assurance as each day passes and my imaginings and fancies prove false though frightening.

Let me know more and more Your lovingkindness and Your understanding and open myself to Your instruction and care.  Make me remember Your past mercies and provision and be deaf to the lies and cries of the deceiver.  Let me look only to You and hear only You as You minister to me through Your Word, Your Spirit and Your people.

Thank You for letting me know - You understand!!

Amen