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.

Heart Keeping 01 020314

6 Heart Keepers 01

John Flavel in his work Keeping the Heart offers six things we ought to be doing in order to keep the heart.
Frequent observation of the frame of the heart.
Deep humiliation for heart evils and disorders.
Earnest supplication and instant prayers for purifying and rectifying grace when sin has defiled and disordered the heart.
Imposing strong engagement upon ourselves to walk more carefully with God and avoid the occasions whereby the heart may be induced to sin.
A constant and holy jealousy over our own hearts.
The realizing of God's presence with us and setting the Lord always before us.

In this series I hope to go through each one of these and help us understand how and why these are important.

Needless to say we should all recognize the imperative of "keeping" or "guarding" our hearts.  Jesus made is very clear that it is out of our hearts that all evil springs.  Even in our redeemed state and in the midst of God's sactifying work we still have that remnant of the corrupt nature in our hearts and we must live and act on that fact humbly submitting to God and resisting and fleeing the Devil.

1.  Frequent observation of the frame of the heart.

"PAY ATTENTION - ON PURPOSE!"
The word heart in the Bible typically is synonymous with the word "soul."  So we need to be clear that we are not talking about either the muscle or the emotions.  This isn't the seat of your feelings or affections but rather the seat of your faith that we are dealing with.

The "frame" of your heart can best be seen as like steel beams that support any massive structure.  Though they are not visible yet they are the key to the structural soundness of any building.

What are the "steel beams" of your heart?  Are they submission to, dependence on, worship towards and trust in God?  If these are not sound then your structrue is in danger.

It's not a matter of having one or two of these but having all four as the frame of your heart - and hopefully the only frame.  Anything other than these four basic "beams" and your structure is not sound.  You will have weak spots and vulnerabilities.

Trusting in things, people, position; taking comfort in prosperity or favorable circumstances; harboring self-love or the fear of man are all examples of the weak beams with which we tend to frame our hearts.

It is well written in Proverbs:
Proverbs 3:5-8 ESV
[5] Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. [6] In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. [7] Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. [8] It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.

Verse 5 = the heart
Verse 5b & 6 = the mind
Verse 7 = the choices
Verse 8 = the blessing

It all begins (and ends actually) in the heart.  Is the Lord actually the Lord of your heart?  Do you struggle in your heart with doubts and sin?  Is your heart aimed at and centered upon the Lord and what He has done for you - desires from you?

We know that the answer to the question above is, "Not so much as I would desire."  And so we must intentionally and regularly and consistantly examine our hearts - the frame of our hearts - to make sure they are framed with the right stuff.

Psalm 26:2 ESV
Prove me, O LORD, and try me; test my heart and my mind.

Psalm 51:10 ESV
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

Psalm 119:10 ESV
With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!

Psalm 119:34 ESV
Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart.

Psalm 141:4 ESV
Do not let my heart incline to any evil, to busy myself with wicked deeds in company with men who work iniquity, and let me not eat of their delicacies!

We examine our hearts through the Word of God and prayer.  Not to mention the necessary reliance upon the work of the Holy Spirit.  Being consistantly and prayer fully in the Word with an aim to the condition of our hearts is critical.  Think of the intensity nd awesomeness of open-heart surgery.  This work of keeping the heart is not less so and perhaps even more so.

I encourage you to pray for the conviction, strength and intention of keeping your heart.  This is the way of sanctification that the Lord has established so it is the way we should commit to go.