Chastisement

Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 5:8: But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Isaiah 53:5a: But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; . . .

Interesting that Jesus* death on the cross was referred to in Isaiah as wounding and chastisement. He was wounded for our transgressions and chastened for our peace and our reconciliation with God. I believe those things refer to His suffering before His death. He was scourged before He went to the cross. There is suffering that some men must endure because of their sin before their death too, even for believers. And others seem to die a quick and painless death. For one who has received Jesus the wages of his sin are no longer condemnation, they are chastening. If a believer stubbornly continues in sin his chastening can be very severe. It can even be physical death. It may be that because of Jesus suffering before His death, believers suffer less before their death.

Psalms 116:15: Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.

At the death of believers who frequently confess and forsake their sin, they may do less suffering. Their death saves them from suffering to come and they obtain more mercy in their deaths.

Isaiah 57:1: The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.

Proverbs 28:13: He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

Psalms 23:6: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Romans 8:1: There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Hebrews 12:6: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. 11 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.

2 Corinthians 4:16: For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

I am glad the Bible calls our affliction light and temporary. We ought to be grateful that God dealt with Jesus according to our sin so that He does not need to deal with us according to our sin. I know that in my Christian life, I have suffered far less than my sins would justly deserve. I know too that the spankings from my earthly father were less severe than I deserved, actually rather gentle. I knew he loved me.

Psalms 103:10: He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

Care to discuss Chastisement with Ron?

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