Discipline Is Not A Bad Word – Hebrews 12

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Friends, let’s talk discipline. Now, bear with me, because it really isn’t a bad word. Good can come, and we hope a good study will come today about this subject. That’s from the International Gospel Hour. Stay with us.

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Hi, this is Jay Webb for International Gospel Hour.

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Welcome to our broadcast today. For over 90 years, churches of Christ have proclaimed God’s Word through our broadcasts. Just ahead is another Bible-based lesson with Jeff Archie of International Gospel Hour. Let’s begin.

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Well, thank you to our J-Web, as always. Greetings to all of you. It’s great having you with us. Without our listening audience, well, we would not have a lot in which to deal with. The Word of God is always wonderful in which we can study, but having you with us to join us for our studies, show us the interest that you have in the things that be of God. Thank you always for tuning in to International Gospel Hour and being one of our most precious listeners and supporters and encouragers of our work. Everything we offer here is absolutely free. We want to study the Word of God together and to make that available to you with no cost. Let’s begin today with our reading of Hebrews 12, beginning with verse 3. For consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as sons, My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by him. For whom the Lord loves, he chastens, and scourges every son whom he receives. If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons. For what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but he for our profit, that we may be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful. Nevertheless afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. And now verses 12 and 13 of Hebrews 12. Therefore, strengthen the hands which hang down and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. Now let’s talk about this lesson text of Hebrews 12, 3-13. First of all, the Lord’s intent to chasten His children is motivated by His love. He wants the best for us. The Lord’s lack of chastening His children would also show a lack of love. It wouldn’t matter to Him what we did, but He loves us too much. When God chastens his children, verse 10 tells us that we partake of holiness, better living. In verse 11, one can partake of peace. That’s a better mind. Verse 12, one partakes of attitude, a better disposition. And verse 13, one partakes of a better walk with the one divine. Now, friends, you see? Discipline is not always a bad word because it can get good results. That’s the aim. You know, you think about it, friends. We are all disciplined. Chances are you were awakened by an alarm clock today. Well, that’s discipline. You are required to do things at certain times. Discipline. You take medication at a certain time. That’s being disciplined today. So, friends, don’t miss this. Discipline is part of our lives, whether it is preventive or corrective. We’re going to study further, well, we’re going to study further a good word, discipline. But first, here is a special word for our Spanish friends.

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International Gospel Hour, in collaboration with SpanishBibleSchool.org, presents a biblical podcast for our Spanish-speaking friends. Please join Marlon Rotana for Christianos Fieles, also known as Faithful Christians, at your favorite podcast platform. That’s Christianos Fieles with Marlon Rotana. You can also hear the broadcast at our website, internationalgospelhour.com.

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Friends, be sure you share that with your Hispanic friends, and that Christianos Files is available, especially at our website at internationalgospelhour.com. Now, let’s talk about the definition of discipline. It’s from a Latin word that means instruction given to a disciple. It is a treatment that will correct or punish, and it’s necessary with and for instruction. So again, friends, it corrects or punishes, yes. But let’s further look at this definition. It is training to act in accordance with rules. It’s an activity or a regimen that develops or improves a skill. It’s also punishment inflicted by way of correction and training, as we noticed. But the training is to improve our skills. So, friends, don’t miss this. Discipline is not always a bad word. It is instructive for better results, it is constructive for better development, and it is corrective for better performance. I’ll give you that again. Discipline is instructive for better results, it is constructive for better development, and it is corrective for better performance. I’m going to defer to a quote here by a beloved friend, Alan Hyers. And I want you to listen to the words of Brother Hyers. Brother Hyers served as a judge in the state of Tennessee courts. And we appreciate Brother Hyers and his friendship and encouragement at International Gospel Hour. He said the following, The father who does not discipline his child for running into the street or playing with a loaded gun is delinquent in his responsibility to the child. The discipline administered may be temporarily unpleasant both to the parent and the child, but it is done because of love of the child and for his protection and safety. When members of the church play with dangerous instrumentalities that may wreck their souls, it is woeful neglect to leave them alone. The extent of the discipline will be governed by the nature of the act and the attitude of the individual. To talk earnestly, pointedly, and privately with the individual may be sufficient to provoke repentance. If not, more stringent measure may be enacted. Alexander Campbell said, To cut off an offender is good, to cure him is better, but to prevent him from failing or falling is the best of all. So friends, from the very outset, we must note every aspect of discipline. Again, it’s either instructive, constructive, or corrective. Now let’s move from the definition to the direction of discipline. Where do we go for such directions? Well, our words will be, or rather, our lives will be disciplined by God’s Word. In Matthew 4 and verse 4, Jesus said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. So, the Word of God is a book of discipline to correct the things in our lives and to instruct us in the good. In 1 Peter 2 and verse 2, the Bible says, As newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow thereby. Children are disciplined, or when the child cries, the child is filled with milk, and then continues to move to solid food. It is a matter of the discipline, to see to the need, to construct, to correct. And when a child is hungry, we correct by feedings. It begins with the milk of the word and we grow therein. In 2 Timothy 3, 16 and 17, all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for, now watch, correction, for instruction in righteousness. The end result, verse 17, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. Friends, please recall that all instruction is discipline. Robert S. Ursary observed, In fact, in some degree every epistle of the New Testament is disciplinary in nature. Every single one necessitated learning and obedience on the part of Christians, not non-Christians. The epistles invariably mandated self-discipline first and discipline of others second, therefore or thereby making the church a soul-saving body for its own members and for the whole world which it was commissioned to evangelize. What a wonderful thought! And so for me to walk as a disciplined individual, I must adhere to God’s word, for from it flows the love of God. 1 John 5.3 affirms, For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not grievous. So friends, I’m sure you would agree, we need to make certain we have disciplined lives. To make it instructive for better results, constructive for better development, and corrective for better performance. Friends, with that being said, we’d like to always encourage, before we leave our broadcast today, to guide you and to help you with some study material that will be of help to you, that help you or will help you with a disciplined life. Here is our J-Web with our online study of the Bible offer.

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Maybe you’d like an online study of the Bible. Sign up today. Tell them the International Gospel Hour sent you.

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So friends, discipline is not always a bad word. We indeed will be the ones blessed with a disciplined life from God and His Word. 2 Timothy 3, 16 and 17. As a quick note before we depart from you, our physical mailing address is P.O. Box 118, Fayetteville, Tennessee 37334. That’s International Gospel Hour, P.O. Box 118, Fayetteville, Tennessee, 37334, as we serve under the oversight of the elders of the West Fayetteville, Tennessee, Church of Christ. We really appreciate you joining us for our study today, and we’ll continue these studies at another time. Thank you again for joining me here on the International Gospel Hour. I’m Jeff Archie, and friends, as always, keep listening.

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God be with you till we meet again.

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Thank you for listening to our broadcast today, and we hope you continue onward with your search and study of God’s Word. Please join us next time and visit our website at internationalgospelhour.com God be with you till we meet again.