221-How to Understand the Father's Discipline#
221-How to Understand the Father's Discipline
(JP Text Group - Organized by the Little Prince of Heaven)
The topic of sharing is: How to Understand the Father's Discipline
Hebrews 12:5-6,
5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; 6 For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.”
Let us pray together
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You! Thank You for granting us the beginning of a new week. We first receive provision from You, and draw upon Your strength to live. Let us continually examine ourselves, correct ourselves, and renew ourselves, using Your words to reflect on ourselves. In our lives, let us act according to Your words, adjusting our hearts and lives with Your words. May we live on earth like Jesus, always victorious in all things. May all glory be given to You, we pray in the name of Lord Jesus. Amen!
Continuing our series on the Father's loving guidance leading us to repentance, the topic of sharing is: How to Understand the Father's Discipline
The scripture we just read mentions, "My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him." We have been discussing the story of the elder son and the younger son in Luke 15. It also mentions this loving father, just as the story describes, the younger son later encountered hardships. Was this hardship intentionally arranged by his father? No, are you sure it wasn't? Some people mistakenly believe that God punishes His children with sickness, suffering, accidents, or disasters because they are disobedient. But was the younger son a disobedient person? Did his father punish him? We should compare this with the Bible and absolutely not rely on human thinking or worldly reasoning.
According to worldly reasoning, the younger son committed so many sins, and when he returned, the father would certainly not let him off easily; at the very least, he should be reprimanded, right? Or perhaps punished, we think he deserves it. However, this father did not do that. We often cite examples of pastors or believers who have been in traffic accidents or died from illness to raise questions, and some even say: this is what God has sent down, so we can learn a lesson; God disciplines His children. Because they have done things they shouldn't have done and offended God.
Have you noticed that such teachings are incorrect? These teachings are based on the Old Testament rather than the New Testament. In the Old Testament, in Leviticus, God indeed said: If you violate my commandments, I will punish you for your sins sevenfold. Why doesn't God use this method to punish us anymore? In the Old Testament, if you violated God's words, God would indeed punish you, and there would be some scourging, and some problems would arise. Why, under grace, does God no longer do such things? Because Jesus bore the punishment that we should have borne on the cross. Amen!
Isaiah 53:4-5,
4 Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.
This passage is a prophecy about the Messiah, or we can say it is a prophecy about Jesus Christ. Why did Jesus come into the world? To bear our griefs and carry our sorrows. So why do we have griefs and sorrows? Because of sin, which we cannot overcome, problems arise in our lives, we have worries, we have anxieties, we have pain. How do we solve this? It cannot be solved by endurance; the worldly saying that if you endure, it will pass does not work. God does not want us to live that way. What is the easier method God used? He let His son Jesus bear the punishment for us. He was wounded for our transgressions; why did Jesus suffer? Because we have transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; why did God treat Him so harshly? Because we have iniquities.
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him; by His stripes we are healed. What do we receive? Peace and healing. What did Jesus do? He bore punishment. May I ask, when does punishment occur? After committing a crime, the result of sin is what we just read in the Old Testament: I will punish you for your sins sevenfold. Did Jesus bear punishment? When Jesus bore punishment, what did we receive? So please remember, when you believe in Jesus, first peace enters your heart, and then healing. Many people want healing first, and then peace. This should be reversed.
When you have the peace of Jesus Christ, healing will naturally follow. When will He be scourged? When your child is very obedient, will you whip him? When will you beat them? Is it when they are disobedient, when they make mistakes? Why did Jesus suffer scourging? Because we have transgressions and iniquities. And Jesus bore punishment for us, He took the beating for us. So we may be healed.
Brothers and sisters, this is an exchange, also a substitution. Originally, these punishments and scourges should have been on us; originally, this death should have been on us, but it was replaced by Jesus. Isaiah prophesied the picture of Lord Jesus Christ on the cross; He bore our punishment and carried our sorrows. Because of the punishment He received, we have peace. Did Jesus bear punishment? He has already borne punishment. You see, during the Passion of Jesus, you can truly feel that Jesus is bearing punishment for me. At that time, under Roman rule, soldiers tortured criminals with very cruel punishments, among which the most brutal was the scourging that Jesus received. This is called a cat-o'-nine-tails, a whip with nine tails, each with hooks. When it strikes the body, the hooks tightly grip the flesh without injuring a single bone.
These people meticulously studied the structure of the human body; when the whip strikes, the flesh is pulled out, while the bones remain unharmed. At that time, Jesus suffered such punishment. His body was torn apart, far beyond what we can bear. Originally, this punishment should have fallen upon us, but it fell upon Jesus. Therefore, Jesus said: "I have suffered pain, so you do not have to suffer anymore; I have been scourged, so you can be healed." Amen!
What kind of life does Jesus want us to live? A peaceful and healthy one. If anyone still says that God punishes us with pain, sickness, or accidents, they are ignoring everything Jesus did on the cross. Under the New Testament, God no longer remembers our sins; because of the stripes He received, we have already been healed. No matter how bad your situation is, this is not given to you by God. Just like the suffering the younger son experienced, the circumstances he encountered were not arranged by his father; this is not from God. When we encounter these circumstances, what should we do?
Like the younger son, remember his father and turn back to him, and the problem will be solved. What did the younger son originally want? To be a hired servant under his father. But what did the father give him? He restored his sonship and doubled what he originally did not deserve. Amen! This is what we talk about, relying on God; what God gives you is beyond what you ask or think. In suffering, do not complain about your father, do not complain about God, because it is not from God. What you need to do is look up to God's provision in the midst of problems and suffering, and then turn to Him. Amen!
Some people say: Under the New Testament, does God no longer punish us? Will God punish you under the New Testament? No, are you sure? What does the scripture we just read say? Let’s take a look: You have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,”
Is this not content from the New Testament? Is there discipline under the New Testament? Yes, many people say: The Bible is very clear, God will discipline His children; this is written under the New Testament. What does discipline mean? Many people misunderstand the meaning of discipline, thinking it means to use sickness, pain, accidents, or death to discipline. In fact, it is not. The original Greek word for discipline means to train children; it is absolutely not punishment.
For example, when a child cannot walk, you will hold his hand; that is called discipline. When he knows nothing, you will set some rules for him to learn; this is called discipline. If you let this child grow up freely, that is called indulgence. What should you do if the child makes a mistake? Should you hit him? Proverbs says clearly that if you do not have the heart to use the rod to discipline the child, you hate him. Is it to hit the child for no reason? No, it is that you have already told him that this thing cannot be done, but he insists on doing it; what should you do? Beat him. But what is the purpose of beating him? It is not to kill him, saying: "Finally caught the chance to kill you." No, it is to hope he benefits. Hallelujah!
What benefit can sickness bring us? The purpose of sickness is to make us die. Some people think that God will use sickness or accidents, like when someone is driving and breaks their leg; what benefit is that? Is God saying: "Walking on two feet is too comfortable, let you experience the taste of crutches"? These things are clearly not beneficial; this is not called discipline.
The next verse says, "What you endure is God's discipline, treating you as sons." For what son is there whom a father does not discipline?
How do we discipline our children? When a child is disobedient, do you hope he gets sick, gets cancer, or loses an arm or a leg? No, even if he is rebellious and does not listen to you, you do not wish for your child to be like that, but you will reprimand him. The following says, "When rebuked by Him," is rebuke a form of discipline? When we rebuke a child, it is because he has gone astray, and we use words to correct him; this is discipline.
The first form of discipline is to correct him with words. When we come to hear the word, you can also understand it as: God is disciplining us today, or God is training us. Training us for what? Why do we need to continuously hear the word? To accept training, because we often use worldly thinking. How do the older generations say... how do my family members say... how do my friends live... we usually use this way to judge the problems we encounter. After a problem arises, if you do not believe in Jesus, in most cases, your friends will give you their experiences; these experiences may help you, or they may not help you at all.
But God wants to tell us, you need to accept training, to accept the Father's discipline. What is the purpose? To let you use a method that is effective at all times, which is to correct yourself using God's way. Can God's way solve any problem? It can solve it. What I am saying is, any problem, including life problems, including problems in daily life.
God disciplines us just as we treat our sons. If you do not understand the meaning of discipline in Greek, you should understand the latter part: "treating you as sons," exhorting you as sons. Use the relationship between us and our children to think about how the Father disciplines us. When we are disciplined, it is just as an earthly father disciplines his child. Since we do not use sickness to discipline our children, why would the Father treat us this way? Isn't this a wrong idea? It is merely a misunderstanding by people.
Let’s look at how the latter part of this scripture says: "When rebuked by Him, do not be discouraged,"
Does it prove that being rebuked by God feels comfortable? No, it does not feel comfortable. Being rebuked is uncomfortable, which proves that the words of rebuke may be different from the good words we usually hear, but is rebuke beneficial to us? Yes, it is beneficial, so that we do not deviate from the right path.
So the following says, "For whom the Lord loves, He chastens,"
This proves that if you are a child loved by God, does God need to discipline you? Does He need to correct you? Yes. Brothers and sisters, how should God correct you? The Lord Jesus said: "I am the vine, you are the branches; He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." If we belong to Jesus, are we not loved by God? If God wants to discipline us, when He sees that we are not bearing fruit, He will cut us off. After being cut off, can we bear fruit again? The original meaning of this sentence is to lift up. What is the purpose of God's discipline? To lift you up. Amen!
As mentioned in Deuteronomy 28, do you want to be the head and not the tail, above and not beneath? If you want that, do you first need to have that ability? Just like today, if you are placed in the position of mayor, can you manage so many people? You say: I can't even manage my own children. Then you should not think about this, because it is unrealistic. When can it be possible? When God trains you, and you can manage a church or a group of hundreds or thousands of people, then God may place you in that position.
Just like Joseph back then, when God made him the prime minister of Egypt, did He train him first? He trained him for nearly fifteen years under very harsh conditions, hiring the best teachers. After he was trained, God placed him in a position of authority over many, allowing him to manage the most powerful nation in the world, Egypt. If you were placed in that position, could you manage it? You say: Finally, I can sit in that position of authority.
You can be placed in that position, but within two days you might return. You may not be able to sleep at night. Through continuously attending meetings and hearing the word, the purpose is to train us, first to train our thinking to align with God. Then we need to apply God's words in our lives. Hallelujah! For example, learning from the Bible how to establish a church and manage a church, you can also use it to manage a business or a family. Amen! Everyone needs to handle interpersonal relationships in an orderly manner.
God says, "For whom the Lord loves, He chastens,"
You can understand this word as: As long as you are loved by the Lord, God will definitely train you. First, train you to understand the Father's intentions, to know what the kingdom of heaven we are going to is like, to understand how God blesses us, to know why God no longer sends sickness or disasters upon you, there is a reason.
It may have been that way under the Old Testament, but it is no longer that way under the New Testament. Hallelujah! When you encounter these problems, your first thought should be: I have been trained; I will not think wrongly. In difficulties, look up to my God. Hallelujah! This requires us to be trained repeatedly; discipline is not a one-time thing; it requires repeated discipline. Hallelujah!
Hearing the word does not mean hearing it once is enough; it needs to be heard repeatedly, just like training soldiers in the army. Those who have served should know that they have a method called maintaining a posture while training to hold a gun, which is called "muscle memory," or it can be understood as habitual action. As long as they pick up the gun, they will automatically maintain that posture; this is called "muscle memory," which is actually a form of training.
What do we need to do? We need to train so that God's words become a memory for you, an instinctive response. Hallelujah! That is, every time you encounter a problem, you say: "In the name of Lord Jesus, remove this problem." This should be your response, rather than saying: "Why does this problem appear again?" This proves that you have not been trained, or you have not been disciplined by God. For whom the Lord loves, He will surely discipline. Hallelujah!
So brothers and sisters, when you come to church, it is actually to receive God's training, to view problems with God's perspective, to handle problems with God's way. We will tell you the reason: because Jesus bore all your sins and transgressions on the cross, so God will absolutely not send sickness, disasters, or accidents upon you. When you encounter these things, your first reaction should be: This is not given by God; perhaps it is due to some other reasons.
Always remember, do not go to extremes; do not say that every time you get sick it is the devil's doing, nor should you say it is a sin issue. Perhaps it is just that we did not pay attention. I have talked about this issue before: in the middle of winter, when the temperature outside is very low, if you insist on wearing shorts outside and get frozen with a runny nose and tears, is that the devil's work? Is that a sin issue? No, it is just that you violated God's laws. What should you wear in winter? A cotton coat. But why didn't you wear it? You cannot say that it is the devil tempting you; this is not a sin issue. It is just that you do not understand some of God's laws.
What is the purpose of studying the Bible? To know what God's laws are, so as to avoid certain things happening in life. Just like a road sign tells you that the road ahead has collapsed, do not drive forward. You say: What use is this reminder? I will drive anyway. What will happen if you drive on? You cannot say this is due to sin or the devil's temptation. What does the devil have to do with it? Is there a reminder? Yes, do you want to believe it? So this is the law of life.
In God, is there a law of victory? Yes, we just need to know how the world created by God operates; it is not complicated. Human things are complicated. For example, some people tell you how many methods there are to manage a business, how many types of training you must regularly attend, etc. But God's way is very simple; we need to return to the Bible. This book can replace the books of the world. Once you understand this book, you can then read the books of the world. It is very simple; those books are elementary, while the Bible is a very professional book that can solve all your problems in life and even the problems of your life.
So, for whom the Lord loves, He will surely discipline and train us. Hallelujah! The longer we stay here receiving training, the more we understand the Father's intentions, forming a memory, an instinctive response. This way, when you handle things, it becomes very simple, because God's way is always victorious. The latter part mentions another issue: "and scourges every son whom He receives." Since it separates these two terms, "For whom the Lord loves, He chastens." It was just mentioned that discipline is first done with words, using words. You are now receiving training and discipline, so why does it mention "and scourges every son whom He receives"?
What does scourging mean? Is it that when you are disobedient, God takes out a whip and gives you a few lashes? Now I will explain this scripture to you. This scourging is definitely not done with words; it is different from the previous words. It proves that why does this person need to be scourged? We need to look at two scriptures to see what kind of person needs to be scourged.
If he is wise, God has taught him with words, and he has corrected himself, then there will not be so many problems. But if he continues to be disobedient, resulting in some problems, what kind of person does God need to scourge to bring him back? Proverbs 19:25 and 29 mention these two types of people.
First, look at verse 25: "The rod is for the back of the fool; and the wise man will receive knowledge."
Here it mentions two types of people. The first type is the scoffer; the scoffer is a very proud person. Proud people need to be scourged. What does scourging refer to here? Does it mean that God really takes out a whip and beats him? Please listen carefully, the scoffer is extremely proud and will definitely encounter some circumstances. These circumstances are not given to him by God; it is because he is too proud that he falls into these circumstances. And in these circumstances, he undergoes some scourging, just like the younger son, do you understand?
At first, the younger son thought he was great; he could manage everything by himself; he could leave his father and live on his own, and he would certainly live better than his father. He did not want to be constrained by his father anymore; there were too many rules, this cannot be done, that cannot be done; he wanted freedom. He went out, and you could say the younger son was proud. After the pride, when he spent all his money and had no source of income, you can understand these circumstances as scourging. May I ask, were these circumstances given by God?
He encountered these circumstances; this is what I am talking about when I mention scourging. After the scourging, because he is a scoffer, the fool will gain knowledge; that is, when he encounters these circumstances, he may turn back and say: "I was wrong; this environment is really terrible, much worse than my previous life. I want to go back."
In worldly terms, some people are "hitting a wall." What kind of person is a "hitting a wall" person? A single-minded person; in fact, it is a foolish person. He does not know how to turn; he just rushes straight ahead, clearly knowing that is a wall, and has already been told that it is a wall, but he does not believe it and crashes into it. Should he turn back? No, he crashes again... Finally, one day he crashes and gets hurt, and he says: "Oh, it really is a wall." Such a person gains knowledge and will teach his children: "That is a wall; do not crash into it." As a result, the child does not listen and crashes... In the end, he concludes: "It really is a wall."
Why should we live like this? The Bible has already told us many conclusions; do not crash again. If you do not believe, what will happen? You will definitely crash, and in the end, you will conclude: "It really is a wall." Who gets hurt? Has he gained knowledge? Just like when God led the Israelites into Canaan, they really did not believe. They sent twelve spies into Canaan for forty days to observe the land, and when they came out, how did they say? "It is indeed as God said, a land flowing with milk and honey."
What should we do if we are smarter? Even if I do not go to see it, I know it is true because I believe in my God. Why must I wait until I see it to believe? Do I gain knowledge only after seeing it? We should not gain knowledge this way; do not say: "After I crash many times, I will tell you that this road cannot be taken." Do not do this, because such people are generally foolish. I used to be like this; when others said it, I did not believe it and insisted on trying it myself. After crashing a few times, I said: "It really is a wall." But unfortunately, there is an even more terrible kind of person. He clearly knows it is a wall, but he says: "I will not turn back; I will crash through the wall," and in the end, he dies under the wall. This is the conclusion.
This is the scoffer, the foolish person. For foolish people, they should be scourged. Is a foolish son not a son? Yes, he is! But we should not be a scoffing son, nor a foolish son; we should be a wise and discerning person. What is a discerning person? When others remind us, we say: "You are right; I have this problem; I need to correct it quickly." This is the content of discipline; we are in training.
In the military, it is the same. When the instructor teaches this group of people, those who listen generally do not have any problems. Those who do not listen, when they are clearly told to lift their feet to a certain height, they do not listen and insist on going higher. Then they get hit, and they lower it a bit, get hit again... Finally, the instructor says: "Alright, put a stone on his foot; maintain this posture for two hours." Is he suffering? Is he being punished? If he had just listened, he would not have had any problems! You say: "I think your system has problems; you are deliberately making things difficult for me." Regardless of whether it is difficult or not, you still have to do it. Society has some laws; do not touch them. Hallelujah!
We are children of grace, which does not mean we can live against common sense. Therefore, the Bible tells us to obey those in authority and to live in harmony with others; these are aspects of human interaction, and the Bible absolutely does not detach from life. Now you understand what it means to "scourge every son whom He receives"? It is not that God gives him sickness or uses disasters to scourge him; it is because he insists on being disobedient and does not listen to advice, ultimately falling into circumstances. We call these circumstances scourging. Such people are foolish and scoffers, that is, proud people. We just need to be the former and live according to the Bible.
Do not learn from Moses, who took forty years to understand one thing; those forty years were wasted. Do not learn from Solomon, who only discovered in his old age that "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity." It is too late. Why did he write Ecclesiastes for us to see? He did not want us to walk his path. As discerning people, we are smarter than Solomon. Hallelujah! You know what is most important? Live this way, and it will naturally be good. Adjust ourselves daily with God's words; it is not about adjusting God, saying God is unfair, unjust, or does not love me. It is not about adjusting in this way; it is about adjusting ourselves.
We need to understand the meaning of scourging. Many people cannot understand; when they see others in sickness, they will say that it is God's lesson for them because sickness is not upon them. If it were upon them, would they still say that it is God's lesson, that He wants to bless them and build them up? Very few people say this when they are sick. Let me emphasize again: Sickness, suffering, and accidents are not lessons given by God.
When training children, the lessons given to them are all for their future benefit. If they die, there is no future. Therefore, God will absolutely not use sickness and accidents to teach you or me; this is not our lesson. God's punishment for sin has already been satisfied, so now we only expect God to love us, not to punish us. We expect God's grace upon us, not to expect scourging upon us. If you are disobedient and insist on being a proud person, God will indeed let some circumstances come upon you to bring you back. But these circumstances are not given by God; they are reasons we find ourselves. So do not be a scoffer, nor be that foolish person.
We are under the New Testament, not under the Old Testament; you do not have to be afraid like in the Old Testament. Under the New Testament, God will not use any punishment to discipline His children, and God will also not use sickness or disasters to train us. There is no training in the military that aims to make people sick, saying: "To make you stronger, everyone should experience what it is like to be worse than death; let’s start with some cancer." There are no such training subjects; all training subjects are meant to make you stronger; our God is the same!
If you still do not understand, it does not matter; how do you train your children? Think about what true discipline is. You do not put your child's hand in the fire to teach him that it is dangerous; you will not put your child's hand in the fire to burn it and then tell him that putting his hand in the fire is dangerous and will burn it. This is not given by God, right? You cannot say that a blister on his hand is given by God; it turns out you really should not put your hand in that fire. There is no need for this.
Sadly, many Christians still believe that the Father will use sickness and disasters to discipline us, as if the Father is always angry and always looking for opportunities to destroy us. Why do you think of God in this way? Please remember: He is your Father. Amen! When the younger son returned, he called out to his father. What did the father do? He ran to him and kissed him repeatedly. Even earthly fathers know to give good things to their children; how much more will our heavenly Father, who loves us, do so? Sickness, disasters, and accidents are not good things; regardless of where they come from, these things should not come upon us. If they do, what should we do? Look up to your Father in heaven and let Him rescue you from all evil environments. Hallelujah!
Let’s look at a passage of scripture to see what the Father's intentions are, Psalm 103:1-5,
1 Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits. 3 Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases. 4 Who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies. 5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
Here it mentions that God forgives all our iniquities; God does not give us iniquities. God heals all our diseases; God does not give us diseases. Instead, God wants to redeem our lives from destruction, which proves that death is also not given by God. What does God give? Crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies. So God never said: "Do not forget that I am an angry God; I am a God of wrath." God said: "Do not forget all My benefits." Hallelujah!
Verse 5 says, "He satisfies your mouth with good things,"
Who desires good things? We desire good things. You say: "I do not desire anything." Well, then you will not see God's grace. You must have a desire; for example, "Lord, bless me in this area," and God can give you according to your desire, so that you may be satisfied, and your youth is renewed like the eagle's. What does this mean? It means that you feel like you are done for, that life has reached its end, that you have entered a bottleneck. Just like an eagle, when it reaches a certain age, its claws begin to degenerate, its wings begin to age, and various problems arise. There are only two ways: the first is to wait to die, doing nothing because its beak is also in that condition and cannot catch food; the second way is to be renewed. Do you know how to do it? The eagle's beak is curved; it begins to strike its beak against the rock to remove the outer layer, allowing a new one to grow inside. Then it uses its beak to pluck out its feathers one by one, and new ones will grow. This is like the eagle being renewed. In the eyes of people, it seems to be dead, but a new life emerges. Hallelujah!
We are like this; when we encounter problems and sufferings in life, do not feel that this is a dead end. Look up to God, and you will regain life like the eagle. Hallelujah! Thank and praise the Lord! This is what our Lord wants to give us. We must believe correctly; God desires for us to be healthy and prosperous; He wishes to protect us from all evil. Understand one thing: God's intention is absolutely not to condemn you, not to punish you, but to have mercy on you. Therefore, the Bible tells us that God's grace leads us to repentance; what comes from the Lord is God's love.
Just like that father, when he saw the younger son returning, he ran to the son without hesitation to embrace him and bring him home. His father did not say: "You wasteful son, you have done so many bad things; from now on, behave yourself." Instead, he guided his son with grace and love. Before his son repented, he was first embraced by his father and kissed by him. It was this series of love that allowed the younger son to repent in the love of his father. Hallelujah!
So brothers and sisters, true repentance is absolutely not being condemned by the Father and then repenting; true repentance is in love, in the love of the Father. Think about how the rough fisherman Peter repented. As a fisherman, Peter may have been very strong. How did Jesus make such a fisherman, who was much older and taller than Him, kneel before Him?
Did Jesus passionately preach God's judgment or the Ten Commandments of Moses? "Peter, do you still have the qualifications to fish? Have you memorized the Ten Commandments? You cannot even read a few words; what good is fishing?" He did not use such harsh words to make Peter follow Him; instead, He guided Peter with love. The Lord Jesus first blessed Peter with two boats full of fish, almost sinking the boats. When Peter saw the grace given by Jesus, he knelt at Jesus' feet and said: "Lord, depart from me, for I am a sinful man."
Which came first? Was it grace that came first, or was it Peter's repentance that came first? But many people insist on reversing this, saying that you must first repent before God can give you grace. We should do it according to the Bible, which is to let God's grace come upon him first; God's grace will lead this person to repentance. Hallelujah! It is God's love that leads us to repentance; it is God's mercy that leads us to repentance. Even though we have said this, many still insist that we must preach repentance; we must preach repentance. This series on repentance has been preached nine times, and nine times we have talked about repentance. But we should preach in God's way; preaching God's grace and goodness will lead people to true repentance. Please remember, fear will not lead to true repentance. Amen!
After the 9/11 incident in the United States, all the churches were packed. Do you know what the pastors were preaching at that time? "Disobedience leads to consequences; you might not be here one day, still doing business, still coveting the world. Come back to church and listen to the word." At that time, everyone was afraid of death, but within half a year, those people returned. Such fear-based messages will not lead to true repentance; what attracts us today is God's love. Hallelujah! So you understand, the unconditional love and mercy from God, the power of this love makes you unable to leave Jesus, makes you eager to go to church to hear God's words. Hallelujah!
What is God's definition of love in the Bible? 1 John 4:9-10,
9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. This is love.
Always remember, in faith, it is absolutely not about how much we love God or what we do for God. It should be about how much Jesus has done for you, what our Heavenly Father has done for you, and then you can see God's love. Hallelujah! The fruits of repentance are absolutely not based on the law, nor on preaching God's judgment and wrath, but on seeing God's goodness and His love. Peter knelt before Jesus in this way. Preaching God's anger, fire, and judgment cannot truly turn people's hearts back to God; rather, it is His goodness, grace, and mercy.
When you see such a God, you cannot help but be attracted to Him, which leads to true repentance. Hallelujah! Repentance is just a fruit; some people's behaviors have changed, but these are just fruits. Correct faith will produce fruits. Just like being in the sun for a long time will definitely tan you, similarly, as long as you are under grace, you will definitely bear a different life, such as the fruits of holiness, the fruits of love, and the fruits of the Spirit; you will definitely bear fruits in grace. Amen!
By the way, everyone thinks we should talk more about repentance, but what does repentance mean? It means to change one's mind; the meaning of repentance is to change one's mind! God's discipline is to lead us to repentance, which is to change our minds. In the military, it is actually about changing your thoughts, changing your mind, and having a heart to protect the country. When you come to Christ, it is to let you understand Christ's love and live a life like Christ. This is mainly what we do: to renew our thoughts and intentions.
In the past, influenced by religion, many people thought that repentance was about confessing sins or being tied to behaviors, like crying and weeping in repentance; that is called repentance. That is not repentance; that is just regret. Repentance is about changing your thoughts. John the Baptist said, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand; you should repent," meaning you should change your thoughts; the kingdom of heaven is right in front of you. If you do not repent, you will not see it. In the time of Jesus, many people could not see that the kingdom of heaven was near; they thought that Jesus was just the son of a carpenter.
If you do not recognize Jesus, you will not change your mind, saying: "Isn't he just the son of a carpenter? Isn't he just a Nazarene? What good can come out of Nazareth?" Using this fixed mindset and concept to view Jesus, you will not see any grace. Change your thoughts, saying: "Yes, although he is a Nazarene, although he is indeed the son of a carpenter, the words he speaks are God's words, and he has the power to manifest." This way will lead us to repentance. Amen! Thank and praise the Lord!
When we preach the words of grace, repentance is still happening. We are changing our thoughts through the gospel, through gatherings, through prayer, and through reading the Bible. This method of discipline continuously renews our thoughts and intentions. The good news is that Jesus is updating you with the good news, making you realize everything He has done for you on the cross. Thank and praise the Lord!
Hebrews 6:1-2
1 Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
We indeed need to turn our thoughts and intentions toward God, but to leave the elementary principles of Christ and go on to perfection means you need to understand the grace of Jesus Christ, understand His intentions, and be willing to accept His training, that is, to be willing to be disciplined by Him. But there is no need to lay a new foundation; it is not about creating a new doctrine, nor is it about making you repent under the old covenant law. It is not like that. There is no need to lay a new foundation, just like repentance from dead works and faith toward God; these things are all in the past. Various baptisms, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment refer to what we were involved in before believing in Jesus. After believing in Jesus, we have left these elementary principles of Christ and entered into His grace. Hallelujah!
The past dead works refer to bad behaviors, which are under the law; faith toward God means you should trust God. Various baptisms, through baptism, let us understand that we are dead and resurrected with Christ; this does not need to be repeated. Various laying on of hands, today you are ordained to be a teacher or a pastor; you do not need to be ordained every day; this matter has already passed. Resurrection of the dead, Jesus has already resurrected. And eternal judgment, why do we no longer talk about eternal judgment today?
Jesus has already borne the judgment we should have received. After understanding these things, we need to leave these elementary principles of Christ and enter into abundant grace, to understand what Jesus has done for you on the cross. Amen! Dead works are not sins; they are the fruits of sin. Those who are not connected to Jesus Christ are all dead works. If you think you have a good relationship with God, so when you pray, power will appear, it is not based on your behavior; it is based on everything Jesus Christ has done.
Do you see the difference? The motives for prayer are completely different; the understanding is completely different. One is dead works, relying on my prayer to make God do something; the other is that God has already loved me and helped me, so I pray. One is dead works, and the other is the behavior of grace.
Let me tell you a joke again. A Catholic was praying when he felt the urge to smoke, so he asked the priest: "Can I smoke while praying?" The priest glared at him and said: "No." Very angrily. Another Catholic who also felt the urge to smoke asked the priest: "Can I pray while smoking?" The priest said: "Of course you can."
What is the difference between the two? In the priest's view, there is a difference. One is thinking about smoking while praying, while the other is thinking about praying while smoking. Is it not different? Under grace, you understand that God has already heard my prayer, so you pray with a positive heart. This is called repentance, understanding the Father's intentions, and then praying, doing things, and having good behaviors. Hallelujah! Thank and praise the Lord!
Let us pray together
Heavenly Father! We thank and praise You! Jesus said, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; you should repent and believe in the gospel." It is about continuously changing our thoughts and accepting the good news of Jesus Christ. He has shed His precious blood for us and suffered so that all our iniquities are forgiven. We are no longer under the law; we are children of God. This does not mean we will necessarily live a victorious life; we need to be continually trained and disciplined by the Father. His discipline is beneficial to us, living according to God's way, living a victorious life like Jesus.
It is Your grace that leads us to repentance, focusing our attention on God's words. We are willing to accept the Father's training, willing to accept the Father's discipline, and let us enter into perfection, understanding Your grace and living. Hallelujah! Thank and praise the Lord! Bless all the brothers and sisters who come to seek You, we pray in Jesus' name. Amen!