448 - The Lord's Beloved, He Will Discipline#
448 The Lord's Beloved, He Will Discipline
(JP Text Group - shalom organized)
Dear family, peace in the Lord, welcome to your arrival, today is Sunday.
The topic of sharing is: The Lord's Beloved, He Will Discipline.
Let's read Hebrews 12:4-11:
4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood. 5 And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6 because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” 7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live? 10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
Let’s pray together
Heavenly Father, thank you for preparing such a wonderful time for us to come before you. You are our Father, and we are your beloved children. We seek you to receive your provision because we do not know how to live a victorious life. You can help us, revealing through your word, so that we gain strength and assistance! I am beloved by the Lord, and through these words, let me receive new revelations from you to live. Please help us! We commit the following time to the Holy Spirit, that every brother and sister seeking you may receive. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen.
This article mentions the matter of discipline. When we think of discipline, we might first think of using rods or words of rebuke, etc. In the original text, the meaning of discipline is training, which includes not only rebuke and punishment but also verbal encouragement. What is the purpose of God’s discipline? Because we can easily go astray, unknowingly relying on our own will and going down the wrong path. God does not want bad things to happen to us, so He uses His words to correct and train us, allowing us to willingly listen to Him and obey Him. In this way, we can experience His victory.
We can also overcome sin. Sin will always contend with us while we are alive, but how do we overcome it? We need to use God’s words. God trains us like soldiers, giving us skills and various abilities to overcome our circumstances, teaching us how to be victorious in life. He tells us not to take God’s discipline lightly. However, many people do not understand discipline and inadvertently turn it into condemnation. Parents in the world also discipline their children, but most parents, not understanding what condemnation is and what discipline is, end up turning discipline into condemnation.
The first point of sharing: Condemnation and discipline are different.
First, let’s understand what condemnation is. Condemnation is to declare someone a sinner. This is a noun that started with Adam. God said to Adam: “You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it, you will certainly die!” As a result, Adam ate, and after he ate, God’s punishment fell upon him, and Adam was condemned. From then on, Adam became a sinner. Do you all understand this?
Adam was called a sinner because he deviated from God’s will. From then on, all of Adam's descendants, that is, all people in the world, are born as sinners! A sinner is generally understood as someone who has committed a crime or done something wrong, such as violating God’s laws or doing bad things to others, and thus they are condemned. However, from God’s perspective, a person becomes a sinner even before they commit a crime. It is because they are a sinner that they continue to sin. The world, having inherited this trait, particularly enjoys condemning others. When they see someone make a mistake, they label that person as a sinner.
For example, if a business fails, the parents do not encourage the child but label them as a failure; if a child does poorly on a test, the parents become very angry, thinking the child is a failure. This is condemnation! Can brothers and sisters understand this? For instance, if someone has a very bad temper, they will say he is a hothead. Everything he does is labeled, and that is called condemnation.
In the past, we were indeed sinners, but Jesus washed away all our sins with His blood on the cross, including the fact that we became sinners because of Adam. From then on, we are justified by faith.
John 3:18-21:
18 “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.”
This passage clearly tells us that whoever believes in Him, referring to Jesus, is not condemned. God no longer calls you a sinner. This does not mean you will not sin again; those who believe in Jesus will still sin, but God will no longer label you as a sinner. God will call you righteous, and He will call you His beloved. Although you may make mistakes, God will use discipline to correct your errors and train you to overcome sin, with the premise that God has already called you righteous, and your identity will not change.
Those who do not believe, that is, those who reject Jesus Christ, are already condemned. Why are they condemned? Because they do not believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. It is not because they have sinned too much that God cannot forgive them; it is because they do not believe in the name of God’s one and only Son.
Light has come into the world, referring to our Lord Jesus Christ, who brings salvation and forgiveness. Yet people do not believe. This light shines into the world to bring life and direction to people, but when people hear the name of Jesus, they are unwilling to draw near to Him. This is due to the evil in human nature.
For example, people who do not believe in the Lord are very willing to go to places of idols, but when asked to go to church, they come up with all sorts of excuses to avoid it. Everyone knows their behavior is evil, just like someone who has lived in darkness for many years; when you suddenly give them light, they cannot accept it because people love darkness instead of light.
Why is the behavior of the world evil? Because they are sinners, and the behavior of sinners is evil. They like to live in darkness and do bad things. Their condemnation is because they have rejected Jesus, rejected the light, and preferred to stay in darkness. What can God do in this situation?
Many people often say: Our God is omnipotent and omniscient, so let God preach the gospel Himself, hoping that God will move you to believe in Jesus! It is not like that; this is something we must do. God works through us to spread the gospel to people. If that person is unwilling to accept it and instead rejects it, your work is already done. You have delivered the gospel that needed to be delivered. If they do not accept it, when God condemns them as sinners and judges them, they will have nothing to say.
Verse 20 says: Everyone who does evil hates the light and will not come into the light.
Jesus Christ has already completed salvation for us on the cross. No matter what kind of person you are, as long as you are willing to come before Jesus, God is willing to accept you. Jesus can wash away all your sins! Unfortunately, many people know that Jesus is the Savior but are unwilling to draw near to Him. They are afraid and have a misunderstanding of God, thinking their behavior is terrible and fearing that they will be judged and rebuked afterward. In fact, our God is not like that. When a person seeks God, God knows everything about you but does not rebuke you.
How many people in the Bible came to Jesus with their problems, sincerely seeking Him, and Jesus never rebuked anyone, right? Instead, those hypocritical scribes and Pharisees always presented themselves as holy and powerful, as if they were without sin, and such people were rebuked.
Brothers and sisters, you have become children of God by believing in Jesus. Our Heavenly Father is willing to reveal the truth to you. You can walk in the light through Jesus Christ. How easy is that? Before there was no light from Jesus, we were all in darkness. Now that Jesus has come, He is the embodiment of light. As long as you enter the light, darkness will disappear. The more you draw near to Jesus, the more your life will change. All of this is done through God, Amen.
Romans 8:1-2:
1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
This passage clearly tells us that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. How does one enter into Christ Jesus? It is through one word: faith! Believing that Jesus shed His blood for your sins on the cross and rose from the dead three days later. As long as a person believes that Jesus is their Savior, God will call them righteous, and God will no longer condemn them as sinners.
So do not understand it as those who are in Christ Jesus do not sin anymore. It is not like that; it is that those who are in Christ Jesus, God no longer calls you a sinner! It is the same statement: you have become a child of God. You may sin, but you are still a child of God, a righteous person!
Why can we be so sure? Because the law of the Spirit who gives life has set me free from the law of sin and death. At the moment you accept Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit enters your heart, which proves one thing: you have been set free from the law of sin and death!
In the past, we were called sinners, but because of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, from then on, you are called righteous. You are in Jesus Christ, acknowledging that you have the Holy Spirit within you, so do not call yourself a sinner anymore; that is condemning yourself. Also, do not easily label others as sinners because you are not sure if they believe in Jesus. If they believe in Jesus, they are no longer sinners because the Holy Spirit has set you free, and the Holy Spirit has also set them free. The Holy Spirit has released all those who were once under the law of sin and death and brought them into the kingdom of the beloved Son. We are all in His beloved Son's kingdom, Amen.
Condemnation has been removed by God. God condemns those who do not believe, and God disciplines His children. This must be clearly distinguished. God condemns those who do not believe in the Lord, while discipline is for God’s children.
In verses 7-8 of this article:
7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all.
This passage is very interesting. What you endure is God’s discipline, treating you as sons. Is there any son who is not disciplined by his father? Discipline is something all children share. If you do not receive discipline, you are illegitimate and not a son.
This passage emphasizes that when we believe in Jesus, God does not neglect us; rather, it marks the beginning of our new life and new living. A new life signifies a life different from the past under sin. After being changed by Jesus Christ, life is now in Christ, and God will discipline you.
To treat you as sons means to train you as He does with Jesus. Just as our Heavenly Father loves Jesus, He loves you in the same way. Is there any son who is not disciplined by his father? The meaning is simple: since you have become a son of God, God must train you and discipline you, making you increasingly resemble your Father! You know that Jesus set an example for us in this world. He is the Son of the Father, and He lived successfully in this world, overcoming everything and receiving glory.
Our Heavenly Father desires the same for us, so He disciplines us. God’s first discipline is through His words, hoping we will live according to His words and make His words the standard of our lives. This discipline is not about punishing those who do wrong; rather, it is necessary for all who believe in Jesus.
You would not want a child to be born and then never cared for, only given food while everything else is neglected. That is not loving your son; that is harming him. Therefore, you will rebuke him when he does something wrong and guide him when he does not know how to do things. But more importantly, it is guidance and leading. Our Heavenly Father trains us in this way. Discipline is something all of God’s sons must endure.
If you do not receive discipline, you are illegitimate and not a son. This is very clear. If the Heavenly Father does not care for you, that would be truly troublesome. Just think about it: if you are someone’s son, even if you do something wrong, your parents will still care for you. If you cause a huge disaster and your father and mother do not help you, what would you think? You might wonder if you are really their biological child. No matter how you turn out, good or bad, they do not ask or care. Are you really their biological child? So in this matter, we believe in Jesus, and as God’s son, the Heavenly Father must take responsibility for you and discipline you, allowing you to live a life different from the world, which we call a holy life.
For example, regularly attending gatherings, listening to sermons, and worshiping God are all things that the world does not do. However, because you are God’s son, you want to experience the presence of the Heavenly Father through these means, to experience His power, and to receive His strength and revelation.
Condemnation leads to death, while discipline brings benefits. Now think about it: why does our Heavenly Father not condemn those who believe in Him? Because condemnation leads to death. You must distinguish this clearly. When someone condemns you, they want you to die. When they discipline you, they want you to benefit. Do not confuse these two.
John 8:21-24:
21 Once more Jesus said to them, “I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come.” 22 This made the Jews ask, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘Where I go, you cannot come’?” 23 But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. 24 I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.”
Here, Jesus speaks very clearly. Look at what He says to the Jews: “I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin.” Why did Jesus come to this world? Because the world is full of evil, all are sinners. Because of Adam, all people in the world are under sin and cannot overcome sin. Therefore, they cannot overcome sickness and cannot overcome death. Death is the final outcome for sinners. The Bible tells us: the wages of sin is death. Jesus came to the world to save us. If Jesus had not come to this world, we would all die in our sins. Because we are sinners, death will be their final outcome.
Jesus came to save us from sin and death, but the Jews did not believe Him. Jesus said: “I am going away!” This means He is going back to where He originally came from. “You will look for me, and you will die in your sin.”
When do people think of looking for Jesus? When their life is about to end or when they truly see hell, only then do they realize that Jesus is real. Many people do not believe in Jesus while they are alive, so Jesus says: “You will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come.” But where is Jesus going? It is obvious that Jesus is going back to heaven, and those who do not believe cannot go there!
The things people do in this world, such as bribery or currying favor with others, have no effect with God. Some people say: “While I am on earth, I will do good deeds. Having some good achievements and merits should be enough, right?” No, because the world is full of sinners. No matter how many good deeds they do, they are still sinners and will still be condemned by the law, and the result of condemnation is death, Amen. This point must be clearly understood.
The Jews did not understand. They said: “Will he kill himself?” At this moment, Jesus saw that they did not understand, so He said to them again: “You are from below; I am from above.” What does it mean to be from below? It means being of the earth. Our physical structure is similar to that of the earth; the components are very close. Jesus, however, is from above.
What is the difference between those who believe in Jesus and those who do not? It is that the Spirit of God is within them. When you accept Jesus, the Holy Spirit dwells in you, and you belong to the heavenly realm. You are temporarily on this earth but do not belong to this world. Our Jesus has already prepared a pass for you to enter the kingdom of heaven; you belong there! This is just a temporary place for work, and when life ends, we will return!
Therefore, all God’s children do not belong to this world. You are different from the world. Those who have not accepted Jesus belong to this world. If they still do not believe that I am the Christ when they die, they will die in their sins. Why will they die in their sins? Because they do not believe that Jesus is the Christ. That is the only reason; it is not because they have done too few good deeds or lied too much, but because they do not believe that Jesus is the Christ. Because they do not believe in God, they are destined to be condemned by the law, and the outcome is death.
What about those who believe in Jesus? God no longer condemns you. Here, it must be understood clearly: God no longer calls you a sinner but calls you righteous. This is what it means to not be condemned. Does this mean that God’s children will not be disciplined? Of course not.
Verses 10-11:
10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
Here, the scripture tells us a very universal principle. The earthly father refers to our fathers on earth. They discipline us according to their own will. What does this mean? Fathers must discipline their children. How do they discipline? According to their own will. Why is it according to their own will? Because there is no unified manual for disciplining children. Each person is an independent individual, and all aspects are different. There is no book that can guide everyone. Our lives in this world do not come with a manual. So what do fathers do? They discipline their children according to their own will. This can lead to problems. What problems? If the father has issues, he will raise problematic children! Can everyone understand this?
Once again, discipline refers to training. Therefore, it is essential to change this way of thinking. Discipline is training. The father’s ability will determine what kind of children he raises; it is related to the father.
But the Father of spirits disciplines us for our benefit. This means that sometimes the training from earthly fathers may not benefit their children and may even hinder their future. Some fathers and mothers have unfulfilled wishes and force their children to fulfill their dreams, causing the child to suffer greatly.
The Father of spirits, referring to our Heavenly Father, will never do this. The Heavenly Father trains us for our benefit. What does this mean? It means that the Heavenly Father knows each person’s heart. He knows what is best for us. Therefore, His discipline, or training, makes us more like Christ and allows us to share in His holiness.
When reading the Bible, you should know that this is God’s training outline for us. If you do not know what you are suited for, read the Bible, and through prayer, the Holy Spirit will reveal to you. He will guide you to walk the right path. However, no matter which path you take, God will not force you to do things. This point must be remembered. Just as God does not force people to believe in Him, follow Him, or obey Him, the same applies to the process of the Heavenly Father disciplining and training us. He allows us to have a willing heart to follow. If you believe in Him, read this outline of life, and you will find what pleases you. Then the Holy Spirit will guide you to lead a life that is different from others! But this life is also part of God’s holiness, meaning you will not harm others or yourself, but will share in God’s holiness. Hallelujah!
Verse 11: No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.
Training is certainly not very comfortable. Just like a child who is initially weak and has no strength, when sent to the army, after two years of military training, they become strong and disciplined. However, during those two years of training, it is indeed not pleasant; in fact, many times it is very painful. After arriving there, everything has a unified standard, even walking, eating, and sleeping have a unified standard. This is training. During the training process, they feel very tired and 苦，but after the training ends, they discover they have found their direction in life and have identified their strengths.
We are the same. In our spiritual lives, when we do not know God and do not know how to follow the Holy Spirit, God gives you the outline of life, the Bible, and trains you through the Holy Spirit. How does He train you? By showing you the words written in the Bible, you should try to do them. Some people say: “I can’t do it; it’s too hard!” Yes, it is indeed difficult, just like many children who, when they first enter the army at 20 years old, cannot get up at six in the morning. They wish they could sleep a little longer and certainly cannot adapt. At first, they feel it is too hard and unbearable!
Following God’s words is difficult for many people: “Forgiving others is truly impossible!” “Reading the Bible and listening to sermons every day is really hard!” “It’s too painful!” But this is training. If you can accept God’s training, it may not feel pleasant at the time; it may be tiring and 苦，but later it will produce a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. You will find that living according to God’s words is a joyful thing!
The process of listening to sermons is actually the process of renewing our minds. Do not just finish listening and stop; try to apply what you heard today. For example, if you read about forgiveness today, try to forgive those who have hurt you. If you read about obedience, then try to obey those who are unlovable, doing these things with God’s love.
What if you say you cannot do it? You can pray to the Holy Spirit: “Please help me; I really cannot do it, but I want to change myself. Please train me!” If you pray like this, the Holy Spirit will give you strength, and God will provide you with the corresponding strength in your circumstances to overcome it. Moreover, there are still the church and brothers and sisters to help, right?
If you are willing to do these things, God will surely make a way for you. After doing these things, you will have peace and joy inside, which many who do not do these things cannot experience.
The second point of sharing: God does not condemn the righteous, but that does not mean God will not discipline us.
Let me tell you some interesting things. Some people say: “We are justified by faith in Jesus, so we can do anything!” Let me ask everyone a question: Can those who are justified by faith really do whatever they want? Some people misuse the concept of no condemnation and the work of Jesus. They think that condemnation means: “Do not point out any of my mistakes; do not require me to do anything. If you require me, then you are condemning me!” Is this correct? It is clearly incorrect. We do not say that someone is a certain kind of person just because they made a mistake. For example, if someone steals something, we do not say they are a thief; that is condemnation. Just because someone has sinned does not mean they are a certain kind of sinner; that is what condemnation is.
In Christ, we should not do this. If someone makes a mistake and others point it out, that is not condemnation, Amen. To reiterate what was said earlier, if a believer steals someone else’s belongings, we should not call them a thief. Instead, we should say: “You should not do such things. I suggest you return that item and admit your mistake to that person because you are beloved by God!” Pointing out their mistake is not condemning them; it is correcting them without condemning them, Amen.
Some people under grace do not understand this. If you point out their mistakes, they may be very lazy and do nothing, always thinking about taking advantage of others. When we point out their problems, saying: “You should go to work; you should find a job!” they might say: “You are condemning me; you are binding me with the law!” This actually falls under the category of training, but because they are lazy, they make many excuses and claim that others are condemning them.
There are also some people who feel they are children of God and misuse this identity. For example, we often mention that because of Jesus’ work on the cross, God accepts us as righteous, and God no longer condemns us. This statement is quite simple. It is only applied to our identity: God no longer calls you a sinner but calls you righteous!
However, some people insist on linking this to behavior and even misuse God’s words for their own selfish reasons. For example, some absurd individuals share that because we are under grace, Jesus has accomplished everything on the cross, so we do not need to do anything. They say: “I do not need to repay the money I borrowed because Jesus has already repaid it for me!”
Doesn’t this seem despicable? Because their statement and actions are even worse than those of the world. When encountering such people, we should rebuke them: “You should repay the money you borrowed. Jesus has done what He should do; you should do what you should do because that money is not Jesus’ debt; it is your debt, so you should repay it!”
Jesus has accomplished everything, so we do not need to do anything and just wait for good things to happen! This kind of preaching is particularly appealing to those who are lazy and do not want to do anything. When they are asked to do something, they will say: “This is a requirement; this is the law!” If you dare to point out their mistakes, they will think you are using the law to condemn them. But is this really condemnation? Of course not! This falls under the category of mutual encouragement and training, Amen. Why do these people not read the letters of the New Testament? Almost every letter mentions things that believers should do: “You should love one another; you should forgive one another; you should confess to one another,” etc. These are all things believers should do.
Unfortunately, some people take verses out of context and listen to others’ sermons without understanding. When they hear someone say: “The law requires you to do this and that,” they think everything related to this is the law! That is not true. Reading the entire New Testament shows that Jesus also said: “You should do this and that.” Those are requirements for us, and they are God’s discipline and training for us, Amen. In this regard, we still need to be diligent in doing things.
Titus 2:11-15:
11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. 15 These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.
The grace of God has appeared, referring to the redemptive work accomplished by Jesus Christ on the cross. This is called God’s grace, which does not require people to do anything. God has completed all of this. In this regard, we need to receive it by faith. This grace has appeared, and as long as you believe, you can receive it. After believing, the part related to discipline begins.
So, at the beginning of verse 12, it says: “It teaches us.” What does it teach us? The premise is to know that you are justified by faith. Even if you fail, do not condemn yourself or return to the past as a sinner, or think that God no longer loves you because you have failed. It is not like that. No matter what failures or problems you experience after believing in Jesus, you still need to believe that you are God’s beloved child. God blesses you, and God is willing to take care of you. On this foundation of grace, God wants to teach you to live a different life.
This grace teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions. What does this mean? An ungodly heart is self-centered, selfish, and only cares about oneself. In the last days, these things will become more and more prevalent and obvious. These are all worldly passions! Because of Jesus’ work on the cross, just as Jesus loves us, we should also love others. Just as Jesus saves us, we should also save others. Just as Jesus forgives us, we should also forgive others. This is called godliness. All of this is related to belief. What you receive from Jesus, you give out. Worldly passions are in direct opposition to this. We should train ourselves under God’s discipline, that is, in God’s words, to be different from the world, living self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age. Godliness is related to faith. What do you believe now? You believe in Jesus. Just as Jesus loves you on the cross, you believe and live it out, and your life will be different from the past.
Only in this way can we wait for the blessed hope. What does this mean? It means that God’s blessings are already prepared. How can we receive these blessings? Believers need to obey God’s words to do things to obtain them! Just like the examples mentioned earlier, many people have misunderstood their faith, thinking they do not need to do anything and just wait for blessings to fall from the sky. Many people who should be working do not work, and those who should be sowing do not sow, yet they expect a harvest. How is that possible?
Only by obeying God’s words can we wait for the blessed hope. Just like the Israelites, God sent manna to fall around their camp at midnight. You need to gather it before the sun rises. Gathering this manna is something you do by faith! This is just like our work; we must get up in the morning to go to work, Amen.
Many believers think: “God has prepared everything, so I do not need to do anything. I believe there will definitely be manna at home today!” If you believe like this for one day, there will be no manna at home. If you believe like this for two days, there will still be no manna at home, and you will become thinner. Is it because God’s blessing is not there? Yes, it is there, but you are lazy and therefore do not receive it! Change your mindset. Believe that on days other than the Sabbath, you should go out to gather manna diligently, and you can expect beautiful blessings to come, Hallelujah!
Therefore, in our work, we can ask God: “Lord, grant me wisdom to do my work well, to glorify Your name!” When doing business: “Lord, give me wisdom to do my business well, to glorify Your name. I want to use the blessings You have given me to help more people!” This is called living a godly life, Amen.
And waiting for the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. What should we do? We should preach the gospel on earth. Because of Jesus, we have received His blessings, and because of Jesus, we accept the training of the Heavenly Father, spreading this blessing, Amen.
Verse 14 has already told us: “He gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness.”
This is the example Jesus set for us, Amen. He gave Himself, so we should also give ourselves. That is, do not take all the benefits for yourself while completely disregarding others’ lives. Jesus always thought of us in everything. He saved us from all wickedness. What did He gain? He saved us just for our benefit, Amen. Therefore, we should also be eager to do good.
Verse 15 says: “These things you should teach.” What should you teach? Tell others what God’s grace is. Tell others that God no longer condemns you, but God wants to train you and discipline you, Amen. You must explain this to others. Tell them that today you are a child of God, and you should be more diligent than the world in doing things, showing God’s glory, rather than becoming lazier and more despised by the world after believing in the Lord. That is not right; that is certainly not correct.
You should explain, admonish others. What does admonish mean? It means to tell others not to do certain things and to do things according to God’s words. Use all authority to rebuke others. Here, it mentions rebuke again. Many people say: “Under grace, how can you rebuke me? Are you treating me with the law?” No, rebuke is not the law; condemnation belongs to the law because condemnation leads to death. However, training and rebuke, if they come from love, are for the benefit of others. If someone does something wrong, should we not point it out? Is that love?
Of course, when speaking, you should have wisdom. Do not embarrass them in front of a crowd; speak to them privately. If that person does not listen privately, then bring two others to admonish them. If they still do not listen, then bring the church to admonish them. If they still do not listen, then temporarily distance yourself from them so that their issues do not disturb everyone’s peace. This is wisdom.
In short, using all authority to rebuke others is for their benefit. If they do not listen, then let go for now. But do not spread around what that person has done. They may not be saved, and that is condemnation. Just point out their mistake in a specific matter, but do not deny their identity. Thank the Lord, this point must be clear: condemnation and rebuke are not the same. Condemnation and discipline are completely different. Condemnation leads to death, while discipline brings benefits. If you see your brother’s mistake today, pointing it out is to help him benefit and to prevent him from suffering loss, Amen. God’s children should encourage one another.
2 Timothy 4:1-5:
1 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
This is Paul’s final exhortation to Timothy. In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His kingdom, I give you this charge, indicating that this matter is particularly important. Therefore, Paul emphasizes this message in many ways.
What message? Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season. What does this mean? Saving people and leading them to believe in Jesus is the most important thing. Therefore, preach the word; go and spread the gospel. Jesus has not yet come. All of God’s people on this earth have an important mission to spread the gospel, to share the gospel so that many who have not heard of Jesus can receive it.
Be prepared in season and out of season means you should not say: “I will wait until I am ready; I will wait until I feel good; I will wait until I retire to do it!” It is not like that. The day of the Lord’s coming may be sooner than you think! Therefore, when you have the opportunity, you must do this, Amen.
Always be focused. What does this mean? In admonishing and disciplining others, you must be dedicated and not give up just because you did it once and got discouraged. You must keep doing it, even if others do not understand or even slander you. You must still do it. Therefore, it requires great patience. Brothers and sisters, do you see this? Here, it refers to those whom God loves. Paul was trained by God and became a soldier of Christ. Therefore, he exhorts Timothy to act in the same way. If, as some people say, “Jesus has accomplished everything, so we do not need to do anything!” then why should we preach the gospel? Why should we endure various slanders from others? Why should we spend time explaining to others repeatedly to help them turn back? It is clear that those who say we do not need to do anything are wrong.
What we are discussing now is the teaching of the Bible. Always be focused, and use great patience and various teachings to correct, admonish, and encourage others. What for? To help people live according to God’s words, to believe in God’s words, and to follow God’s words because this is beneficial to them. Just as I always encourage everyone, always take the words of Jesus Christ as the standard. You should act according to the principles written in the Bible, regardless of how those around you act or say. You should act this way, Amen.
In the last days, Paul explains many things to us, saying that the time will come when people will not endure sound doctrine. Many will have itching ears, wanting to hear strange and bizarre things that suit their desires. For example, they want to hear that they do not need to do anything. This is what they love to hear. When they are asked to work diligently, they do not want to hear it. They always seek teachings that suit their own tastes, constantly picking and choosing what to listen to. They cannot accept teachings that require action, claiming that it is the law and mixing grace with the law. They always have countless excuses to turn a deaf ear to the truth and turn aside to myths. They prefer teachings that require nothing of them and just wait for blessings. Isn’t this still self-serving and worldly? They do not want to think about how to give to others and sacrifice for others like Jesus.
Verse 5: “But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship.”
Only when you give and work, like Jesus, will you experience hardship. Do the work of an evangelist, admonish others, warn others, and rebuke others. In short, apart from not condemning people, you should encourage others to return to Jesus Christ. This is our duty, Amen. God trains us to help more people understand this truth, to train those around us, so that more people can rise up and understand the power of Jesus Christ, allowing their lives to change. In that case, they will bear the fruit of peace, which is righteousness. Hallelujah! I look forward to you all experiencing the beautiful testimony of Jesus.
Let’s pray together
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You. Thank You for once again encouraging, rebuking, and warning us through today’s words. In the last days, many will grow weary of sound doctrine, following their own desires to seek what they love to hear. They will abandon the truth and turn aside to myths. But Lord, please give me a heart that longs for You, so that I may take the words of the Bible as my standard.
As the new week begins, whether in work, family, or interpersonal relationships, I am willing to live according to God’s words. Please help us. I am willing to accept Your training, using Your words to correct myself, to experience You more and know You! I am loved by You, so You will certainly train me to become a soldier of Christ, revealing the glory of Christ in my life. Hallelujah! Thank You and praise You, all glory be to our Father in heaven. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen.