Will God Judge Me?Sýnishorn

God disciplines His children

“God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?” (Hebrews 12:7)

The Lord God does not condemn anyone who believes in Him, since Jesus Christ has borne the judgment of sin. This does not mean, however, that Christians can do whatever they want without facing any consequences.

When David committed murder and adultery, the prophet Nathan confronted him about his behavior. David repented and was forgiven, but for the rest of his life, he faced the consequences of his misstep, “because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord”, Nathan told him (2 Samuel 12:13-14). So, God can still execute justice with temporary punishments.

Hebrews 12 draws our attention to a slightly different situation, where believers face trials because the Lord disciplines them. He is like a loving father who wants the best for his children and therefore disciplines them for their good. For the moment, this is unpleasant. But later it yields “the peaceful fruit of righteousness”, the Bible tells us. So, God does not punish us out of cruelty, but out of love. He wants to correct us and to make us more holy. Therefore, He does not close His eyes to our (hidden) sins but disciplines us whenever necessary.

Have you gone through times of discipline? Looking back, did this help you grow in faith?