More Than Worth It

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If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then are 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 unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us after their as seemed best for them; but He for our profit, that we might 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 are trained by it. Hebrews 12:7-11

Definition: chastening– comes from the word tutorage which means education or training, instruction, nurture.

We have all been through chastening to one degree or another. Sometimes we didn’t even realize that we were being chastened. Kids go off to college, some discipline themselves more than others in accomplishing the main reason they went off to college, i.e. to get an education, hopefully in the field of their future employment.

Athletes are purposeful in their chastening/discipline. They often have counted the cost ahead of time to reach a certain goal and then, they are willing to pay the price and experience that discipline willingly.

They have discovered a great key. They envision the end of their chastening. What will I look like when I’ve accomplished this training? What will I have accomplished because I went through it? How will my life be different? How will I be able to walk through life differently because of the sacrifice I chose to go through?

Seeing the end goal gives us the vision to continue on when others quit or fail. It takes work to see that vision. The bigger we can paint the picture of the intended end, the more real it is to me and the more I see myself moving toward it. Often, the greater the prize (vision), the greater the price paid (chastening, training). Whether the vision is big or small, the key of clarity of a vision brings life to the process and value to the suffering (price paid). Where there is clarity, there is power.

Did you catch this in the above scripture? “but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness” Here lies the vision of our chastening in this scripture. Let’s bring clarity to this, let’s paint the picture big here so it so bright and clear, and real in our hearts and minds so that we will surely want to pay the price to receive it.

First of all, it is saying it is not for someone else’ profit (advantage, blessings, enrichment) but it is for my profit. It will make me richer. What will? Me being a partaker of his holiness. The word holy or holiness means consecrated or dedicated. “Be ye holy even as I am holy.” 1Pet 1:16. What the Lord is saying here in Peter is, “Be dedicated to Me as I am dedicated to you.” Have you noticed the more dedicated we are to our spouses, the deeper and more intimate our relationships?

The opposite of holy or dedicated is common. I have a holy or dedicated relationship with my wife. You have a common relationship with her. I have common relations with other women. So, the Lord is calling us to a more intimate and deeper in relationship with Him! He wants us to experience not a common relationship with Him (as many Christians do) but rather a holy/dedicate, intimate relationship with Him. Jesus said that the Father and I are one. This is the perfect picture of holy and dedicated. Oneness.

In John 17 Jesus said, I am in the Father and the Father in me. Then Jesus invites us to be one with Him (them). This is the ultimate in holiness, being one with them.

Another way of saying being one with them is found in Ez. 11:19, “In that day I will give them one heart, I will give them a new spirit. I will take out their stony hearts and give them a heart of flesh…” What if we were like Jesus and had the Father’s heart? We would only do what we see the Father do and only say what we hear the Father say. We would surely walk in all that God desired for us as we walk with Him through life. Surely, this is the fulfillment of the abundant life Jesus promised. We would go through life with no fear! We would truly fulfill the great commandment of loving God and loving our neighbors! Can you picture such a great, amazing vision?

“but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness” He wants us to be partakers of His holiness. He wants us to have not just His kind of dedication but His actual dedication so we can love Him and He can love us intimately.

“…for the joy set before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame…” Heb 12:2. Jesus had the picture painted big in his mind/heart. He clearly and in a big way saw the vision, the joy of millions being in heaven forever with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The joy/vision was so large to him, the great suffering he endured, he willing went through.

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding weight of glory;” 2 Cor 4:17.

Take the time, do the work to see God’s intended end for us, or painting the picture big in our minds and hearts will give us the grace to endure the training/chastening, for the results produce a far more exceeding weight of glory. See the glory.

It’s more than worth it!