Three Reasons for Painful Chastening

Recently, we have discussed the reasons for painful chastening from the Lord. As a matter of review, allow me to reiterate…No matter who you are, whether you are saved or unsaved, life is difficult. If you are unsaved, your life is difficult because you do not have the Lord Jesus Christ in your life. If you are saved, your life is difficult because you do have the Lord Jesus Christ in your life. If you got saved thinking your life would not be difficult any more, you were wrong. Whether you are saved or unsaved, life is difficult and full of trouble. Now, for the unsaved, there is no hope. At the end of the road is Hell—a lake of fire forever and ever. For the saved, we can look forward to a better land. But, throughout life, we are going to be dealing with pain and struggle and difficulty; and for those of us who are saved, the chastening hand of God. In Hebrews 12:10, we see three purposes that lie behind the chastening we receive.

First, chastening is for pleasure. “For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure.” Now at first glance, this seems to be rather strange. In fact, chastening someone for pleasure sounds sadistic and sick. But, God is not evil and sadistic. He does not take pleasure in the fact that we are being chastened; but rather, the pleasure is because He knows that chastening has divine blessing and benefit as its end result.

Secondly, we discussed that chastening is for profit. “But he for our profit.” Personal profit or benefit is only realized following pain.

Today, let us look at the third reason for painful chastening. Chastening is for partaking of God’s holiness. “That we might be partakers of his holiness.” God saved the best reason for last! We see the word “partakers” twice in this passage; here in verse ten and also in verse eight. Though the same word is used in English, two different ideas are being expressed.

In talking about the chastisement every Christian experiences, the word means “one’s share as a participant.” We are chastened because we have not yet attained perfection. We are going to be in “Adversity University” until we have breathed our last breath and God takes us home. The word “partakers” in verse ten is different; in fact, it is the same as in Acts 2:46 where it is translated “to eat.”

Here is the distinction between the two words. Everyone who gets saved is invited into the training camp. They have a share of chastisement as a participant in the family of God. But only those who endure chastening get to sit down with the Lord and eat. Every believer is a partaking in His chastening; only those who endure are partakers of His holiness. When we are faced with adversity, we must run to God in faith. If we do not, we will quit. It is a tragedy to partake of the chastening without partaking of the holiness. That means we have suffered without gaining the purpose and benefit that was the intended purpose of our chastening.

An improper response to God’s chastening will leave you thin and spiritually emaciated. When Karen Carpenter died in 1983, most of us had never heard of anorexia. It is a disorder that makes people quit eating. Refusing to endure chastening affects you the same way—you are giving up spiritual food. It will wreck and ruin your life. I have observed many Christians who lost their spiritual vitality during a time of adversity. They either ignored what God was doing, or they got angry at God and turned away from Him. Both are improper responses. They failed to see what God was trying to do in their lives. Ultimately, the best and greatest profit of chastening is that it allows us to be partakers of Christ’s holiness. This means that we take on the very nature of Christ. When something is referred to as holy, it carries the idea of being perfectly cleansed.

Think about the way a washing machine works. Open the lid while a load of clothes is being washed and look at it. There are clothes and water and soap in the machine, but they are not just sitting there. They do not get clean by simply being in the water. A washing machine has something that moves them around—an agitator. You will have to hold the little button down to watch it work with the lid open, but what you will see is the clothes are bouncing up and down, pulsating and spinning around. Do you have any agitations in your life? They are there to move things around so that you can be a partaker of His cleanness and holiness. God knows that without something to stir us up, we will not become more like His Son.

For the process to work though, you have to stay in the machine. The agitation may be painful, but it is necessary if you want to partake of Christ’s holiness. If things are difficult and agitated in your marriage, stay in. If you are having a tough time at work, stay in. If there are troubles at your church, stay in. That agitation has been put in your life by God for a reason. If you get out, you will miss it. If we endure chastening, then one day we will be all cleaned up and presented to the Savior as a bride, spotless and white. Why? Because we made the decision, “I’m going to endure chastening. I’m going to stay in the washing machine and endure the agitation. I’m not going to quit. I’m not going to give up. I’m not going to stay out just because things are tough. I’m going to stay in.” Enduring chastening is easier if we keep in mind the purposes God has for having us go through it.

My friends, if you have endured chastisement, or if you are in the midst of it as you read this blog…don’t quit! Remember, it is for His pleasure, for your profit, and it will result in a partaking of His holiness!