Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. When I was but a lad, my
father often told me that the chastisement which he was preparing
to give me was for my own good. I usually doubted his sincerity,
or at least questioned his definition of good, as his belt connected
with my backside. As I experienced the pain of
my transgression, anger over my punishment often arose against
him. But now, with a clearer understanding
of adulthood, I can say that he was right, and I thank God
for his faithfulness in correcting my childish ways. Of course,
today, in our enlightened age, such treatment of correcting
children is considered by many in our society as cruel, brutal,
and quite unnecessary. Yet the formula which the Lord
prescribed for the correction of children has never changed.
It is amazing that our enlightened age has produced more criminals
and menaces to society than the ages before the revered Dr. Spock came on the scene. Respect
for authority is almost gone. The scripture is quite plain
that the Lord is faithful to correct his children. For whom
the Lord loveth, he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom
he receiveth. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be
joyous, but grievous. Nevertheless afterward it yieldeth
the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised
thereby. Chastening is not a pleasant experience, even when it is administered
by the hand of a gracious and merciful God, who only has our
best interests at heart. But we should be thankful when
He administers it, because it is an evidence of our sonship
and serves to make us stronger. I can't think of a time in my
childhood when I got a whipping I did not deserve. There were
many more times that I should have gotten worse than I did.
When a man has been acquainted with his own sinfulness by the
Holy Spirit, he can hardly be angry when the hand of the Lord
is a chastening one, but must marvel at the mercy of God who
spares him. There are many ways in which
the Lord is designed to bring correction to His own. The most
plainly seen is the interaction of God's people in the local
church, as each part supplies that which is lacking by the
whole. The church is made up of living stones, which must
of necessity chafe upon one another, as we all fit together in unity
for the glory of Christ. This chafing requires that we
labor to maintain this unity because it is not pleasant to
the natural man to esteem others better than ourselves and to
seek the benefit of our brethren even at our own expense. Some
think that they can be strong in the Lord without being a part
of a local church, but they are mistaken. It is impossible for
a man to learn unity by himself or to discover what it is to
hold brethren in a higher esteem than himself when not faced with
that day-to-day necessity. It is vitally necessary for the
children of God to interact with one another, sometimes even cause
pain to one another, in order for them to become what they
are intended to be. All wounding is done according
to the purpose of the Lord. See now that I, even I am he,
and there is no God with me. I kill and I make alive, I wound
and I heal, neither is there any that can deliver out of my
hand. Nothing ever transpires in this world which is not according
to the direct purpose of God. This is called the absolute predestination
of all things. This doctrine is rejected in
our day by the majority of religionists, but it has always been true.
The Lord Jesus is familiar with being wounded by his brethren.
I was wounded in the house of my friends. Peter denied that
he even knew him. Can you imagine the pain that
this caused to our Redeemer as He made eye contact with Peter
in the judgment hall? If Peter as a mere man wept over
this incident, what must he have felt who was wounded for our
transgressions and bruised for our iniquities? Even when our
brethren wound us, we must not speak evil of them. For our Lord
has left us this example, who when He was reviled, reviled
not again. When He suffered, He threatened not, but committed
Himself to him that judgeth righteously. Woe be to those who bring offense
to the sons of God! It is impossible but that offenses
will come. But woe unto him through whom
they come! It were better for him that a
millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea,
than that he should offend one of these little ones. Judas Iscariot
carried out the will of God perfectly, yet Judas himself was condemned.
It is an awful thing for one of God's children to knowingly
bring offense or speak evil of another of his sons. There can
be no peace to those who sow discord among brethren, or who
wound them without regard. But when ye sin so against the
brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. Do you love the people of God?
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