For whom the Lord loveth he chastens (paideuo - from paideia - educates or trains), and scourges ([figuratively] flogs or spanks) every [what so ever or any] son whom he receives [accepts near or delights in]).In this fourth and final part of my series on "The Suffering Doctrine," I saved verse six for last because it takes a bit more explanation.
(Heb. 12:6)
God figuratively (not literally) flogs—or spanks—by not supernaturally intervening on a son's behalf when that son steps over into darkness (in this context by refusing to learn or by rejecting training) and thereby falling into the devil's hands.
And no, God is NOT "using" the devil to spank the son. The devil is "self" employed and "like" a lion, always waiting for the weak to fall - always seeking whom he may devour.
However, God is listening, ready and waiting to supernaturally pull the son back out of the darkness the instant the son repents. In actuality, the son initiates his own spanking as well as determines its duration.
How Does God Teach And Train His Children?
(Jesus speaking) "For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say."
(Luke 12:12)
"But the Comforter (parakletos), which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."
(John 14:26)
The Word says that the Holy Spirit is the teacher of the child of God—NOT the devil, not sickness, not disease and not poverty!
According to Isaiah 53:4, Jesus bore our sicknesses, diseases, and pains. It says that He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. It states that the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with [Jesus'] stripes we are healed (Isa. 53:5).
Jesus, as our Savior, bore our sickness in His body.
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• We are not qualified to do what He did.
• We are not qualified to be the Redeemer.
• We are not qualified to be the spotless, sinless Savior of the world.
Take a look at the last part of verse five again and you'll see it: "…by his stripes we are healed." There are three points to consider here:
- Our part of Jesus' physical suffering at Calvary is healing
- Our part of the penalty for sin, which He suffered, is forgiveness, cleansing and peace
- Our part of His death is deliverance from the bondage death brings
That's true. But once you step out in faith to receive all that Jesus suffered to provide for you, you will run head-on into a totally different kind of suffering. The Bible talks about Jesus' experience with this second kind of suffering in Hebrews 2:10-12, 14-18.
This particular passage relates to Jesus' suffering, but when you read it, be sure to pay attention to the last verse: "For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted."
You'll notice in your Bible that the first verse of that passage says Jesus was made perfect through sufferings. Well, was Jesus made perfect by his sufferings on the cross? Or was he already perfect when he went to the cross?
Of course he was already perfect! Otherwise he would not have qualified as the "perfect" sacrifice. Well then, to what "sufferings" then is this scripture referring? How was Jesus tempted? We see two examples.
The first example was on the Mount of Temptation when Satan came to tempt him - using the same three temptations he used on Adam and Eve. Lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, and the pride of life.
And the second example was in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus was under such great pressure to quit that he sweat blood.
What's Your Degree of Suffering?
So let's recap the kinds of suffering that you and I can expect to go through.
If you are a passive, do-nothing, spectator Christian; not doing anything that might do any damage to the devil's kingdom, chances are you may never actually suffer any of the following.
But, if you are an active Christian, one who is out there working and ministering for Jesus - you can expect these kinds of suffering in some form or another:
Persecution (both demonic and religious), rejection, insult, slander, discreditation, betrayal, false accusation, hatred (religious and racial), ridicule, temptation and the suffering that comes from resistance.We, of course, don't have to endure as much pressure as Jesus did. We'll never have to resist to the point of sweating blood, because He did that for us.
But if we are to fulfill the call of God on our lives—if we are to partake of all the divine privileges Jesus purchased for us through His death and resurrection—we will have to resist trials and temptations. We'll have to resist sickness, poverty and every other foul thing the devil tries to pressure us into receiving.
True, Biblical Suffering is Real
I shake my head when modern day Pharisees accuse faith preachers of saying that the Christian life shouldn't include any suffering. Or say that we believe that we should just float along through life on a bed of roses—healed, prosperous, and happy without a care in the world.
Is it just me, or does anybody else think something is just a little bit twisted about someone who thinks his God-given calling is to straighten everybody else out and write 'slam books' which slander (other) servants of God?
Actually there is much MORE suffering involved in living a life healed and prosperous than there is in lying down and letting sickness just roll right over you!
Just think about it for a minute. Let's say you wake up one morning with all the symptoms of the flu. You have that cold, clammy sweat running down your forehead, stuff is running out of your nose, and you ache from head to toe. The first thing that pops into your head is to grab the cold medicine (you know, the kind that just about makes you completely numb), pull the covers up and tell your wife to call the office for you because you're too sick to go to work. You lie there in your bed, moaning and groaning all day - suffering for Jesus.
"I guess I'm just bringing glory to the Lord," you say.
Let me ask you this: How does the Lord get any glory out of you having the flu? What glory is he getting out of you staying in bed all day, shivering and blowing your nose, surrounded by piles of used tissues? Now what kind of recruiting poster does that make for the Kingdom of God? That's not even a good testimony. And it certainly doesn't compare with getting burned at the stake!
Faith Rubber Meets The Road
But now, let's set up another scene. Say you wake up one morning with all those symptoms we've just described. But instead of cowering in bed, you throw the covers aside and say, "No, devil! I'm not submitting to this sickness. Jesus paid a high price for me to be healed, and I intend to walk in that healing!"
You swing your legs over the side of the bed, put your feet on that cold floor and your aching body just recoils. It practically begs you to get back under the covers. And, the last thing you feel like doing is reading your Bible. But you don't care what your body feels like doing. You reach over to the night stand, open that Bible and start reading out loud, "Bless the Lord, O my soul...He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases."
You walk around the room declaring the Word of God, determined to talk in faith, walk in faith, act in faith and resist the devil until he runs from you and takes his filthy flu with him!
Now you tell me, which of those is the higher kind of suffering?
You know the answer as well as I do. There's far more suffering in resistance to sickness than there is in submitting to that sickness. And what's more - when you suffer by resisting and you defeat the devil, you truly DO bring glory to God!
And, you prove once again that His power and His Word are greater than anything the devil has. You prove once again that He is faithful to His covenant. At the same time, you rub the devil's nose in the fact that greater is He Who is in you than he who is in the world. Praise God!
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect (completely repair you, make you whole, restore you and prepare you), stablish (point you in the right direction), strengthen, settle (give you a good foundation).Returning To A Solid Foundation
(1 Pet 5:8-10)
We are told to RESIST the devil steadfastly! And after you have suffered through this resistance for a while God will restore you to wholeness, prepare you, point you in the right direction, strengthen you and give you a good foundation! Now, that's the kind of winning attitude every Holy Spirit-filled, baptized believer ought to have...all the time.
We ought to set our sights on being just like Jesus who never yielded to the pressure of the devil. We ought to be like the Apostle Paul who said:
…Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities [weaknesses], that the power of Christ [the Anointed One and His Anointing] may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities [weaknesses], in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's [the Anointed One and His Anointing] sake: for when I am weak, then I am strong.Paul told the devil, "Wait till I'm my weakest, then give me your best shot - and I'll still whip you with the anointing of God!"
(2 Cor. 12:9-10)
Paul actually had a good time at it! He had become such a fine soldier in God's army that he wasn't looking for a way to stay out of the battle, he was looking for a way to get in to the battle! And, as you can read in 2 Timothy 2:1-4, he didn't think he should be the only one with that attitude, either.
If you are going to be soldiers worthy to be in this glorious army of Almighty God, you will have to endure hardness.
Like A True Soldier
There's an element of suffering in that, but remember, a good soldier doesn't just run out onto the battlefield without any training, without any weapons, and without any plans, standing there until he gets shot or run over.
God wants an army of warriors, not crash-test-dummies!
No! A good soldier gets properly equipped and gets the proper training. He learns how to use his weapons and listens to his commander so he knows the battle plan.
That soldier may start out thinking like a civilian, but the more he trains, the more his attitude is changed. He no longer thinks about the hardship. It no longer bothers him to fall into a mud-hole. It no longer upsets him to have to sleep in the dirt.
His training has made him tough and hard in mind and body. A change has come over him. Instead of focusing on his own discomfort, he focuses on the fact that he believes in and is proud of the army he has joined. He takes joy in the fact that he has become a powerful instrument of war!
You may be looking for a way out of the suffering that comes from resisting the devil. And that's okay.... Just put yourself in training, get into the Word and:
- Find out about your helmet of salvation, your breastplate of righteousness, your belt of truth and your shoes of the preparation of the gospel.
- Find out how to wield the sword of the Spirit (the Word of God)—just like Jesus did.
- Find out how to use your shield of faith to stand against the devil and your sword of the Spirit to cut him down to size.
- Spend time praying and reading about Jesus so you can find out what your Commander in Chief looks like.
Fellowship with Jesus and meditate on His Word until, with your heart, you can see Him looking squarely into your eyes and saying, "Soldier...
- You're one of the best this army has.
- You've been trained in the Word.
- You know how to walk by faith.
- You have My power and My anointing to put the devil and all his works under your feet.
- Now GO—and occupy this territory—in My Name until I come again!"
Source: The Suffering Doctrine by Tim Greenwood
Excerpt permission granted by Tim Greenwood Ministries
Tim Greenwood oversees a teaching, preaching, and healing ministry. Tim Greenwood Ministries began in 1997 after Tim, its founder and President, received his miraculous healing from a terminal heart condition.
