Hebrews 12:9-10 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.
Earthly fathers and mothers discipline their children for several reasons: 1) to teach them what is good and bad so they make good choices to avoid the bad, 2) to teach them good and healthy habits, and 3) to help them avoid harm and danger. An undisciplined child will follow the way of self and sin which will lead to harm and self-destruction. The goal of God’s disciplining us is life itself. God wants us to experience wholesome and healthy life now and eternal life after we die. The key idea is that God’s discipline leads to holiness. Holiness is this life. Holiness is essential for seeing God (v. 14). God’s discipline has the end goal that we might be worthy of being in his presence. This worthiness is not completely our doing but we have a part in it. In the context of this epistle, our part is active faith that strives to live out and follow God’s promises in Christ. The author draws his ideas from the analogy of our earthly fathers who disciplined us for our good. Persecution, trials, and difficult times are opportunities for us to grow in holiness. God uses these things to help us grow stronger. God is sovereign and will not allow harm to come our way that is beyond his grace of redeeming. This may even bring the shedding of our blood (v. 4). To see God’s grace at work even at the point of physical harm or death is the ultimate degree of trust. We can pray that God will gives us the strength if any of us faces this level of destruction. This passage is a difficult one for modern people to read. We get too comfortable in our materialistic lives and neglect to develop our faith. We become lazy and fat instead of disciplined and strong.
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