Monday, June 4, 2007

Bits & Pieces: Personal Holiness (3)

"Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness," (Hebrews 12:9, 10).

* However faithfully a father tries to be just and consistent in disciplining his child, he is keenly aware of much failure. By contrast, what an encouraging word the writer gives us concerning our heavenly Father's perfectly-applied discipline. And, painful though it is, to share His holiness is well worth passing through the furnace of divine discipline.

* One of the prime purposes of parental discipline is to purify our character and conduct. In so doing, earthly fathers are to administer healthy discipline and be respected for it, humbly realizing all the while that they are fallible.
By contrast, our heavenly Father perfectly applies His purifying discipline in order that we may be holy.

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