(903) 753-2299 faithlongview@gmail.com
Select Page

Hebrews 12:5-7

“And you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, ‘My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the LORD, nor faint when you are reproved by Him; for those whom the LORD loves He disciplines, and He flogs every son whom He receives.’ It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?”

– Hebrews 12:5-7

Main Thought: In these verses, the writer of Hebrews is telling his readers that God does discipline those He loves. This principle, he reminds them, was established in the Old Testament, where both Job 5:17 and Proverbs 3:11 speak of God giving discipline to those that He loves. We need to be reminded of that in our present day when most of the time we think the love of God for His people has nothing to do with disciplining us, and somehow we think our difficult times are because God is angry with us. But the writer reminds his readers further down in the chapter that our earthly fathers corrected us out of their love for us for temporal purposes, while our heavenly Father is disciplining us for eternal purposes and for the purpose of producing holiness in our lives, and out of His love for us. If we are able to continue to sin without discipline from God, then that says God is not our heavenly Father (Heb. 12:8). Sometimes that discipline is gentle, when God speaks to us from His Word, reminding and convicting us that we have strayed from the path of obedience. Other times it comes more harshly, when the Word spoken by one of God’s servants cuts us deeply like the “Living Word of God” (Heb. 4:12), bringing sudden realization and conviction of sin. However, there are other times, when we have spurned the written and spoken Word of God, that God has to use harsher measures to discipline us. I am reminded of the prophet Jonah, who rebelled against God’s command to go preach to Nineveh, and God brought a fierce storm and cast him into the belly of a large fish before Jonah submitted to God’s command. The Hebrew writer’s point is this, if we are a child of God, He will discipline us when we stray from Him. We should take the admonitions of God and the disciplines of God as reminders that God does love us, does desire the best for His children, and will do what is necessary to produce holiness in our lives. May each of us recognize this, stay in His Word daily, confess our sins regularly, and not despise the chastening hand of God.
David Webber

David Webber

David Webber is married to Mary with four children and four grandchildren, and serves as the Pastor of Faith Baptist Church in Longview, TX. He obtained a BS in History from the University of Texas at Tyler, TX, and pursued studies at Baptist Missionary Association Theological Seminary in Jacksonville, TX. Throughout his ministry, he has been an invited preacher and educator in numerous churches and various Bible conferences. Surrendering to the gospel ministry’s calling in 1972 at the age of 16, he received preaching licensure from Little Flock Baptist Church in Longview, Texas, in 1974. Graduating with a Bachelor of Science Degree in History from the University of Texas at Tyler in 1978, he was ordained in December of 1980 by Faith Baptist Church. Following this, he contributed his services to Faith Baptist in Longview and subsequently engaged with Grace Baptist Church in Tyler, Texas, where he instructed Sunday School and delivered sermons as needed. In February of 1994, Faith Baptist invited him to lead as their pastor, a role he has faithfully held to the present day. David writes a blog for the church website and is a writer for The Art of Worship.

Chastisement | Confession | Discipline | Hebrews | Love

March 14, 2024

Faith Baptist Church: Longview, Texas
More from David Webber
2 Corinthians 8:9
2 Corinthians 8:9

Jan 31, 2024 |

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” – 2 Corinthians 8:9

Job 14:1-2
Job 14:1-2

Jan 30, 2024 |

“Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble. He comes out like a flower and withers; he flees like a shadow and continues not.” – Job 14:1-2

1 Corinthians 1:30-31
1 Corinthians 1:30-31

Jan 29, 2024 |

“And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” – 1 Corinthians 1:30-31

Proverbs 28:13
Proverbs 28:13

Jan 26, 2024 |

“Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.” – Proverbs 28:13

Psalm 119:41-42
Psalm 119:41-42

Jan 25, 2024 |

“Let your steadfast love come to me, O LORD, your salvation according to your promise; then shall I have an answer for him who taunts me.” – Psalm 119:41-42

Psalm 86:9
Psalm 86:9

Jan 24, 2024 |

“All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name.” – Psalm 86:9 (ESV)

2 Corinthians 4:3-4
2 Corinthians 4:3-4

Jan 23, 2024 |

“And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” – 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 (ESV)