CAMDEN — By Richard Merritt
God deals with believers as His children. Those that turn to Christ for salvation by grace through faith are born into God’s forever family. This new birth experience changes one’s eternal destiny from the lake of fire to Heaven. Saved ones are born from above, recipients of eternal life and forever a child of God.
“And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.” (John 10:28, 29 KJV)
The only thing greater than the joy of a new birth in the family is the joy of a spiritual birth.
God is the perfect Father. His love is an everlasting love.
“The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love.” (Jeremiah 31:3 KJV)
Love is a persistent, unbreakable spirit of good will. When we choose to love by that definition, there is a basis for a strong family unit. Every family requires love and discipline to maintain a healthy family unit.
God deals with believers as His children.
“And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.” (Hebrews 12:5, 6 KJV)
Chastening in a human family is a corrective discipline that applies appropriate pain for training the disobedient child.
My experiences with corrective discipline were painful. I felt the sting of the switch, the belt and the hand. I was not mistreated.
“Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us.” (Hebrews 12:9 KJV)
I learned certain behaviors were not tolerated in our family. Sometimes I needed reminding.
“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.” (Hebrews 12:11 KJV)
Mom was a master with the switch or the belt. Dad did his part so well I remembered it a long time.
Jesus took our whipping on the way to the cross. “
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:4, 5 KJV)
We should be sure that God whips all His children. This type of whipping is called chastening. It is a proof of one’s salvation.
God does not cast us away when we sin. God’s plan is to bring His disobedient children to the point of seeking His forgiveness.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9 KJV)
Having been born into His forever family, we remain His child and continue under His authority as our Heavenly Father. David understood that when we prayed for God’s forgiveness in Psalms 32, 51. He knew as God’s sometimes disobedient child He needed to be restored to sweet fellowship with the Father after he sinned.
“He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” (Psalm 23:3 KJV)
God’s children cannot be cast away. We are His forever. Our assurance is “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.” (Psalm 23:6 KJV)
Try His salvation, you’ll like it forever.
(Merritt is the pastor at Trinity Missionary Baptist Church.)