SOME ARE WEAK, SOME ARE SICK, AND SOME ARE DEAD

When one accepts Jesus as his Lord and Savior, he is born again, becoming a child of God by the working of the Holy Spirit (Jn. 1:12; 3:3-8; 1 Jn. 3:2; etc.).  And, while he is saved by God's grace through faith in Jesus (Jn. 3:16; Acts 2:21; 16:31; Eph. 2:5, 8; etc.), he still sins (Rom. 7:15-25; 1 Jn. 1:8-9; etc.).  So God, like any good father, corrects His children out of love for him, desiring that he would live a holy life.  Here are two passages that describe the discipline of God:

"For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which He was betrayed took bread:  And when He had given thanks, He brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is My body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of Me.  After the same manner also He took the cup, when He had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in My blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of Me.  For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till He come.  Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.  But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.  For he that eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.  For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.  For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.  But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world" (1 Cor. 11:23-32 from the KJV).

"And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as His children?  He said,

"My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when He corrects you.  For the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes each one He accepts as His child." As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as His own children. Whoever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father?  If God doesn’t discipline you as He does all of His children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really His children at all.  Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?  For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how.  But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in His holiness.  No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful!  But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way" (Heb. 12:5-11 from the NLT).

 

If you can sin and get away with it, you are not God's child!