God does not Punish Christians

Revelation 3:19-20

“I love you too much to let you get by with that,” those were the famous words my mother often spoke to me, and what followed was, “when your dad gets home he’s going to give you something to remember.”   Mother would speak to me in a way that showed disapproval of whatever I had done, and that is called being reproved, but dad was the enforcer and his goal was to change my behavior, and his method of ensuring that I obey the rules was a leather belt, and we will refer to that as discipline.

When John wrote to the church in Laodicea the words from Jesus, “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.  Behold, I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and eat with him, and he with me.”  My parent’s goal was never to punish me, though often when freedoms were taken from me, and the belt was used it sure felt like punishment, but it was designed to change my behavior and to bring about repentance.   God never punishes, punishment has to do with getting even, and God did that to His only Son Jesus Christ; Jesus was our substitute.  But God does reprove and discipline His children and the desired outcome is a change in our behavior; God demands obedience.

Often verse twenty is used as a tool to evangelize but that verse is referring to people who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  When Jesus is talking about reproof and discipline he is referring to the church, and when He states; Behold, I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and eat with him, and he with me.”  He is also referring to His church.  We can only surmise that we who are in His church are completely or partially unable to hear or we are unwilling to respond.  Jesus the Lord who left glory so that we might have life is asking us to open the door to our heart and enjoy his fellowship.  Why will we not do that?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice