It is apparent that many of those who call themselves Christians are unaware of the cost of discipleship or the Lord’s disciplines which may at times be heavy on the heart and testings in the trials allowed. But they are necessary for without them, its like the child who has been spared the rod, and grows into a ruly and self-entitled adult. Abusive to others and tolerant of none who do not agree with their particular views. And so is the believer without trials, tests, and discipline. They will produce leaves but no figs. Their views are the only ones that carry weight, and in their opinions, the truth is as they interpret it in their pursuit of recognition and acceptance by others within the body.
In our walk of faith as we understand it today, it is a path with few rough obstacles, mostly akin to a pine needles on a forest floor path alongside a quiet moving stream of water under a warm mid-June sun in the early summer afternoon. Perhaps the occasional acorn dropping upon the head or the nagging tug of the black-berry bush caught upon the trousers, or the annoying black flies and mosquitos that may take a fancy to your person in their domain, but tripping over the upturned root will more than likely be the worst you would encounter upon that well-established trail. This is how many paint their walk of faith with the colors of their own choosing, just as the scriptures they choose to build their version of that faith upon.
But the truth of the matter may as well be on the backside of the Moon for such coarse attitudes. The genuine walk of faith will place the believer into the realm of deep frustrations, self-doubts, questionable ethics, uncertain motives, prayers that don’t seem to be answered, sicknesses that won’t heal, anger at ones self, then turning it onto others. Self-pity, self-accusations, accusing God, despair, hardening of the heart, stubborness that seemingly came out of nowhere, and the continuing onslaught of sin, and you know why? It’s called the old man, and it needs to be crucified. The old man of sin that sits in the center of who we are will resist with everything it can muster to prevent the Spirit of the Living God to breathe life and obedience into that craven heart. And the evil one will do all it can to keep that old man from not becoming crucified to serve the living Christ of God whom the devil hates with a passion unbridled in his diabolical insane hatred of the Son of God and those who want to follow Him. And that means you, me and others who strive to enter in through the narrow gate by the way of the cross of Christ.
The easiest way to encourage faithlessness is to encourage toothless dicipleship among those wary of the cross and not willing to crucify the old man with all of its worldly desires. Hence, the cross, for them, becomes a stumbling block and discipline a very undesirable burden to carry, especially before their friends, family and competition. Many are called but few are chosen, and the many who are rejected is because they have rejected Him who is calling them. For why would He call them only to reject them? Because they were called, but refused His conditions, therefore have only themsleves to blame on that final day. They willingly disqualified themselves.
Discipline is hard to accept, and the stripes issued are for our own good in order that we may produce the better fruits over time. It is a hard thing to be disciplined by the hand of the Lord, but far worse is to be rejected by that same hand because of open or discreet disobedience. In the imagination of our minds we want to see ourselves as strong vibrant believers, but when we open our eyes, we see who we really are. Weak and without strength, and without Jesus, unable to complete the works he began in us, as though we thought we could finish the race on our own! But sadly for many that is exactly what they are attempting to do, run the race on their own and in their own fashion and ideals. And they will not finish the race, but will indeed fall to the side and became a feast for the birds of prey.
When we choose to practice iniquity as believers then how can we expect to receive blessings from God? Will he not rather choose to discipline us to bring us back onto the path of life? Or would he not care, and allow us to wander wheresoever we would without a shepherd to protect or guide? And in such a situation, will we not stumble and fall headlong into the pit set aside for those who would reject the Lord and his loving-kindnesses? Would we not be susceptible to those false teachers and their lies as foretold by the Lord and his prophets? And will we not become careless with the genuine fruits that should prove our faith, and exchange them for the sugar-coated candy bowl of enticing words and works of deceitful men and women? And would not discipline stand afar off with the company of wisdom, knowledge and understanding?
No man of understanding would dare to raise his children without discipline lest they turn and rend him to pieces in the haughtiness of their hearts and from the evilness that is to be found within their minds. And yet millions of those subscribed to the Christian faith are indeed walking while denying the the disciplines of the Lord whom they lay boastful claims of servitude. The sailing vessels need a harbor and the believer needs the discipline or else he is not of the Lord, and the vessels without a safe port.
The testing of our faith does not come easy, and nor should it, and we will not find it an easy burden to carry. At times it will seem unbearable and the anger mounts because the frustrations have reached a point where nothing seems to make any sense, and we begin to question God as have every man and woman from creation until now have done. We are angry, combative, sullen and confused. More often than we care to admit it, we feel sorry for ourselves and ask why we should believe in a God who doesn’t seem to take notice or even care except for a breadcrumb or two, perhaps even a fresh morsel. But this is all a part of the tests to prove our faith, to burn away the dross, to crucify the flesh and its desires which do not want to submit to the will of our heavenly father. But if we are to be called his children then we must learn obedience, Jesus being our prime example. For he loved the Father and did his will unto death, and have we reached that point? Jesus learned obedience through the trials he went through, and we have to take that very same road whether we care to admit it or not. I am not writing this to frighten but more to encourage steadfastness in the face of trials, temptations, and the testing of our mutual faith. For without these things, we can never become heirs of eternal life if we cannot practice obedience in all things unless we have been proven faithful, and that faith comes through the testing of that very faith we claim to possess if we indeed walk as we talk.
The blessings of God cannot be measured by wealth, recognition, degrees, social standing, accomplishments or anything that can be defined by man, but more those blessings are to be seen in the fruits that we carry through the truimphs of our faith in Christ Jesus. Those are called fruits of righteousness, love, peace, patience, kindness, meekness, forgiveness, mercy, compasion, blameless of the evils of this world but rich in Christ. These are the things that will give newness of life to the crucified believer who walks in that newness of life, and will give them the commandments of God not to just believe but to live by as a testimony to this world of sin and death of the power of the resurrected Christ through those whom he resides in and empowers through faith.
We are not to be as that figless tree that when the Lord sought its fruits, it had none but leaves. He therefore cursed it, and it withered away, never to bear any fruit forevermore, and the same will happen to us if we choose to deny the discipline of the Lord in our lives. We will grow as he prunes us, and as he cuts away those things in our lives that are no longer needed, we will find that new vines of righteousness are growing and bearing those fruits which are pleasing to him.
Therefore do not despise the discipline of the Lord for he chastises those whom he loves, and disciplines those predestined for salvation in Jesus Christ. Be patient in your sufferings, joyful in your testings for therein we have the evidence that he cares very much for us. We won’t understand everything, but we do know that he is allowing these things to happen for a purpose. Pray that his perfect will be done, and put aside the the foolish cliches of pop religion. Faith is built upon the solid rock of Jesus Christ and not nominalistic adjectives.
I have been a believer for almost fifty years and am still learning discipline, and sometimes still now, it can be rough and frustrating. So, don’t let anyone tell you that after a certain amount of years the tests are over with. That’s fools talk, for as long as we remain in this body, we will be at war with the old man who continually seeks to acheive dominance as it had before, but we must resist it and hold steady and firm to the Lord Jesus Christ. Eternal life is our reward if we hold faithful and are known as overcomers.
Don’t be discouraged and neither allow yourselves to be browbeaten by any of the so-called brethren who may have the appearance of spiritual superiority and overcomers in all things, but, in truth, are walking in deception. Pay close attention to the Spirit of Christ and allow yourselves to become disciplined so that you will be found blameless on that great day of the Lord.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus be found among those who profess his name in truth.
I remain a brother to the faithful in Christ.
Edward L Ordway
