A customer is interested in the cost of the object which he needs to purchase. The owner of the store is concerned with the profit he will make by selling the object. But we must be concerned with the spiritual things of God's kingdom and what we must seek as citizens of God's kingdom. In Hebrews 12:10 we read: "For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasures; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness."
The point is that parents chasten their children because of what pleases them as parents. But God chastises us with a view to our reaching holiness. And the question is whether we want holiness or some physical advantage that will bring temporary joy to the flesh.
The author of this epistle is still dealing with chastening, which he began to treat already in the fifth verse of this chapter. Now in verse 10 he writes about holiness as that which God realizes in us by chastisement.
The question therefore is whether we want holiness or not. Do we want less and less sinfulness as our lives go on, and more and more holiness: Do we like to be like the world or like our holy Savior, Who died on the cross to earn holiness for us? Are we eager to become more pleasing in God's eyes, or more pleasing to our own flesh?
The answer will be found in whether we complain when God chastises us, or whether we are thankful for His work of making us holy. The awesome truth is that we must want holiness, that is, to love God and to be like Christ. Do we want to be more pleasing in God's sight, or to please our own sinful flesh? This is a very serious question. Complaining when God chastises us reveals how much more chastisement we need.
Pray that he make you partake more of His holiness.
Read: I Peter 1:1-16 .
Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
Nehemiah 1-2 ; Nehemiah 3:1-14
1 Corinthians 7:1-24
Psalm 31:19-24
Proverbs 21:4
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Quote for Reflection:
C. H. Spurgeon: "... vow we made, too, when we united ourselves to the church of God. There was an understood compact between us and the church, that we would serve it, that we would seek to honour Christ by holy living, increase the church by propagating the faith, seek its unity, its comfort, by our own love and sympathy with the members. We had no right to join with the church if we did not mean to give ourselves up to it, under Christ, to aid in its prosperity and increase. There was a stipulation made, and a covenant understood, when we entered into communion and league with our brethren in Christ. How about that? Can we say that, as unto God and in his sight, the vow has been performed?"
