As many as I
love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.
Revelation 3.19
Love is not always soft and
sweet and kisses and cuddles. Sometimes true love is tough. Sometimes the
loving thing involves discipline and rebuke and correction. Jesus is still
talking to the Laodiceans. He is telling what is going to happen if they don’t
get things sorted.
Before we get to that we
need to note the purpose of God’s correction from the book of Hebrews.
For they [human fathers]
indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our
profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be
joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the
peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Unlike my fatherly chastening,
God’s chastening never fails. It is never done by a being in flawed human flesh
or unjust anger. It always is designed to bring the peaceable fruits of righteousness.
Therefore, be zealous and
repent. That’s what God told the Laodiceans – and that’s what He tells us
today. When chastened we have a clear instruction what to do – be zealous for God,
wake up in other words, and repent. Let the fire be rekindled in our hearts.
Get up, repent of sins, and
get on serving God and others.
No comments:
Post a Comment