DIVINE DISCIPLINE

Hebrews 12:1-29
Key Verse: 12:8

   "If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline),
    then you are illegitimate children and not true sons."

   Hebrews 1:1-10:39 mentions that Jesus is the Son of God and he is
our High Priest, King and Prophet. Chapter 11 is about the men and
women of God who pleased God with their faith. Chapters 12 and 13 are
the conclusion of this book. In chapters 12 and 13, we learn basic
requirements and spiritual struggles which are involved in the life of
faith.

I.  Jesus, the perfecter of our faith (1-6)

First, a great cloud of witnesses (1a). Look at verse 1. "Therefore,
since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us
throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles,
and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." This
verse clearly tells us the people of God are not spectators, but
runners or athletes, and their race is marked out for them. This is
true. Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:7, "I have fought the good fight, I have
finished the race, I have kept the faith." When Paul said he had fought
a good fight and finished the race, he meant he had kept the faith. He
lived a life of faith and ran the race to the end.

   In verse 1, the life of faith is compared to running. It is not easy
for the people of God to run the race all the time when worldly people
are usually having fun. Ungodly people seem to be free from the burdens
common to men (Ps 73:1-7). They are prosperous and arrogant. So the
prophet Habbakuk said to God, "Why are you silent while the wicked
swallow up those more righteous than themselves?" (Hab 1:13b). Even the
mightiest man of spirit, Elijah the prophet, complained to God in 1
Kings 19:10b, "I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill
me too." But God said to him, in 1 Kings 19:18, "Yet I reserve seven
thousand in Israel--all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all
whose mouths have not kissed him." The people of God cannot escape
spiritual conflict and struggle.

   Running the race all by oneself seems to be too lonely. To human
beings, loneliness is the hardest part to overcome. But the Christian
race is not lonely. In view of history, the number of faithful
Christian members are the absolute majority. So the author of Hebrews
says in verse 1a, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great
cloud of witnesses...." The life of faith is not lonely. The cloud of
heroes and heroines of faith is fervently cheering us on to run the
race well, to run the race to the end, and to receive victor's crowns
one by one.

Second, let us run light (1b). Verse 1b says, "...let us throw off
everything that hinders...." In running, it is good for one to run
light. If one carries several suitcases, he cannot run well.  Though it
is painful, we must throw them off because they hinder our race. Most
importantly, in order to run the race we have to overcome our sinful
desire, which messes up our lives altogether.

Third, "let us run with perseverance" (1c). These days, "have fun," is
our greeting. Nobody is willing to say, "persevere." As we know well, a
Greek soldier had a mission to deliver a message to the commanding
officer in the headquarters. On the way, he was badly injured.  But he
did not give up on the way. He ran and ran for 26 miles, bleeding. As
soon as he delivered the message, he fell down on the ground and
breathed his last. Here we learn that he persevered beyond the power of
death and ran the race of message deliverance. This was the birth of
the marathon race. There are many kinds of games in the Olympics. But
the marathon race is the focal point of the Olympics. The marathon race
starts on the last day of the Olympics. All the spectators in the
stadium are waiting to see the victor coming into the main Olympic
stadium. They want to see the victor's greatness in perseverance and to
see him be crowned.

Fourth, our race is marked out for us (1c). Verse 1c says, "...let us
run with perseverance the race marked out for us." Our race is marked
out for us. What does it mean that "our race is marked out for us"? It
means that our race is to pray that God would establish the kingdom of
priests and a holy nation in the United States. Most importantly, our
race is pressing forward to the kingdom of God as holy pilgrims.

Fifth, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus" (2-4). Look at verse 2. "Let us
fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for
the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat
down at the right hand of the throne of God." When Jesus came to this
world to heal the sick and preach the gospel, sinful people scorned him
and shamed him. But Jesus obeyed God's will unto death, death on the
cross. And God did not abandon him. God freed him from the agony of
death. God raised him on the third day and seated him at the right hand
of the throne of God. In this way, Jesus became the perfecter of our
faith. Let's read verse 2. "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author
and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the
cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne
of God." We have to hear these words in the hope of perfecting our
faith. So the author of Hebrews says in verse 3, "Consider him who
endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow
weary and lose heart." Look at verse 4. "In your struggle against sin,
you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood." As we
know well, faith is the victory. By faith we can overcome the world.
Therefore we must struggle to the point of death to overcome our sinful
nature.

Sixth, do not lose heart (5-6). Look at verses 5,6. "And you have
forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: 'My
son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart
when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and
he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.'" When we study the word of
God and live a life of faith, from time to time we despair inwardly,
mainly because we cannot live up to the teachings of the Bible. As a
result, some people make light of God's word. Other people then lose
heart due to their guilty consciences. Here we learn that we should not
lose heart because of our sins, but come to God again and again with a
repentant heart.

II.  Divine discipline (7-13)

First, endure hardship as discipline (7-9). There are many people who
think of hardship as punishment. But the people of God must think of
hardships as discipline. These days, the original meaning of
"education" is largely ignored. To the modern psyche, "education" means
to master a certain skill for a better life in the future. But
originally, "education" was for the growth of one's inner man. Without
education, men become like alley cats. Without education, they do not
honor God. They do not thank their parents or pray for their country.

   There is a problem. Education involves discipline. General Robert E.
Lee was a genius in military strategy, because he was disciplined in
the U.S. Military Academy.  Beethoven became a father of all musicians
down through the generations because his father locked him up every day
until he finished a huge amount of music homework. Education is for the
sake of self-discipline. A person's inner man must be trained through
education.

   Look at verses 7 and 8. "Endure hardship as discipline; God is
treating you as sons.  For what son is not disciplined by his father?
If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then
you are illegitimate children and not true sons." When our parents do
not discipline us, they spoil us and make us useless. When God does not
discipline us, it is the same as not loving us.

   God disciplines us for our good. Especially, God disciplines us so
that we may grow in his holiness. The former fisherman, Peter, did not
learn the holiness of God in Jesus because he was political. But later,
when he saw Jesus shedding his blood, he realized that Jesus is the
Holy God. He said in 2 Peter 1:4, "Through these he has given us his
very great and precious promises, so that through them you may
participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world
caused by evil desires." Jesus said in John 17:18, 19, "As you sent me
into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify
myself, that they too may be truly sanctified." Jesus sanctified
himself so that his disciples would be made holy. In the Lord's Prayer,
"Our Father, hallowed be your name," means that our God is the holy God
and we must recognize him as the holy God.

   When we learn the holiness of God, America will be established as a
kingdom of priests and a holy nation. If we don't learn the holiness of
God, America will be the land of lawless Sodomites. Most people yearn
most for the holiness of God in their souls. They want to imitate the
holiness of God. But they fail because they refuse to participate in
divine discipline. Those who do not receive divine discipline are
illegitimate children to God.

Second, discipline produces the harvest of righteousness (10-13). Look
at verse 11. "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.
Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for
those who have been trained by it." To get a Ph.D. is not easy.  To
participate in the divine discipline is not easy. But when we
participate in the divine discipline, we can harvest righteousness and
peace, and the kingdom of God will come on earth.

   We have many things to do in the world. In our span of life, we have
so many things to do, so many books to read. But first and last of all,
we must participate in the divine discipline. Then God will bless this
country as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. And at the same
time, we can please God and we can be a blessing to others. Therefore,
we must do our best. Look at verses 12 and 13. "Therefore, strengthen
your feeble arms and weak knees. 'Make level paths for your feet,' so
that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed." Even if we are
helpless to participate in divine discipline because we are broken and
dispirited and too selfish to do it, we must not give up. We must do
our best to participate in the divine discipline as a matter of life
and death.

III. Warning against refusing God (14-29)

First, make every effort to live in peace with all men (14-15). Look at
verse 14. "Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be
holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord." Up until now, the
author of Hebrews exhorted how to live a life of faith in detail. In
this part, he warns us to have a right attitude toward God and his
words. First of all, we should not make everybody our enemies. We must
do our best to live in peace with all men.  How can we live in peace
with all men? We must remember the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. When
God gave us his one and only Son Jesus Christ, he gave us everything
(Ro 8:32). Because God gave us the privilege of living in his world, we
are abundantly blessed.  Yet most people think a lot about potato
chips, but they do not honor God. What is worse, they do not thank God.
Those who do not thank God are spiritual lepers. Those who know how to
thank God are truly godly men. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:9-10b,
"For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be
called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the
grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without
effect...."

   Look at verse 15. "See to it that no one misses the grace of God and
that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many." Here,
"bitter root" means pride, animosity, rivalry, or anything else harmful
to others. We can forgive others when we remember God's grace.

Second, we should be faithful to God (16-17). There are two kinds of
unfaithfulness. First is sexual immorality. Second is unfaithfulness to
God's covenant. For example, Esau was an unfaithful man. He had no
appreciation for true values and was profane in his outlook on life. He
despised God's blessing, that is, his birthright. He traded his
birthright to his younger brother, Jacob, for a bowl of soup. Esau
valued food for his stomach more than God's blessing. The problem was
that he did not repent, but only regretted that he became the younger
brother to his younger brother. He died of worldly sorrow (2 Cor 7:10).
In this way Esau remains forever as an immoral person to God. May God
have mercy on us, that we may not be unfaithful to our holy God.

Third, God's covenant people (18-21). After the Exodus, God gave his
people the Law.  When the Law was given, the holy mountain shook and
made a thunderous sound. For the Law of God was so holy and holy that
the mountain could not endure, but became shaky and smoky. At the
mountain, God gave his people his word. His word links God and his
people.  His word makes people covenant people. When his people have
his word in their hearts, they are God's covenant people. We are
special because we are God's covenant people. We are special because we
have a vine and branch relationship with God and his Son Jesus Christ.
It is important that we have God's covenant in our hearts.

Fourth, the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the Living God (22-29).
Let's read verses 22-24.  "But you have come to Mount Zion, to the
heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God.  You have come to
thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of
the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God,
the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to
Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that
speaks a better word than the blood of Abel." In verse 23, the word
"firstborn" does not refer to Jesus, because it is written in plural
form. It means all the people of God, whose names are written in
heaven. In the last part of verse 23, "the spirits of righteous men
made perfect," are the ancestors of faith such as Enoch, Abel and
Noah.  These people belong to the old covenant (25). The new covenant
came through the blood of Jesus, the Mediator. When God gave his word
through Moses, the holy mountain shook. So it was easy for them to be a
covenant people. But Jesus, the Mediator of a new covenant, is gentle
and humble. So people can ignore his new covenant. We should not be
ignorant people under the Law. We should be people of God in Jesus
Christ, who is our Prophet, Priest, and King (24).

   What is the result of the life of faith? Look at verse 28.
"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let
us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe."
When we live a life of faith, run the race, and fight a good fight, we
receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken. This is our hope and a source
of real joy which overflows in our souls.

   There is a slight impression that people receive education ignoring
discipline, especially divine discipline. It is tragedy that, from
grade school, education does not emphasize discipline, especially
divine discipline. If they do not receive discipline, they cannot be
the children of God. May God restore family discipline and school
discipline and divine discipline in this country.


STUDY QUESTIONS

*  JESUS, THE PERFECTER OF OUR FAITH (1-6)

1. Read verse 1. To what does the author compare the Christian life?
   (Compare 2 Ti 4:7) (Who are the spectators who are not running this
   race? [Ps 73:1-7; Hab 1:13])

2. Who are the cloud of witnesses? In what ways do they encourage us?
   What are the things that hinder our running? What must we do about
   them? How?

3. What is the course marked out? What is the starting line? The
   finishing point? What does it mean to run with perseverance? How can
   we?

4. Read verses 2-4. Why must we fix our eyes on Jesus? What does it
   mean that he is the author and perfecter of our faith? What does it
   mean to "consider him"? How does he help and encourage us in our
   struggle?

5. Read verses 5-6. What makes us lose heart? Why should we not? What
   should be our attitude toward God's discipline? Toward God who
   disciplines?

*  DIVINE DISCIPLINE (7-13)

6. Read verses 7-9. How are we to regard hardships? Why does God
   discipline us? What should be our attitude toward parental
   discipline? Toward God's discipline? Why?

7. Read verses 10-13. Why is God's discipline higher and better than
   even parents' discipline?  What is God's ultimate purpose in
   disciplining us? What does it mean to share in God's holiness?

8. Read verse 11. What does this teach us about the "pain and gain" of
   discipline? What is the outcome of divine discipline? (2 Pe 1:4; Jn
   17:18,19) What then, must we do when confronted by a hard course to
   run? (12,13)

*  WARNING AGAINST REFUSING GOD (14-29)

9. Read verses 14-15. What are we exhorted to do in verse 14? Why? How
   can we live in peace with all men? (Ro 8:32) What does it mean to be
   holy? What is a bitter root? How can we uproot bitter roots?

10. Read verses 16-17. In what way is Esau an example of unfaithfulness?
   Why could he not  receive God's discipline? Why must we be faithful?
   (17,2 Co 7:10)

11. Read verses 18-21. To what event do these verses refer: How did God
   demonstrate his holiness? Why (Ex 19)?  Read verses 22-29. Why is
   the new covenant greater? Why must we not refuse to be God's
   covenant people? What are the blessings of covenant people?