Hebrews 12:7-13

We’re in the Last Section of the Book of Hebrews

There are 5 Warning Passages in Hebrews

Passages that Warn the Hebrew Christian Audience of…

What will Be Their Outcome if They Leave the Faith

The 5th and Final Warning Passage is Chapter 12

Hebrews 12:4–11 (NIV)

4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”

7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! 10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 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.

Hebrews 12:12–13 (NIV)

12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13 “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

The Entire Purpose of this Book is to Encourage its Hebrew Christian Audience

They are Experiencing Different Types of Sufferings Because of Their Faith

The Author has Been Worried that They will Choose to Abandon the Faith

So this Entire Sermon is to Encourage Them Not to

In this Passage, He is Offering Them a Different Perspective on Their Suffering

What if Suffering is How God Disciplines/Trains/Instructs His Children?

What if this is What We Need to:

Grow in Holiness and Righteousness

And Be Brought to Glory?

Hebrews 12:4 (NASB95)

4 You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin;

Hebrews 12:5–6 (NASB95)

5 and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, Nor faint when you are reproved by Him; 6 For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, And He scourges every son whom He receives.”

Their Suffering hasn’t Led to Them Giving Their Lives for Their Faith Yet

Their Suffering May Be Difficult, But it has Been and could Be Worse

Many of the Faithful in Chapter 11 and Even Jesus Gave Their Lives for Their Faith

They Didn’t Give Up, They Endured to the End

The Scriptures Teach Us that God Disciplines His Beloved Children

God Does Not Punish His Faithful Children, He Disciplines Them

Discipline = To Train, Educate, Instruct

“To Provide Instruction for Informed and Responsible Living”

Here’s What the Hebrews Author is Saying so Far:

“Don’t Be Discouraged By the Sufferings You’re Experiencing…”

“Be Encouraged!”

“Because Through These Sufferings, God is Disciplining You as His Beloved Children”

“He is Training, Educating, and Instructing You for Informed and Responsible Living”

These Sufferings aren’t Meant to Turn Them Away From Being Christians

They are Meant to Make Them Stronger and More Faithful Christians

They Just Needed to Be Reminded to have the Proper Perspective

And that’s Why We Were Reminded in Verse 3 that…

Even Jesus had to Endure Suffering from the World

And He had to Learn Obedience Through Suffering, Just like Us

Hebrews 5:8 (NASB95)

8 Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.

Hebrews 12:7–8 (NASB95)

7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

Any Loving Father Disciplines/Trains/Educates/Instructs His Children

We Want Our Children to Grow Up to Be Informed and Responsible Adults

It Helps to Look at this in the Cultural Context it was Written in

Fathers Wanted Their Sons to Grow Up to Be Worthy Heirs

This Takes a Lot of Work, Both on the Part of the Father and the Son

If a Father Doesn’t Discipline His Son…

It Shows He Doesn’t Care About His Son or the Person He Turns Out to Be

If You are Experiencing Hardships Because of the Faith…

Be Joyful and Keep Enduring…

Because that is Proof that God Loves You and Thinks of You as His Own Beloved Child

He is Disciplining/Training/Educating/Instructing You

This Suffering will Cause You to Grow into a Greater, Disciplined Christian

If We Never Suffer for the Faith, that’s When We Should Start to Worry

If Everyone Likes Me and No One has a Problem with the Way I Believe/Live…

Then that could Be a Sign that I’m Not Believing/Living the Way I Should

I May Be Living as a Illegitimate Child of God, Not a True Child

Hebrews 12:9–10 (NASB95)

9 Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live?10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness.

When Our Earthly Parents Discipline/Train/Educate/Instruct Us…

We Respect Them

Especially When We Grow Up and Realize…

That Our Disciplined and Mature Behavior is Due to Them Disciplining Us

The Author Assumes in this Passage that Parents Aren’t Perfect Disciplinarians

Sometimes We Get it Wrong and the Way We Train Our Children isn’t Helpful

We are Doing Our Best, But We Aren’t Perfect at Parenting

But God is Perfect and He Does Always Get it Right

When He Disciplines/Trains/Educates/Instructs Us…

It Always Turns Our for Our Betterment

His Discipline Leads to Our Sharing His Holiness

When We Endure Suffering for Our Faith and Don’t Give Up…

We Become More and More Like God

We Become Holy/Sanctified/Different Than the World

If We Respect Our Parents for How They Raised/Disciplined Us…

Even if They Didn’t Always Get it Right…

Then Shouldn’t We Respect and Subject Ourselves to…

The Discipline of Our Heavenly Father Who Always Gets it Right?

Hebrews 12:11 (NASB95)

11 All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

Ask Any Professional Athlete if All the Training They Have to Subject Themselves to is Fun

Anyone Who is Good at Anything has to Go Through Some Unfavorable Things…

To Become Good at What They Do

Becoming a Disciplined/Trained/Educated/Instructed Person is Not Always Fun

It’s Difficult, Tiring, and Sometimes Painful

But Once You’ve Endured the Difficult Part…

You are Better, Stronger, Smarter, and Wiser Than Before

The Same is True for Christianity

God Disciplines Us By Allowing the World to Be Against Us

And if We Remain Faithful Throughout the Suffering…

We Will See How Much We’ve Grown

In Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control

To Become More Like Jesus and Therefore More Like God…

We Must Endure the Discipline

If We Give Up, We Quit the Race and We Lose

But if We Keep Running, Regardless of What is Trying to Stop Us…

We Will Win the Race and Receive the Glory that is Promised Us

The Opposite of the Death of Faith is the Growth of Faith

If We aren’t Growing, We are Dying

Hebrews 12:12–13 (NASB95)

12 Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble,13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.

The Author Continues to Use Sports Analogies

Whether it’s Running or Boxing or Any Other Sport…

After Enduring for so Long, the Arms Get Tired and the Knees Get Weak

It Becomes Difficult to Stay on Track and Keep Going

The Author Encourages These Weak and Weary Christians to Stay Strong and Keep on the Right Path

To Give Up is to Allow Permanent Damage to Be Done

They Needed to Pull Themselves Together and Keep Moving Forward

This is Where Healing Comes From

Notice the Passage that the Author is Quoting From:

Isaiah 35:3–4 (NASB95)

3 Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble. 4 Say to those with anxious heart, “Take courage, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance; The recompense of God will come, But He will save you.”

The Suffering that These Hebrew Christians Were Experiencing will Soon Come to an End

Jesus will Return and Bring Vengeance Upon the Persecutors of His Church

But He will Save and Heal His People

But if His People Give Up, There will Be No Healing, But Only Dislocation

When Persecution Against Our Faith is Wearying Us and Bringing Us Down…

We Need to Remember:

God Disciplines Those He Loves

Enduring Suffering for the Faith will Make Us Stronger Christians

If We Endure, Jesus will Make Everything Better and Right All Wrongs