DISCIPLINE: GOD’S STANDARD FOR ORDERLINESS

ISAIAH 29:1-END

PROVERB 4:1-END

God is still in the business of bringing and establishing orderliness in his kingdom and the society. God who is the King of the whole universe has created man to be highly esteemed amongst all other his creatures. Man is made the king of the whole creation to dominate in the entire environment with the special gift of wisdom and understanding which is lacking in other animals. This is one thing that distinguishes man from other animal. With this gift God were able to set standard for man which he is not meeting up to expectations.

God, who has created man, has also made man to observe his own rules in the old time and man could not keep to those rules because of its imperfection. Now man resorted to keeping those rules till date, but God saw that those rules were not perfect, He then made another provision set aside before the creation of the world which is sending his own only begotten son JESUS CHRIST to die on the cross of Calvary. His death put an end to those rules set down by God to an amendment into spiritual realm, now the rules are planted in a man’s heart by the Holy Ghost. No more observing the rules but the Holy Ghost teaches one what to do per seconds of his days on earth. Now man is no more under the law but we are channeled to another phase of life called Grace accompanied by Holy Ghost (Being the comforter promised by Jesus Christ our savior). The Holy Ghost does the work which the law does then but in the heart of man. And that is why the heart remains the Ark of the new covenant.

ROMAN 10:9 - 10

(1)               “For if you publicly declare with your mouth

That Jesus is lord and exercise faith in your

Heart that God raised him up from the dead,

You will be saved

(2)               For with the heart one exercise faith for

Righteousness, but with the mouth one

Makes public declaration for salvation”

                       

So the heart is the centre of attraction here. In a nutshell what is circumcised is the heart.

ROMAN 2:28-29

(28)      “For he is not a Jew who is one on the outside, nor is

            Circumcision outside, on the flesh

(29)      But he is a Jew who is one on the inside, and his

Circumcision is that of the heart by the spirit

            and not by the written code. The person’s praise

come from God, not from people.

Now having established this fact that God is the one that institute orderliness through wisdom and understanding giving to man, but sometimes, man deviate from God’s standard by not listening to the voice of Holy Ghost through faith. Faith is necessary for everyone justified by the blood of Jesus Christ because that is the bedrock for everyone’s salvation. This is why anything done without faith today is a sin; And when one deviate from faith, God will not relent to administer some measure of discipline so that the person will come to his understanding and return to faith.

PROVERB 4:13-17

(13)      “Hold on to discipline, do not let it go

            Safeguard it, for it means your life,

 (14)     Do not enter the path of wicked

            And do not walk in the way of evil men

(15)      Shun it, do not take it

            Turn away from it, and pass it by

(16)      For they cannot sleep unless they do

            what is bad

            They are robbed of sleep unless they cause

someone downfall

(17)      They feed themselves with the bread  of wickedness

            And they drink the wine of violence”

See, when you don’t discipline yourself as a child of God, God will do that in a hard way:

REVELATION 3:19

(19)      “All those whom I have affection, I reprove

and discipline. So be zealous and repent”

You have to know that God will always want to establish orderliness in your life, ministry and society at large. And in achieving these he has employed different strategies like instituting authorities that will administer punishment on his behalf so that there would be peace:

ROMANS 13:1

(1)        “Let every person be in subjection to the superior

            authorities, for there is no authorities except

            by God; the existing authorities stand placed

            in their relative position by God

(2)        Therefore, whoever opposes the authority

            has taken a stand against the arrangement

            of God  those who have taken a stand against

            it will bring judgment against themselves

(3)        For those rulers are object of fear, not to good

            deed, but to bad. Do you want to be free of the fear

            of authority? Keep doing good and you will have praise

from it”

(4)        For it is God’s minister to you for your good.

            But if you are doing what is bad, be in fear

            for is not without purpose that it bears the

            sword. It is God’s minister, an avenger to

            express wrath against the one practicing

            what is bad”

So discipline is a measure and standard God uses to instigate orderliness in the society. But God will not relent to bring restoration after every discipline:

ISAIAH 60:10-11

(10)      “Foreigners will build your walls

            And their kings will minister to you,

            For indignation I struck you

            But in my favor I will have mercy on you

(11)      Your gates will be kept open constantly

            They will not be closed by day or by night

            To bring to you the resources of the nations

            And their Kings will take the lead”

God will always have mercy when his elects respond to his discipline, remain blessed.