360. Partakers of His Holiness
Hebrews 12:10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
God promises chastening; and that’s a good thing because we need it. And it’s a good thing for us to take it to heart and learn and grow from it. Connected to the promise of chastening is the fact that, like our human fathers, He does it for our profit. Discipline should never be done out of anger or to satisfy the emotions or the convenience of the parent. Discipline is always and only done for the benefit and the profit of the disciplined. It is always and only out of love for the child. Human parents err and are often guided by the wrong emotions, but the Lord God and Father only disciplines out of love for the child. This truth should always be remembered when we feel disciplined by the Lord. He always disciplines for our good and our benefit, for His love and wisdom is perfect.
The promise and result of wise discipline is that we might be partakers of God’s holiness. This is no small feat: make saints out of sinners. It is hard, but the Lord does not shrink from the task. He will do what He has to do for our good. Just think: He loves us so much He wants to share His own holiness with us. He shared His Life with us when he gave us eternal life. A part of that life is holiness. We are a long way from holy, but the Holy Spirit is incessantly working to make us holy, not just in the heart but also in the life. We can be humble enough to let the Lord work His will and His way in our lives. He will make us more and more like Him as spiritual life and awareness grows. We can’t change ourselves, but the Lord can change us. Believe the amazing promise: God shares His Holiness with us. The process may not be pleasant, but the outcome is glorious.