The Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastens everyone He accepts as His son. (Hebrews 12:6 NIV)
What is the purpose of sonship? It is to
bring us into a place of spiritual responsibility. God never puts
responsibilities upon ‘official people’, but upon sons. Therefore He has to
train us as children in order to develop sonship in us, to bring us there where
we can take responsibilities for God. He seeks to bring us to a state of
spiritual maturity, to full growth. This cannot be done in some Bible school, or
by putting people ‘into the ministry’. God never works on an official side. Oh
yes, God does take us into His school. He can also take us into His school in
some training institute. And it is a blessed thing if He does it.
But God’s
school is something very different from mere scholarly activity. His Word says:
“My son, regard not lightly the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou
art reproved of Him; for whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son
whom He receives.” Note this word “whom He receives”. The exact meaning in
the Greek is not ‘receives’, but “whom He positions” or places. It is a matter
of position. God is seeking to develop a state in us where He can trust us. When
God is dealing with us, there is behind it a wonderful assurance that He is
going to put His trust in us. He is bringing us into a position of trust. We do
not just want to be servants, bits of a machine, but sons who have become one
with the Father, and in whose hands He can put spiritual responsibilities. When
we truly recognize this, we begin to understand why God is dealing with us as He
does. But because God is in it we know that the end is sure. He will bring His
children through.