Chastening is not merely a means of judgment implemented by the Lord for wrongdoing, but also serves as a proof of sonship. According to Hebrews 12:6, at some point in every child of God’s life, he will experience the chastening hand of the Lord. Any individual able to freely do wrong without God’s chastening should examine whether or not he is in the faith. The absence of chastening suggests that a person is not a son of God (Hebrews 12:8). Just as any good father will not allow his son to get away with wrongdoing, God the Father does not allow His children to do wrong without suffering the consequences of such actions. Chastisement may be delayed, but it is inevitable.
Chastening is best associated to a parent-child relationship (Deuteronomy 8:5; 2 Samuel 7:14; Proverbs 13:24; Proverbs 19:18; Hebrews 12:6-8). As such, God’s chastening, at least within the New Testament, is only intended for those He calls His sons (1 John 3:2). God chastens His children, not to administer justice, but to strengthen and correct them. The believer does not receive some type of punishment from the Lord resulting from the believer’s sins because these sins have been completely atoned through the shed blood of Christ. However, the saint’s continued practice of sin requires the chastening hand of the Lord in order to conform him into the image of Christ. While chastening is reserved exclusively for sons, a lost man receives only punishment or salvation.
Nothing testifies more to the regrets of missed blessings than Thomas’s absence when the risen Saviour met with the disciples. Of all the times to forsake a meeting of believers, Thomas will be known for missing this meeting until the Lord comes. The Bible does not disclose why he was not with the other believers, but we do know what special event he missed – the presence of the risen Lord. Although the Lord Jesus will not visibly or physically show up in our church services, missing a service could cause us to miss His presence in a very special way. For instance, a lost sinner could get saved, or a brother or sister who had wandered from the Lord could find repentance. Maybe something for which you have faithfully prayed was to be answered during the service. Regardless of what might take place, missing the service will mean missing wonderful blessings, some of which can never be recovered. The one service you take for granted could be the very one that God meant to be most special for you.
