The Grands Letter (Heb/GLJ)

Dear Grands,

Hebrews 12:7-11, “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.

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.

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.”

Have you ever asked yourself, “What good am I, anyway? Everyone else seems to have all the talent. No one ever looks to me to do anything— not even the easy, simple things. I’m just no good at all! Why does the LORD even leave me here?”

That’s the description of a “pity party.” It’s the voice of someone who rarely gets asked to play in the game. He’s never asked to do anything. He doesn’t really try; and, as stated in verse one, “It is for discipline that you endure.” Seven times, in our five verses above, the word discipline occurs.

Perhaps the most obvious discipline occurs in sports. He runs faster! He knows exactly where to throw the ball! He keeps quiet when it’s obvious that the umpire’s call was in error. He doesn’t argue with his coach. All of these bespeak “discipline.”

Yet, we often forego discipline, preferring to play the game our own way instead of following the rules of the LORD Jesus! He wants us to be disciplined in reaching others. They are spiritually lost until they yield themselves to Christ. Once saved, our Coach wants us to play hard and reach the spiritually lost. Some Australian friends have recently put the Heraldofhope.org.au online. It is filled with accurate, spiritual news and encouragement. What’s more, it is FREE! You can share it again and again with lost and wayward friends. I urge you to “give it a go,” as the Aussies would say.

Heartily yours in Christ Jesus,

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
United States of America

“We will never know that Christ is all we need
Until He becomes all that we have.”
–Corrie ten Boom