Hebrews 12:5

Hebrews 12:5 says, And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:  The writer asks if we have forgotten that we are children of God and sometimes need chastisement or correction from God.  Even as full-grown adults, we are always children of God and under His direction.  If we stray way from God's will, He will correct us.  Not all suffering in the world comes due to our obedience to God, but at times, it is simply God chastising us for our disobedience to His will.  Verse six adds, For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.  This tells us that if God has not chastised us that either we are living in total obedience to Him after we accepted Christ or we are not acknowledging His chastisement.  We may complain about how the world treats us when we need to be accepting the chastisement of God.  Verse seven continues, If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?  God's chastisement is simply proof that we are His children.  Even earthly fathers, if they truly love their children, chastise them.  Since God's love for His children is complete love, we should never be surprised when He chastises us.  This will always be done to correct, and not punish us.  We could even say that if we have never been chastised, or corrected, by God that we are not being treated as His child.  Verse eight states, But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.  As just stated above, without chastisement how can we be partakers of the salvation of Christ.  We do not become perfect when we are saved, but still need correction from God at times.  Verse nine adds, Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?  This asks if we reverence, or honor, our earthly fathers when they correct us, should we not do more so with our heavenly Father?  Though at times when we are being corrected, we may hate the correction, we should know that it really is for our benefit.  Verse ten continues, 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.  I believe that this says that sometimes our earthly fathers may chastise us for the wrong reasons, but our heavenly Father always does it for our profit, or benefit.  God is guiding us toward complete obedience to His will, which will always be the best for us.  Verse eleven concludes, Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.  Chastisement never seems to be joyous at the time we receive it, but instead seems grievous.  Yet afterward we know that we have become a better person if we have accepted the chastisement with the correct attitude.  We are told that those whom God loves, He chastens.