05 14 08 A LOVING MOM AND DAD

“He himself carried our sins in his body on the cross.
He did it so that we would die as far as sins are concerned.
Then we would lead godly lives.
His wounds have made you whole.”
(1 Peter 2:24 NIrV)

Jesus’ suffering saved us. By His obedience to the Father’s will, we are saved. He was beaten, mocked, spat upon, pushed, shoved, whipped, nailed to a cross, and lanced into His side (the heart?) all in obedience to the will of God and for our salvation. Remember, He had the power to get up, retaliate, and even destroy the enemies attacking Him. But the enemy was sin and He was in the process of defeating it! Ultimately, the Risen Christ is proof to all that He indeed was victorious in defeating the enemy!

“Do not withhold discipline from a child;if you punish him with the rod, he will not die. Punish him with the rod and save his soul from death." (Proverbs 23:13-14 NIV)

In my growth as a Daddy, I had a genuine object lesson concerning the rod recently. While we hear so many modern suggestions as to the raising of our children, I have come to prefer the proven and God-breathed words of Scripture. I have made the mistakes of withholding the rod. Too many words go ignored and many times fall upon deaf little ears. Too many words get lost in the deficient attention span of our youth. Disobedience requires immediate and consequential discipline…i.e. the rod (or a form of it).

It was brought to my attention by the Spirit that as Jesus suffered from the severe physical blows of His enemies on our behalf; He defeated sin and brought salvation to all and any who believe. As we parents raise our children, how beneficial it is to use the physical rod to exemplify the pain and consequence of sin. For a child to know Jesus suffered pain on our behalf (much greater pain than we could imagine) would to God that he will recall that sacrifice as the rod is applied as a result of his sin. Because of my sin and yours, Jesus suffered greatly. How will a child understand the consequential pain of sin if it is not applied by A LOVING MOM AND DAD? Loving discipline will not injure or kill a child, but save his soul from death!

We have allowed God to be removed from the homes, schools, the community, the work place, and even some churches! Let’s reclaim our homes first! To be true disciples, we require discipline. Let’s apply that to our children as well. They need discipline. They require boundaries. Christ took a beating for us. A timely rod once in a while will remind our children of His suffering on their behalf and well and curb their desire to sin!