There is considerable misunderstanding about what it means when God chastens us. He does this as a loving Father to correct and guide us, not to punish us. His chastening helps direct us toward righteousness, godliness, and complete dependence on Him. Punishment, which involves fear, does not figure into the covenant of grace, because it is not God’s nature to punish. Punishment is a consequence of wrongdoing; however, Jesus took all the punishment we deserved when He went to the cross. We are guaranteed to encounter adversity and painful circumstances in life; God uses those things not because He is angry with us, but to grow and mature us. The next time we run into trouble, we can be thankful and joyful knowing that God loves us and cares enough about us to discipline us for our own good.
Understanding Grace | Empowering Change