It’s amazing how many believers are blind to the fact that the Bible does say God disciplines those He loves and those He accepts as His children (Hebrews 12:7-8,10). He does this so that His children come to repentance and can be partakers of His holiness, in order to inherit the Kingdom benefits. Of course in chapter 12 of Hebrews, it begins by saying that we are to fix our eyes on Jesus and throw off the dead weight, for the love of anything in this world; for even ourselves and our own cares (v1-2). Because without holiness no one will see the Lord (v14). And without true repentance there’s no remission of sins. To truly repent means there’s an outward change of direction, which is evident in his life.
When Esau sold his birthright for a single meal he was rejected, even though he sought the blessing with tears (v17). The difference for Esau was that he was missing true repentance. This passage indicates that we as believers can’t outwardly profess to believe in Jesus and know we are sinners yet not live changed lives or we will miss the eternal inheritance set aside for God’s people.
So are you changing and becoming holy or just stuck and on repeat with the same sin or remaining only in the same lessons that were learned years before? Are you learning new things about God and relating to God in new ways and keeping that attitude of true repentance? Or are you truly fighting the fight of faith and living as more than a conqueror through Christ? What’s your proof? Are u willing to give away your eternal inheritance or eternal rewards for pleasure down here or even because of your pride? The Christian life is a race, and the divine umpire is Jesus Christ. After the race is over for each believer, He will gather every member before the bema for the purpose of examining each one and giving the proper reward to each (blueletterbible.org).
Behold, I come quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown (Revelation 3:11).
This discipline He does so He doesn’t spew us out of His mouth. Just as God was knocking in laodicea church He is continually knocking on the doors of our hearts while we may be busy having church but we aren’t hearing Him. Are we convicted about things when God points things out to us? Is discipline pushing you to Him or pushing you to dig into your own strength and power? Are we opening up our hearts to Him? Are we changing or remaining the same?
According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it . . . Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become manifest; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and fire will try each one’s work, of what sort it is (1 Corinthians 3:10,12,13).
A Life Redone 