There seems to be a lot less discipline in our society today. More and more citizens of our free country take their freedoms to a limit not meant by our founding fathers. There is little self control or restraint with many of the younger generations. They want WHAT they want and usually no matter the cost to anyone else. Much of what they want is without regard to morals or lawfulness. Without discipline ours is a dog-eat-dog world of ME, MYSELF and I. Webster gives three definitions for the
term discipline: 1. (a) self control or orderly conduct; (b) acceptance or submission to authority and control. We can gauge from this definition that we have a discipline problem in our present day society. Definition number 2: Training that develops self-control, character, or orderliness. This definition gives us the first hint as to why we are seeing the problem; many have not had the proper training. Definition number 3: Treatment that corrects or punishes. Now, we have the whole picture. Far too many in our great land have not had the proper training, and what little training they had was not backed up with the proper amount of corrective treatment or punishment. In fact, our present day society frowns upon disciplinary action. Don’t whip your children —you will make them hate you. Don’t whip your children—you will make them become psycho cases. Don’t whip your children—the state will take them away. Don’t punish the criminal—pamper and protect his rights. Don’t discipline a church member—he’ll sue the church. My friend, God commands discipline. He demands it in both the areas of training and corrective treatment or punishment! GOD COMMANDS DISCIPLINE OF CHILDREN The wise man Solomon said: “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6). Children come into the world without understanding. As they continue to grow the world and their peers put a lot of foolishness into their minds. God, through Solomon, said, “In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found: but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding” (Prov. 10:13); also notice:“Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him” (Proverbs 22:15); “Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die” (Proverbs 23:13), which suggests more than mild spankings. Children should not be left to rear themselves as many are in today’s society, “The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame” (Prov. 29:15). Modern psychologists would have us believe such treatment is barbaric; but, God is not a barbarian. God knows how to best train a child. A parent that will not discipline with the rod has dined too long at the table of psychologists and those parents defy the Word of God. GOD COMMANDS DISCIPLINE IN SOCIETY Capital punishment is supported by God: “And surely your blood of your lives will I require;...at the hand of man;....{6} Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man” (Genesis 9:5-6). Paul said: “Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth” (Ephesians 4:28). God binds us to the laws of the land in order that there might be discipline in society: “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. {2} Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation” (Romans 13:1-2). Peter wrote: “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; {14} Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well” (1 Peter 2:13-14). GOD COMMANDS DISCIPLINE IN OUR LIVES Paul uses the terms “put off” and “put on” to indicate the discipline expected by God in our lives; such as: “...put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts” (Ephesians 4:22); and “...put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Ephesians 4:24). Such discipline requires training and instruction which comes from the word of God: “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11). GOD COMMANDS DISCIPLINE IN HIS CHURCH God gives specific instructions how to discipline those who are troublemakers and rebels in His church: “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. {18} For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple” (Romans 16:17-18); also: “If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to  godliness;....{5}... from such withdraw thyself” (1 Timothy 6:3-5). To the Thessalonians Paul instructed: “Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us” (2 Thessalonians 3:6). DISCIPLINE IS NECESSARY FOR AN ORDERLY SOCIETY, whether it be in the family, the nation, or the church. It is especially in order to keep the Lord’s church pure and spotless as Christ wants it to be (Ephesians 5:27). If we are to return to an orderly society, discipline must begin at home. If the pure structure of our society is to be saved, we must begin again to punish the criminal and rebel. If we are to deliver the pure church to another generation, we must also begin to practice the necessary discipline just as God has prescribed.

—John D. Cotham
Shady Valley, TN
 

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