Hebrews 12:7-12
7 “It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. 11 For the moment, all discipline seems not to be pleasant, but painful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.” 12 Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is impaired may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.”
The author of Hebrews is letting his readers know that God will use the persecution and hardship they are enduring for our good. This is not punishment for sin but rather God using the awful times they were experiencing for maturation.
What son is there whom his father does not discipline: God, as with strong earthly fathers, invests in His children so that they can know the difference between error and truth. The author of Hebrews wants us to imagine the most loving father we can possibly concoct in our minds and then understand that God is even more loving than the best father. But discipline is not an on again and off again action of God. It is a constant reality for Christians. We are always under the discipline of the Lord, and it never has anything to do with punishment for sin.
He disciplines us for our good: God disciplines for our ultimate good. He wants us to share in His holiness. He wants us to mature in Him. Earthly fathers discipline from an earthly perspective but the Heavenly Father disciplines with an eternal perspective. This discipline ultimately leads to the peaceful fruit of righteousness. God is growing us into our identity in His Son.
Make straight paths for your feet: The author wants his readers to be mature in Christ’s grace and to not allow the persecution and trials to distract them from the Gospel.
