Hello Family of God, 

The Love of God has been distorted with the influence of false ideologies, theories, speculations, philosophies, and erroneous deceptions and lies from none other than Satan himself. The god of this age has blinded the minds of the unregenerate as if they were taken captive by the Devil's Will and imprisoned (Gen. 3:1; Jn. 8:44; 2 Cor. 4:4; 10:3–5; 2 Thess. 2:9; Rev. 20:7–8). Some have even suggested that any form of physical discipline is a type of "abuse" – and this cannot be any further from the Truth. Abuse is the lack of responsibility and neglect to discipline or chastise our children. Albeit, physical chastisement can teach our children discipline, it is not to be limited to just that. 

Every Father ought to know that chastisement is a form of discipline, and to do without it would not only demonstrate carelessness on the part of the parent, but a lack of wisdom and understanding on child development (Deut. 11:19; Prov. 1:8-9; 13:24; 22:6,15; 23:13-15; Eph. 6:1-4; Col. 3:20; 2 Tim. 3:14-15). If even imperfect human father's know how to discipline their children, then certainly the Father of Lights knows how to PERFECTLY discipline and chastise His own children in His Family. It is often been said that if children of God fail to learn after being chastised by their Heavenly Father, then the chastisement may be more severe the next time around. This again is a faulty assumption based on humanistic reasoning of the finite mind of an imperfect man. If God "fails" to get it right the first time around, is it because His children somehow caught Him off-guard? Did He not see it coming? Will He say to Himself, "I should have been more severe in chastising one of my children. I’ll try better the next time around." ? 

"And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart." (Genesis 6:6) 

God is NOT a MAN! Was God somehow WRONG when He created man in His image? Many theologians and bible teachers have made egregious errors in the Nature of God based upon failure to take into account that God is not bound by or subject to the laws of the Universe in which He Himself designed. His Immutable Attributes (i.e., "Omniscience, Omnipotence, Omnipresence") must always be factored in when He acts upon anything and everything. Prophecy is God proclaiming what has ALREADY taken place in the Eternal Mind of God The Almighty. Omniscience, Omnipotence, and Omnipresence are inextricably linked. The One who yields ALL POWER would also mean that He must also be All-Knowing and All-Seeing at the same time. Even the "elect" angels are not always privy to the Sovereign acts in which God Decreed and Foreordained in Eternity Past; but they are nonetheless COMPLETELY SUBMISSIVE to ALL His Commands without questioning Him in the slightest. 

"Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For [MY THOUGHTS ARE NOT YOUR THOUGHTS], neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as [the rain cometh down], and [the snow from heaven], and [returneth not] thither, but [watereth the earth], and [maketh it bring forth and bud], that it may [give seed to the sower], and [bread to the eater]: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but [IT SHALL ACCOMPLISH THAT WHICH I PLEASE], and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." (Isaiah 55:6-11) 

The Discipline of God the Father is "corrective" discipline (Deut. 8:5; Ps. 94:12; Prov. 3:11-12; Eph. 5:1; Heb. 12:5-11). Discipline and chastisement from God the Father are not the SAME. Punishment is not the word to be used when the chastisement and discipline brought upon any of His children is implemented; for Jesus Christ Himself bore the penalty for our sins on the Cross when Divine Punishment was placed upon Him to bear in the darkest hours of His life. Hell and the Eternal Lake of Fire is not remedial, and those who end up there are those who have permanently hardened their hearts. Do not assume that chastisement or discipline from God the Father is immediate, or will take place during a particular time frame. 

Even the consequences of sin in the lives of God's beloved children are used by the Father of lights as a means for spiritual growth and development, and conformity to the image of His Son. There is also training in the form of persecution (Jn. 15:1-17; Rom. 8:13-14,29-30; 12:1-2; 2 Cor. 3:8-10,18; Eph. 1:3-5; 4:13; 1 Pet. 4:12-14). Other forms of discipline and chastisement is for preventative and corrective purposes, so we do not make the same mistakes over and over again. Job was accused of having hidden sins from his "friends", and that it was a punishment from God. They had failed to understand that this was a form of discipline and a form of training (Job 42:5). Jesus allowed Satan to sift Peter as wheat, and this produced character and strengthened the Apostle for the persecution which would lie ahead in his ministry . . . and eventually giving up his life for the sake of the Gospel (Lk. 22:31-34; Jn. 21:18-19; 2 Cor. 2:11; 1 Pet. 4:12-19). 

In Closing: 

If you are NOT being chastened by God then it is a sure sign that you are NOT saved; and this is a stern warning to anyone who may NOT be experiencing any form of discipline or chastisement at all. If the Love of God dwells in you, then one of the ways in which God’s Love is manifest is through His Discipline. Lack of any chastisement from the Lord indicates that one is devoid of the Spirit of God; and this would also mean that you are under the controlling sphere of influence of the prince of the power of the air, and are part of the world system (Eph. 2:2; 1 Jn. 2:15-17). Either that, or you are walking in near complete obedience to His Commandments; and if that is the case, then you are extremely blessed by God. Furthermore, if you are walking in complete obedience MOST of the time, then your chastisement will be even more severe when it comes your way, because none of us are perfect (cf. Prov. 3:12; Lk. 12:48; Heb. 12:4-11; Jas. 3:1; 4:17). Sanctification is a certainty in the lives of anyone who is in Christ Jesus our Lord, and it will come in the form of chastisement, discipline, and persecution through suffering physically and mentally; but do not lose heart, for God is at work in you, and it will yield fruits of everlasting righteousness and joy unspeakable in the World to Come (Phil. 2:13; 3:10; 4:13; 2 Tim. 3:12). 

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18) 

God Bless!