Proverbs 29:1. "A man who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed without remedy."  Now I am speaking from this verse only with a concern to help and rescue you from the coming wrath of God.  We have to believe in God as James says in James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Apostle Paul says in Rom 8:28  And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

The value of Gods correction and chastisement in our lives.

Prov 29:1  A man who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed--without remedy.  And in Prov 29:15  The rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother.

1.  God is love

God always corrects us because of his love for us. That is clearly stated in Rev 3:19  Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.  Many times we forget the love of God and the nature of God. The Bible says God is love. In 1 John 4:7  Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

1 John 4:8  He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

  In 1 John 4:16  And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

2.  Not to loose heart while corrected.

If we read Heb 12:5  And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,

Heb 12:6  because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."

Heb 12:7  Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?

Heb 12:8  If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.

Heb 12:9  Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!

Heb 12:10  Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.

Heb 12:11  No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Heb 12:12  Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.

So we have to increase our Prayer time with the Lord.  And we should not loose our hearts when he corrects us.

3.  To stop sinning

When we read 1 Tim 5:20  Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning.

This verse teaches a valuable lesson.  Unless we are punished we will continue in our sinful ways.  God corrects us mainly through his word (Bible) that is why we say "The Bible will keep you from sin or the sin will keep you away from the Bible".  Apostle Paul says in 2 Tim 3:16  All Scripture is God-breathed and  or teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,  The same thing King David says in Psa 119:9  How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word, and also in Psa 119:11  I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

4.  To help others to come closer to God. (To stop sinning )

Jesus told in Luke 17:3  So watch yourselves. "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.

A.  We are to correct our brothers and Sisters.

As Jesus told, we have to correct or rebuke.  Because if we see a righteous or unrighteous person sinning and fail to warn him   God will ask his blood in our hands.  Ezek 3:17  "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.

Ezek 3:18  When I say to a wicked man, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood.

Ezek 3:19  But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have saved yourself.

Ezek 3:20  "Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before him, he will die. Since you did not warn him, he will die for his sin. The righteous things he did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for his blood.

Ezek 3:21  But if you do warn the righteous man not to sin and he does not sin, he will surely live because he took warning, and you will have saved yourself."

Apostle Paul says in  2 Tim 4:2  Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction.

B.  Forgiving one another as Christ did

Forgiving is a Christian virtue which we inherit from our Lord Jesus Christ.  " ....and if he repents, forgive him."

Luke 17:4  If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him.".

 Why we have to forgive?

Firstly in Mat 6:14  For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  Forgiving enables us to get our own forgiveness from God.  In Mat 6:15  But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

How many times and how long we have to Forgive?

In Mat 18:22  Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.(Ans. As many times as he repents)

Mat 18:23  "Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.

Mat 18:24  As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him.

Mat 18:25  Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

Mat 18:26  "The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.'

Mat 18:27  The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

Mat 18:28  "But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded.

Mat 18:29  "His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'

Mat 18:30  "But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.

Mat 18:31  When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.

Mat 18:32  "Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.

Mat 18:33  Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?'

Mat 18:34  In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

Mat 18:35  "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

Secondly,

Jesus told in Mark 11:25  And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."  If we stand before God to pray with a unforgiving heart that will surely hinder our own Prayers being answered.    .  That is why Jesus taught his disciples in the "  Lords prayer " in Luke 6:37  "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

Thirdly,

What our Lord Jesus Christ taught to his disciples he practiced in his own life aswell.  In Luke 23:34  Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (From the Cross before his death ).

5.  Correcting others in the full authority of the Word of God.

Apostle Paul says in Titus 2:15  These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.  And also says in  2 Tim 4:2  Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction.

6.  Corrections from the righteous must be welcomed and not despised

According to King David in Psa 141:5  Let a righteous man strike me--it is a kindness; let him rebuke me--it is oil on my head.   My head will not refuse it. Yet my prayer is ever against the deeds of evildoers;

A.  It is a kindness

David thinks if a righteous person takes time to correct another person that is because of his love and kindness only. Otherwise who will take time for another person in this busy world.

B.  Its an oil on my head

Usually people get irritated and angered when some one try to correct them but David says it is an oil to his head.  The meaning is it will increase his anointing and takes him closer to God ( To become like God ).

C.  I will not refuse correction

The usual human nature is to avoid painful experiences like rebuke and correction but here David says with determination, i will not refuse corrections from the righteous (The Meaning for the word righteousness  is in Deu 6:25  And if we are careful to obey all this law before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness."  because we are not suppose to walk in the ways of  the wicked, sinful and the mockers as it is in Psa 1:1  Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. ).

7.  Correction brings glorious ending.

In the Bible in Prov 28:23  He who rebukes a man will in the end gain more favor than he who has a flattering tongue.

The meaning is very simple, in the present day world all are practicing diplomacy and flattery to influence and impress others but the Bible says let your yes be yes and let your no be no. The person who is willing to rebuke or correct others will surely in the end will gain more favor.  If our later days must be good we must listen to the advice of the righteous and accept all corrections like David did.  In Prov 19:20  Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise.

example : In Luke 3:19  But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of Herodias, his brother's wife, and all the other evil things he had done,

Luke 3:20  Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.

We see the King Herod as a person who refused the correction given by the righteous servant of God John the baptist, the result was very pathetic, Herod couldn't have a natural good death. In  Prov 27:5  Better is open rebuke than hidden love.

Prov 27:6  Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.

So yielding willingly to all the corrections that God helps us to realise through the Bible, the servants of God and other believers will bring more and more Christian growth and Blessings. I like to give some set of Bible references to go through and analyse the right attitudes we must have and the wrong attitudes we should avoid while being corrected.

For further study:: (Ps 141:5, Pr. 1:25, 30;  Pr.5:11,12; Pr. 9:8, Pr. 12:1, Pr. 13:1, 5, 18; Pr. 15:5, 10;  Pr. 15:31,32, Pr. 19:25, Pr. 25:12, Pr. 27:5, Pr. 28:23, Zep. 3:1, 2;)

you can send all your questions to our website to clarify all your doubts in the Bible.  our E-mail is pastor@barodabibleclub.org

Baroda Bible Club