Page 184 - Push Back

the governments of the nations, but they are charged with carrying out spiritual discipline.

Parents are also given authority within the sphere of responsibility entrusted to them. They are to
maintain Yahweh’s governmental order in the home. Therefore, if a child is living an immoral
life, it is the parents’ responsibility to reprove the child. If the child refuses to repent, the parents
must discipline the child.

Hebrews 12:9-11
Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much
rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as
seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness. All
discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been
trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

The age of the child does alter the nature of the discipline. It would be impractical for parents to
excommunicate a rebellious child who is not old enough to be self-supporting. Yet, if the child is
of age, and he is rebellious, or he lives an unruly, immoral life, the parents should treat the son or
daughter the same as the church would treat an unrepentant sinner in their midst. They should
break off fellowship, and not even eat a meal with the rebellious child. The parents must uphold
the government of God. The apostle Paul asks the question, “For what son is there whom his
father does not discipline?” (Hebrews 12:7).

When parents continue to let a rebellious, unruly, or immoral child live under their roof, they are
neglecting to discipline the child as is their duty. If they are giving the immoral son or daughter
financial, or other means of support, allowing them to share the family’s food, and participate in
the fellowship of the family, they have abdicated their role of discipline. There are numerous
examples in the Scriptures where parents refused to discipline their children, and the
consequences for both parents and children were tragic. The priest Eli and his wicked sons, and
King David and his sons Amnon and Absalom, are but two examples of a failure to discipline
sons and the devastation that resulted in the families.

Christian parents should not think that because they are in an age of grace that there is any less of
a need to reprove and discipline their children. As the apostle Paul stated, “Shall we continue in
sin that grace might increase?” Will the grace of God render the immoral lifestyle of a child
acceptable in Yahweh’s sight? Absolutely not! Yahweh’s counsel to a church under grace is the
same as to the family under grace. “Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.”

Again, this discipline is intended to lead the transgressor to repentance. There is a hope that the
church member, or son or daughter, who is in this way disciplined, might be ashamed, repent of
their behavior, and return to fellowship with those who are spiritual, and return to fellowship
with God. Paul stated that “All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful;
yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”
Producing righteousness is the goal of God’s discipline, and it should be the goal of the
Christian’s discipline as well. We must not neglect to carry out discipline because it is sorrowful.