Some portions of Scripture are not easy to read. We sometimes stay away from the ones we don’t like because they’re not our favorites and they challenge us to deeply. You won’t find them on a nice framed picture at your local Christian bookstore, but they say more about the reality of our lives and our relationship with God than we’d like to admit. Here’s one of those kind of passages:

⁷ It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? ⁸ If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. ⁹ Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined 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 it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. ¹¹ For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:7-11

So here are a few questions:

When was the last time you felt like you were smacked or disciplined by God? When was the last time you had to ask someone to forgive you because of something you said or did that the Holy Spirit got all over your case (convicted) you for? What attitude or perspective did He point out needed to change? What activity or relationship did He tell you it was time to let go of?

If you don’t have any answers to those questions maybe you’re not LEGIT. It doesn’t matter if you’re a new Christian or a veteran pastor, none of us have arrived at a point of being perfect and the Scripture makes it crystal clear God’s discipline and correction prove we legitimate children belonging to Him.

Now that’s a lot to think about on a Monday!