The Lord will chasten His best beloved servants if they cease from full obedience to Him.
It is far better to be spanked by the Lord now (which shows He loves us) than to be discarded and reside in hell for eternity.
The punishment of sin is everlasting, but the fatherly chastisement of it in a child of God is but for a season. The sickness, the poverty, the depression of spirit, will pass away when they have had their intended effect. Remember, we are not under law, but under grace. The rod may make us smart, but the sword shall not make us die. Our present grief is meant to bring us to repentance that we may not be destroyed with the wicked."
We must not only bear our own afflictions patiently, but we must do all we can to help those who are in misery.
We must have compassion on the souls of others, and help them; pity those who are in sin, and seek to snatch them as brands out of the burning fire.
This is in part from Charles Spurgeon's "Faith's Checkbook" August 14th.
