Proverbs 13:24
Whoever spares the rod hates their children,
but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.
Understand the message here. It is that parents – because they love their children – will exercise appropriate discipline to correct them. They teach their children that sinful behavior brings punishment.
The message is not that parents must always use physical punishment for discipline.
Wise parents will choose the appropriate means depending upon the offending behavior and depending upon the nature of the child, as well as upon the nature of the parent. A parent who struggles with anger must be all the more careful not to let anger control how he disciplines. Discipline is necessary, but it must be coupled with wisdom and love to carry out God’s intentions.
Which leads to the next application: because God is wise and loves us, he disciplines us. He does not watch idly as we go astray, but will see that our sins bring correcting consequences. Many of the troubles we complain about are the results of our own sins. This does not mean that because I sin, God then causes a loved one to be ill. It means that God allows the natural consequences of sinful behavior to take place. As proverbs points out, if I choose to hang out with wicked friends, I will get into trouble. If I choose to lie and slander, it will turn on me.
By grace, God protects me from many consequences, the most important of which is my damnation. But by his grace, he lets many consequences fall on me so that I may turn from sin and to him through Christ.
Hebrews 2
2 We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2 For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, 3 how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. 4 God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.
Jesus Made Fully Human
5 It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. 6 But there is a place where someone has testified:
“What is mankind that you are mindful of them,
a son of man that you care for him?
7 You made them a little[a] lower than the angels;
you crowned them with glory and honor
8 and put everything under their feet.”[b][c]In putting everything under them,[d] God left nothing that is not subject to them.[e] Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them.[f] 9 But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
10 In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. 11 Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.[g] 12 He says,
“I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters;
in the assembly I will sing your praises.”[h]13 And again,
“I will put my trust in him.”[i]
And again he says,
“Here am I, and the children God has given me.”[j]
14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. 17 For this reason he had to be made like them,[k] fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.