emed, those who
have been adopted as God's children (Gal. 4:4-7), God is dealing as
father with son. Let those who are redeemed, who are really God's
children, realize the blessed fact that "If we confess our sins, he is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins."--1 John 1:9.

But there is another class of sins committed by God's children, "If
his children _forsake_ my law" (Ps. 89:30), wilful sins. For these God
chastises His children, just as an earthly father chastises his wilful
and disobedient children. "Ye have forgotten the exhortation which
speaketh unto you as unto sons, My son, despise not thou the
chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him; for
whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he
receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons,
for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be
without chastening, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards
and not sons. Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh who
corrected us, and we gave them reverence; shall we not much rather be
in subjection unto the Father of spirits and live? For they verily for
a few days chastened us as seemed right to them; but he for our
profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness."--Heb. 12:5-10.

Chastisement or punishment of God's children is for correction; "for
our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness" (Heb. 12:10);
punishment of the unredeemed is to carry out law, for justice: "that
he might be _just_" (Rom. 3:26); "every transgression received a
_just_ recompense of reward."--Heb. 2:2. The unredeemed, those under
the law (Rom. 3:19), are punished beyond this life, in the Day of
Judgment,--"verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the
land of Sodom and Gomorrah _in the day of judgment_, than for that
city."--Matt. 10:15; God's children receive their chastisements in
this life,--"If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with
sons."--Heb. 12:7. Professing Christians who are not redeemed, not
really God's children, do not receive chastisements; hence, they are
punished in the day of judgment with the other unredeemed. "But if ye
be without chastening, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards
and not sons."--Heb. 12:8.

He has observed to little purpose who has not noticed that redeemed
people, God's children, suffer more in this life than the unredeemed.
God says that His children endure chastenings