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Authors: Paul Ellis
Tags: Chistian Grace
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the word correction I think of a sailboat heading in a dangerous direction. A
course correction needs to be made. The sailboat isn’t necessarily sinning or wrong, it’s just
going the wrong way. We could curse the map or apply the rod of correction to the sat-nav, but
what will that accomplish? Far better just to get back on course.
All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in
righteousness… (2 Timothy 3:16)
In the new covenant the word for correction means “a straightening up again.” Isn’t that
wonderful? All is not lost. You are not toast. You can be straightened up again. You may be
heading towards the shoals or you may have already hit the shoals and sunk your boat, but the
Holy Spirit who raises the dead can still lead you back to the way of life. Your life is not over.
Case study: The Galatians
You were doing so well until someone made you turn from the truth. (Galatians 5:7, CEV)
The Galatians had started well but they veered off course. They needed to be straightened up
again and the Holy Spirit worked through Paul to bring about that needed course correction.
In the Bible correction (gentle warnings) and rebuking (big warnings) are often mentioned
together. This is how a loving Father trains his sons—not through sickness or other tribulations
and certainly not through blows! The word discipline means discipling or training and God
does that primarily by giving us a revelation of his righteousness through the word.
Preach the word in season, out of season. Reprove (admonish), rebuke (announce those life-
saving course corrections), exhort (invite, implore, beseech)… (2 Timothy 4:2, my
paraphrase)
Your loving Father is not interested in fault-finding and sin-hunting. However, he loves you too
much to stay silent as you sail towards the hidden shoals of life. If you are making poor choices,
your Father will definitely seek to bring about a course correction and lead you in the life-
giving way of righteousness.
Our problem is we often confuse behavior with identity. When we screw-up we think, “I’m
a screw-up.” When we sin, we think, “I’m a sinner.”
38
ESCAPE TO REALITY – GREATEST HITS VOL. 4
“Not true!” declares the Holy Spirit. “Just as your righteous acts never made you righteous
in the first place, your unrighteous acts don’t make you unrighteous. Even though you did
something dumb, you are still righteous. Now let’s go and reveal the life of Jesus into that
situation.”
When you act out of the false identity of who you used to be (independent and faithless),
the Holy Spirit will always seek to remind you of your true identity in Christ. “You are holy
and righteous, so act like it.”
Love greater than our messes
Look at how Jesus related to the disciples and you will find him doing all the things the Holy
Spirit continues to do: guiding, correcting, and rebuking. Not once do you find Jesus saying,
“Peter, you’re an idjit. Have some cancer, it’ll give you character.” And look at how Jesus
related to Judas. Did he call him sinner and traitor? No, he called him friend (Matthew 26:50)!
I am so thankful for the gentle correction of the Holy Spirit. When I have gone astray he has
consistently brought me back to the way of life. Without the Holy Spirit’s help I would have
chosen the wrong career and I’d still be preaching the wrong message. Walking by sight I
would have sown death left and right. But by the grace of God I am who I am because my
Father loves me and he cares about the details of our lives.
And the good news is that if you do make a mess of your life, he still loves you, he still cares
for you, and he will never kick you out of his family!
A word after
Here’s a multiple choice question to see whether you’ve got this. When I sin, the Holy Spirit: (a)
chastises me with sickness, (b) accuses me of wrong-doing, (c) dumps a bucket of guilt over
course correction needs to be made. The sailboat isn’t necessarily sinning or wrong, it’s just
going the wrong way. We could curse the map or apply the rod of correction to the sat-nav, but
what will that accomplish? Far better just to get back on course.
All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in
righteousness… (2 Timothy 3:16)
In the new covenant the word for correction means “a straightening up again.” Isn’t that
wonderful? All is not lost. You are not toast. You can be straightened up again. You may be
heading towards the shoals or you may have already hit the shoals and sunk your boat, but the
Holy Spirit who raises the dead can still lead you back to the way of life. Your life is not over.
Case study: The Galatians
You were doing so well until someone made you turn from the truth. (Galatians 5:7, CEV)
The Galatians had started well but they veered off course. They needed to be straightened up
again and the Holy Spirit worked through Paul to bring about that needed course correction.
In the Bible correction (gentle warnings) and rebuking (big warnings) are often mentioned
together. This is how a loving Father trains his sons—not through sickness or other tribulations
and certainly not through blows! The word discipline means discipling or training and God
does that primarily by giving us a revelation of his righteousness through the word.
Preach the word in season, out of season. Reprove (admonish), rebuke (announce those life-
saving course corrections), exhort (invite, implore, beseech)… (2 Timothy 4:2, my
paraphrase)
Your loving Father is not interested in fault-finding and sin-hunting. However, he loves you too
much to stay silent as you sail towards the hidden shoals of life. If you are making poor choices,
your Father will definitely seek to bring about a course correction and lead you in the life-
giving way of righteousness.
Our problem is we often confuse behavior with identity. When we screw-up we think, “I’m
a screw-up.” When we sin, we think, “I’m a sinner.”
38
ESCAPE TO REALITY – GREATEST HITS VOL. 4
“Not true!” declares the Holy Spirit. “Just as your righteous acts never made you righteous
in the first place, your unrighteous acts don’t make you unrighteous. Even though you did
something dumb, you are still righteous. Now let’s go and reveal the life of Jesus into that
situation.”
When you act out of the false identity of who you used to be (independent and faithless),
the Holy Spirit will always seek to remind you of your true identity in Christ. “You are holy
and righteous, so act like it.”
Love greater than our messes
Look at how Jesus related to the disciples and you will find him doing all the things the Holy
Spirit continues to do: guiding, correcting, and rebuking. Not once do you find Jesus saying,
“Peter, you’re an idjit. Have some cancer, it’ll give you character.” And look at how Jesus
related to Judas. Did he call him sinner and traitor? No, he called him friend (Matthew 26:50)!
I am so thankful for the gentle correction of the Holy Spirit. When I have gone astray he has
consistently brought me back to the way of life. Without the Holy Spirit’s help I would have
chosen the wrong career and I’d still be preaching the wrong message. Walking by sight I
would have sown death left and right. But by the grace of God I am who I am because my
Father loves me and he cares about the details of our lives.
And the good news is that if you do make a mess of your life, he still loves you, he still cares
for you, and he will never kick you out of his family!
A word after
Here’s a multiple choice question to see whether you’ve got this. When I sin, the Holy Spirit: (a)
chastises me with sickness, (b) accuses me of wrong-doing, (c) dumps a bucket of guilt over
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