In God's Gymnasium

The text

Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; and make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.

Hebrews 12:11–13 KJV

At a glance

Summary of the sermon

Chastening does no one any good automatically; it profits only those who are 'exercised thereby'. The word is the root of our 'gymnasium', and the picture is of a divine Instructor who strips the athlete, examines his weaknesses and prescribes exercises to correct them. This second sermon on Hebrews 12 is about how to respond.

Three wrong reactions are identified. One can despise chastening — treating it lightly, with the hard, unfeeling stoicism that Lloyd-Jones saw as the temper of his age. One can faint under it, giving way to despair and grumbling as the discouraged Hebrews were doing. Or one can grow bitter, turning inward and becoming difficult and self-absorbed. The right response begins with remembering the exhortation which speaks to us as sons: mature children who reason from Scripture rather than react like infants who think every correction unfair.

The exercises follow. Self-examination: what has gone wrong, and what is God correcting? Honest confession of whatever is found. Then positive action — lift up the hands that hang down and the feeble knees; make straight paths, returning to disciplined obedience; follow peace and holiness actively rather than waiting for them to arrive. The pain is real but temporary; afterwards comes the peaceable fruit of righteousness. And the supreme encouragement is to look to Jesus, who endured the cross for the joy set before Him.

Key points

• Chastening benefits only those who respond to it rightly.
• Three wrong reactions: despising it, fainting under it, growing bitter.
• Respond as mature sons who reason from Scripture.
• God's gymnasium: the Instructor examines and prescribes corrective exercises.
• Practical steps: self-examination, confession, lifting the hands, straightening the path, pursuing holiness.
• The pain is temporary; the fruit is righteousness; the example is Christ.

Illustrations the preacher uses

• The Greek gymnasium — athletes stripped for training under an instructor who corrects their posture.
• Physiotherapy for a damaged joint, which needs movement as well as rest.
• The emotional hardness of the modern age set against true Christian sensitivity.

Related Scripture

• Hebrews 12:1–4
• Hebrews 12:12–15
• Psalm 119:67
• Proverbs 3:11–12
• John 17:17

For reflection and discussion

1. Which of the three wrong reactions — despising, fainting, bitterness — are you most tempted toward under trial?
2. What would honest self-examination before God look like in your present situation?
3. Beyond confession, what positive exercises — straightening the path, pursuing holiness — might God be prescribing for you now?