The Fruit of Righteousness

"Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it."

Hebrews 12:11

When I was trained to be a union insulator for years on the job and classroom, there was a lot to learn.  We were taught to understand the systems we insulated, how to read a set of drawings and lay out patterns.  Knowing how to insulate mechanical systems also required skill in fabrication:  cutting out material and applying it correctly.  Working in the field meant we also needed a degree of physical fitness to climb up and down ladders all day and make the most efficient use of our time.  Different foremen had additional techniques and approaches which apprentices practiced and adopted to improve our skills.  Being trained was hard work, but those who committed themselves to the process with a good attitude would go far.

The writer of Hebrews told the readers they had forgotten the Old Testament exhortation found in Proverbs 3:11-12:  "My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, nor detest His correction; ¹² for whom the LORD loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights."  It was a bitter pill to swallow your hard work was not up to scratch and the foreman demanded all the material applied for hours needed to be ripped off and the work performed by someone more suited for the task.  Chastening is not joyful at the time, but that tutoring and instruction is done with the future in mind.  God chastens His beloved, adopted children because it yields afterward the "peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it."

The training God employs is strenuous as it nurtures and conditions us to walk in holiness as God is holy.  How blessed is the child of God, for Jesus has taken upon Himself all the punishment for our sin.  Just as seeds are planted in the ground and must grow into plants before fruit can be produced, so painful chastening is the process for the peaceable fruit of righteousness to be yielded in our lives.  Training is effective for those who in a desire to learn and please their teacher submit their mind, bodies and efforts to the guidance of their master.  Many skilled insulators were out of work because they failed to yield in one of these areas:  they argued with their foreman, refused to arrive on the site on time or work the full day, or disobeyed directives to suit their own opinions.

The pain God allows is a demonstration of His love and care for us and the glorious future He has in store for us.  What is presently painful will prove to be most practical, for the sweet peaceable fruit of righteousness is evidence we are holy and His.  All along He has consolation and comfort for us, for we are not in this alone.  It is God who supplies healing, wholeness and endurance by His grace.