Dealing with correction

INTRODUCTION

We usually like to associate ourselves with people who praise us or celebrate us. We feel what we do is always right and we want people to praise us. We do not like anyone pointing their finger at our mistakes, and if anyone does point out our mistakes we tend to hate that person.

We are going to see: What does the Bible say about correction? Why do we need correction? Who can correct me as a person? How to deal with receiving corrections?

Proverbs 12:1 1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.

The Bible calls the person who hates correction as stupid.

Prophet Jeremiah prayed that God would correct him. He knew he needed correction.

Jeremiah 10:23-24 23 I know, O LORD, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps. 24 Correct me, LORD, but only with justice— not in your anger, lest you reduce me to nothing.

Our ways are not always right, therefore we need correction.

We are never perfect in whatever we do. Every person needs to be corrected. A champion player cannot be a champion player without a coach. The coach corrects each step of the player which in turn makes him the champion. A president/prime minister has advisors. The advisors correct him/guide him in every speech he makes. In life everyone needs correction. Husband, wife, children, staff at the office, boss, a businessman all need correction. Never ever think what you are doing is always right. We all need correction. Say to the person sitting next to you, “I think I need some correction.”

We are so fortunate we have the Bible with us. Bible is a book of correction. Every scripture is given to you and me to correct our lives. 2 Timothy 3:16 16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.

Why do we need correction?

1. Keeps you out of ignorance.

Proverbs 15:5 5 A fool spurns (rejects) his father’s discipline, but whoever heeds correction shows prudence.

Parents always understand when their children go off track. God has given them the ability to sense danger. Things you cannot see are seen by people around you. If you receive correction you will be out of ignorance, you will be aware of the dangers ahead in your life.

2. Keeps you prosperous.

Proverbs 13:18 18 He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored.

Many times people take their own decisions in life, business, family, and studies and they think it is good and right for them. Right through all this decisions making God would have sent someone in your life to keep you in check, and to question your decision. But somehow, we have gone ahead with our decision and have failed terribly. But there are a few who are wise and pay attention to these warnings, they are prosperous the Bible says.

God sends warning before every fall and every mistake we make and if we are not sensitive to those warnings and do not correct ourselves, we will fail. We become poor and shameful.

Example: Garden of Eden. God told Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. In spite of the warning they ignored correction, and they failed terribly. Their life became a life of poverty and shame.

3. Keeps you in God’s will.

Proverbs 10:17 17 People who accept discipline are on the pathway to life, but those who ignore correction will go astray.

If you have an open heart towards correction, it will keep you in God’s will. You will never go astray. Example: Warnings received when selecting life partners.

How does God correct me?

God uses various means to correct a child of God. If we are sensitive to those corrections/warnings, we can catch it then and there.

1. Word of God.

Psalm 119:105 105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

2 Timothy 3:16 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness.

The word of God corrects and directs a child of God. It may be through reading the Word of God that God corrects you. You can also be corrected when you are listening to the sermon being preached by servants of God. Be sensitive you will understand it.

2. Others.

Sometimes we can be corrected by others whom God brings into our life. These can include spouses, children, friends, juniors, seniors, pastors, believers, prophets, and likewise.

In the book of Galatians Ch. 1, we find Apostle Paul correcting Peter. The early church had a common meal called the Love Feast in which all the Jews and gentiles would eat together. This was probably the only meal the slave gentiles would eat in a week. However, Peter ate this meal with Jews and gentiles initially. Then a group of orthodox Jews came from Jerusalem to this church who shared the view that Jews and gentiles are different and Peter smartly kept away from this common meal. See how Paul rebukes/corrects Peter.

Galatians 2:11-14 11 When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. 12 Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. 13 The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray. 14 When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?

Many times God uses others to correct us. Never rebel, and never be offended. It is God who is correcting you through others.

3. God himself.

God corrects his people. If you do not listen to the corrections that God sends you, God will start dealing with you & correcting you himself. Some people say no one can change me. I will do what I want to do. I will not listen to anyone. My dear friend I have bad news for you when God starts correcting you, you will be cornered with no way to go and it will be painful.

Jeremiah 30:11 11For I am with thee, saith the LORD, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet I will not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished.

When God corrects you he will correct you in measure. He will close your doors and he will never let you go unpunished.

Example: Children of Israel. They started worshiping idols and false Gods. They sinned. Never listened to God’s word, prophets, etc. God started correcting them through their circumstances, their enemies, and humbled them, and brought them to his ways.

Hosea 2:6,11-14 6 Therefore I will block her path with thornbushes; I will wall her in so that she cannot find her way. 11 I will stop all her celebrations: her yearly festivals, her New Moons, her Sabbath days—all her appointed feasts. 12 I will ruin her vines and her fig trees, which she said were her pay from her lovers; I will make them a thicket, and wild animals will devour them. 13 I will punish her for the days she burned incense to the Baals; she decked herself with rings and jewelry, and went after her lovers, but me she forgot,” declares the LORD. 14 “Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her.

How to deal with correction?

1. Do not point fingers at others.

When someone corrects us we usually point fingers at their shortcomings. If you feel they have to be corrected you will have to do that later at a different time. When they are correcting you better listen to them, understand you have a problem, and deal with your fault. That is not the time to correct them.

2. Be willing to be corrected by anyone.

You must be willing to be corrected by a sinner, your junior, a child who is smaller than you. You must also be willing to be corrected by a person who has the same weakness as yours.

3. Never be bitter towards the people who correct you.

Make sure you have no bitterness or resentment in your heart towards the person who corrects you. We usually get offended by the person who corrects us. We do not like to talk to them. We tend to talk about the person who corrects us to others. We usually stop being part of meetings where the other person comes and we become very offended. That is not good for a child of God. Understand if you do not listen to their correcting you, God will start correcting you himself.

CONCLUSION

We all need correction. Let us ask God to correct us. Ask God to send us people in our lives who will guide & correct us and keep us in check with God’s plans and ways. If you have been bitter with anyone for pointing out your mistakes forgive them right now. Understand they are sent by God to keep you in God’s plan. Ask God for a clean heart and a corrective spirit because the correction will keep you out of ignorance, the correction will make you prosperous, and the correction will keep you in God’s will. Let’s pray.

Unworthy Manner

1. It could be that those taking the communion elements needed to be fully aware that they represent the sacrifice of Christ by which we are redeemed from sin. Therefore, to participate in communion while not understanding this would be to take it in an unworthy manner.
2. Another possibility is that taking supper with willful, unconfessed sin would be an unworthy manner.
3. The earlier context of 1 Cor. 11 seems to suggest that taking communion in an unworthy manner means to do so while you have a problem with another Christian with whom you are not reconciled.
4. Finally, understand no one is worthy to take communion supper. Our worthiness comes from Christ, not ourselves.

1 Cor 11:23-32

Mat 5:22-30

1 Thes 5:16-28

Dealing with correction

We usually like to associate ourselves with people who praise us or celebrate us. We have a feeling what we do is always right and we want people to praise us. We do not like anyone pointing their finger at our mistakes, and if anyone does point out our mistakes we tend to hate that person.

Coming Sunday we are going to see: What the Bible says about correction? Why do we need correction? Who can correct me as a person? How to deal with receiving corrections?