Recently a young mother approached me with the question of how she was to raise her children during the dispensation of grace. The obvious difficulty she faced was how to show grace to her family and at the same time carry out discipline or godly order in the home. This issue has perplexed parents for many years. The answer comes in tracing how God combines His grace with His government. The one does not interfere with the other; they run parallel to each other.
We will refer to an example the Apostle Paul gave in 1 Corinthians 4. The Corinthians had been acting in fleshly ways and needed correction. Rather than humbling themselves, they were puffed up about the matter. “Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come to you” (vs. 18). It seems they thought they could get away with their carnality without any correction. But Paul reminds them that he would not let this go. He would come to them and “know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power” (vs. 19). He would take them to task about their behavior.
The Kingdom of God
He then continues with the words, “The kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.” God has given power to carry out the administration of the principles of His kingdom. Paul was assured that when it was necessary to exercise discipline or some kind of governmental rule, he had authority or power to do it. God was behind him and would support the action deemed necessary. Such an action was not to destroy God’s grace but rather to enforce it. If the Corinthians would abuse grace, Paul reminded them that he would not allow them. He would come to them with a rod. The rod would be used in a governmental way to make them realize they could not get away with such practice. The rod that Paul would use was to keep them from falling under an even more severe discipline from the Lord if they continued in their ways (1 Cor. 5:5; 1 Cor. 11:31-32).
The Reason for the Rod
So the Apostle lays the options before them of how they wanted him to come to them: “What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?” (vs. 21). This verse brings out the reason for government. There is no question concerning his motive of love and grace. It is evident that Paul wanted to show love and grace, but he would not shirk from dealing harshly with them in a governmental way if they refused to repent. Grace was paramount with him, and the governmental discipline was his “plan B” means to bring them to self-judgment. Otherwise grace could not freely flow to them. In such a case he would have to go to them with a rod.
May the Lord help us to understand the interplay that grace and government have with each other so as to carry them out in our homes and assemblies. Were it not for God’s governmental ways with us, who of us would have come to lay hold of His grace? Does not the real appreciation of His grace make us thankful that He has dealt with us in governmental ways! “It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn Thy statutes” (Psa. 119:71). “I know, O Lord, that Thy judgments are right, and that Thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me” (Psa. 119:75). “It is a good thing that the heart be established with grace” (Heb. 13:9).
D. C. Buchanan