Loved part 2...

 

Loved, Chosen, and Accountable: Walking in Grace and Truth,

reviewed part 2

Before I begin, I want to make something clear: my intent is not to judge, condemn, or point fingers. I write from a place of love, out of a desire to help others see truth clearly. I also speak from experience—having been on the receiving end of serious discipline, I have wrestled with sin and endured correction firsthand. I do not claim to have arrived; the process continues to have a profoundly positive effect on my life, shaping my character, influencing my decisions, and deepening my walk with God. I believe it will continue to play its part in my life, even to the death of the flesh. I speak not as one who theorises about obedience or grace, but as someone who has been humbled, strengthened, and transformed by the Father’s hand. I hope that this post will encourage, warn, and guide, not shame. These are thoughts and concerns I have carried for some time, and over the coming weeks, we will continue to explore them carefully. Not emotionally. Not defensively. But biblically.

God hates sin. Not on a whim. Not to assert power. But because sin destroys. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Sin blinds, hardens, and separates. “Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing” (Habakkuk 1:13). God’s hatred of sin is not cruelty — it is love that refuses to let His children walk into ruin.

And yet, even while we were sinners, God’s love was already active. “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). His love is not a reward for good behaviour; it flows from His nature. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son” (John 3:16).

God’s election reminds us that salvation is His work from beginning to end. “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 1:4–5). Election is not an excuse for sin; it is the foundation of grace.

At the same time, Scripture never removes human responsibility. “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out” (Acts 3:19). “If you love me, keep my commands” (John 14:15). God’s sovereignty does not cancel obedience. Election and responsibility are not enemies—they work together.

Grace, therefore, is powerful — but it is never permission. Paul confronts this directly: “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means!” (Romans 6:1–2). True grace transforms. “The grace of God… teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions” (Titus 2:11–12). Where grace is present, change follows.

This brings us to discipline — one of the most neglected truths in the modern Church. “The Lord disciplines the one he loves” (Hebrews 12:6). Discipline is not rejection; it is proof of sonship. Scripture is direct: “If you are not disciplined… then you are not legitimate, not true sons” (Hebrews 12:8). A father who never corrects is not loving — he is indifferent.

This must be understood soberly. I did not hide my sin; I confessed it. It was known. It was addressed. And yet, despite confession, I continued in the same pattern of sexual sin. This exposes a difficult but necessary truth: confession alone does not automatically break the power of the flesh. Paul gives words to that struggle: “For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing” (Romans 7:19).

Because of that persistence, discipline became severe. Paul writes of a man being handed over to Satan “for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 5:5). That verse should never be quoted lightly. It speaks of serious, last-resort correction — not to destroy a man, but to save him.

This was discipline because of sexual immorality — not hidden, not denied, but repeated. The aim was not humiliation or abandonment. The aim was the destruction of the flesh — the unchecked desires that were leading towards ruin. And the verse must always be read to the end: “so that his spirit may be saved.” Even here, the purpose is redemption.

The flesh hated this process. Mine did. It resisted, argued, and fought. “The flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit” (Galatians 5:17). I was not looking for grace to escape the discipline, but grace to endure it without becoming bitter. “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). Grace did not remove the pressure — it sustained me under it.

The discipline itself was not always delivered perfectly. Human weakness and mixed motives are part of any earthly process. Yet Scripture proved true: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good” (Genesis 50:20). God did not excuse what was flawed, nor did He waste what was painful. He remained fully in control of the process, the pressure, and the outcome.

I am deeply grateful to God my Father for His discipline. Discipline did not distance me from God — it grounded me in Him. It removed self-deception and taught me that holiness matters, obedience matters, and grace is never cheap.

Discipline for the believer is not condemnation. Christ has already borne that judgment. “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). Discipline is training. “Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11).

The absence of discipline should concern us more than its presence. If there is no conviction, no wrestling with sin, no grief when we wander, Scripture does not offer comfort — it calls for examination. “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith” (2 Corinthians 13:5).

This is the full gospel:

• God hates sin because it destroys.
• God loves sinners, even in rebellion.
• God elects, and His choice secures salvation.
• Humans are responsible — to repent, believe, and obey.
• Grace transforms; it never excuses.
• Discipline proves adoption and restores.
• The absence of discipline calls for sober self-examination.

Love invites.
Repentance responds.
Grace empowers.
Discipline corrects.

This gospel is not cheap. It is not easy. But it is true. Chosen, redeemed, disciplined, and accountable — under the care of a Father whose love refuses to let His children perish.

 

May the love of God be your portion

 

Signing off,

Tyrone