Free Destined to Reign by Joseph Prince

method! I remember praying, “God, please don’t ever chasten me this way. Whatever it is, please, just tell me, all right? I will listen. I promise!” I became very afraid of God. I didn’t want to draw near to Him because I was afraid of Him, afraid that if I made a mistake, He would not hesitate to chastise me with accidents that could leave me crippled for life or even dead!
    Do you know that this erroneous teaching is actually based on the old covenant and not the new covenant? In the book of Leviticus, God says to those who fail to obey His commandments, “I will chastise you seven times for your sins.” 1 But guess what? You are no longer under the covenant of law. You are under the covenant of GRACE! Jesus has already borne all your chastisement and punishment on the cross. Read it for yourself in Isaiah 53:
    Isaiah 53:4–5
    4 Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him , and by His stripes we are healed.
    The prophet Isaiah saw a prophetic vision of our Lord Jesus on the cross, bearing the punishment for our transgressions. He declared that the “chastisement for our peace was upon Him”. Jesus has already been chastised on our behalf! When Mel Gibson’s The Passion Of The Christ was released, people complained that the movie was too graphic and violent. The truth is that what the movie portrayed is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what our Lord really suffered on our behalf.
    During the time of the Roman Empire, the soldiers had various instruments of cruelty and torture at their disposal. The infamous cat-o’-nine-tails was a whip with nine chains. To each chain was attached many metal shards and hooks, so that when a prisoner was beaten with it, the metal shards and hooks would latch onto his flesh and rip it apart when the whip was jerked back. That is why the prophet Isaiah described Jesus as having “no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him” 2 .
    Jesus’ flesh was torn apart and He was violently scourged beyond human recognition. The chastisement that we deserved came upon Jesus, so that you and I will never have to go through what He endured on our behalf. And by His stripes, we are healed!
    So how can anyone have the audacity to say that God will still chastise us with sicknesses, diseases and accidents today? To say this is to negate the finished work of Jesus Christ! Under the new covenant, God will never again chastise the believer for his sins! By His stripes you are healed! Whatever condition you have today, it is not from the Lord! Look to Jesus on the cross. See Him beaten and scourged, and receive healing and wholeness from Him. He has paid the price for your total healing. Today, He redeems your life from destruction 3 !
    Chastisement In The New Covenant
    “Pastor Prince, how can you say that there is no chastisement and punishment in the new covenant? Hebrews chapter 12 states it very clearly:
    “5… ‘My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord , nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the Lord loves He chastens , and scourges every son whom He receives.’
    “See, Pastor Prince, here is clear evidence that God chastens believers in the new covenant!”
    My friend, there is confusion in the church because the original Greek word here for “chastens” is poorly translated. The Greek word here is paideuo 4 , which means “child training”. It does not mean “to punish”. Pai is where you get the word “pediatrician” (a doctor who specializes in treating children), while deuo means “to teach a child”. You will find that the translation of the word paideuo as “child training” is more consistent with the context of the passage. Read on. The next verse says, “If you endure chastening, God