No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it- Hebrews 12:11 NIV 

Is there a difference between discipline and punishment?

It matters because there are times when God’s discipline can feel every bit as unpleasant as punishment. However, there is a monumental difference between the two. The purpose of punishment is to inflict pain and sorrow without hope or relief (Matthew 8:12, Matthew 13:36-50, Luke 13:22-27). Conversely, discipline is intended to teach, correct and train. 

The whole point of discipline is to bring about maturity and to transform a person into something infinitely better. God does not punish Christians. Truth-be-told, God does not punish anyone (believer or unbeliever) prior to physical death. Physical death is the final cutoff for God’s mercy and grace.  Hell is real. It is a place reserved for those who refuse God’s kindness (Matthew 10:28, Matthew 18:9) by willfully rejecting Jesus and the salvation He brings. Discipline can be painful and it can feel punitive. However, the purpose of God’s discipline is to keep people from experiencing punishment. At the root of discipline is kindness, love and concern for the long-term wellbeing of the one receiving discipline (Hebrews 12:11)

God disciplines everyone, Christians and non-Christians alike. For non-Christians the point of discipline is to bring the unbeliever into the family of God. God loves human beings so much He will use anything short of sin to bring someone to faith in Jesus (John 3:16). When all else fails God will use pain, discomfort and trouble to bring people to the end of themselves. When someone comes to the end of their own understanding and ability to cope with the challenges of life they begin looking outside of themselves for answers. This unraveling of self-reliance is frequently the beginning of the faith journey. 

For Christians the purpose of discipline is different. 

For Christians, God’s discipline is all about bringing the believer to a place of obedience so that they can be transformed into the image of Jesus (2nd Corinthians 3:18, Romans 12:2, 1st Peter 1:22-2:4, 2nd Peter 1:3-10). A rebellious, disobedient or carnal Christian will never experience authentic spiritual transformation or become everything God wants them to be.  

It just doesn’t happen.  

For the record, not every difficulty Christians experience is the result of disobedience. Some of the trouble we experience in this life is simply the result of living in a fallen world. Death, becoming a victim of human evil and disease are not God’s discipline. Those painful occurrences are the natural consequences of living in a world broken by sin. God doesn’t use those things to discipline people. Those types of situations all fall under the category of a trial. For a Christian, a trial is a test of faith that has nothing to do with disobedience. Trials are an unpleasant part of life that will (if we allow them to) strengthen our faith, make us more compassionate and draw us closer to Jesus (James 1:2-4). Trials are no fun but they are not God’s discipline.

 The whole point of the Christian life is to become like Jesus. Therefore, God will do whatever it takes to bring a wayward Christian back into obedience. Following are three possible signs a Christian is experiencing discipline. 

A loss of personal peace-

Personal peace is the birthright of every born-again believer in Jesus (John 14;27, Luke 1:76-77, Romans 5:1, Romans 14:17, 2nd Corinthians 13:11, Philippians 4:6-7). Jesus came to make peace between God and humanity and to give peace to those who walk in obedience to God’s will (James 1:2-4, 1st Peter 1:6). Therefore, one of the surest signs a Christian is experiencing spiritual discipline is loss of personal peace. Discipline is always a result of disobedience and disobedience is a fast-track to personal turmoil. If you are experiencing a loss of peace, it is critical you seek the Lord and ask Him to show you how you are living outside the will of God. 

Self-inflicted pain- 

Some of the pain we experience in life is one-hundred-percent outside our control. However, a great deal of the pain we encounter in life is the direct result of our own foolish choices, sin and willful short-sightedness. Anytime we experience a great deal of pain, difficulty or trouble we ought to do a deep dive into the cause of that pain. If the trouble is a direct result of our own choices, there is a really good chance God is trying to get our attention.  We would be wise to heed His voice. 

A rocky path- 

One of the most merciful things God does for His children is to make their path difficult when they choose to live in willful disobedience. Again, this is not punishment, its discipline intended to get us to look upward and ask for direction. If things that were once going well (relationships, work, finances, etc.) are now going poorly, it’s time for some serious self-evaluation and ask God for insight on where exactly the problem lies (2nd Corinthians 13:5). 

In our anything goes world; the whole notion of discipline has some seriously negative connotations. Even many Christians believe the most loving thing a person can do is just leave people alone in their sin. Nothing could be further from the truth.  Sin and disobedience always leads to self-destruction of some sort. A good God cares enough to get us back on track and sometimes that means a little pain in exchange for a whole lot of personal gain.