A few years ago I watched through the TV series The Road to Avonlea with my family, a “Christian” movie that was filmed in Canada early in the 21st century. Overall it was an interesting film and mostly wholesome, manufacturing hints of nostalgia to an era I faintly know, but it wasn’t as “Christian” as it loosely portrayed itself. The show really reflected a glamorized conservative history of Canada, likely similar to what most of the west was once vaguely like, but what it also did was at the same time subtly mock conservatism, Biblical Christianity and God. While catering to this certain population, it subtly attacked the values of that same population, engaging in a form of Satanic psychological warfare, with the objective of being change masters. It masterly portrayed baby steps to develop the present immoral and evil society, and apostasy we see today in Canada from coast to coast, the ungodly self-esteemism generation fed by false Christian’s and heretics, ungodly churches that are merely Christian by name, through the means of desensitizing its audience to these evils by means of glamorization and intermixing unBiblical change with wholesome and conservative values. Spiritual adultery in other words. Clean and unclean admixture. Wholesome while subtly attacking Biblical truths, morals and principles.
I start with this because the Biblical command of corporal punishment or discipline of children is attacked in this highly acclaimed series as well. The TV series in reality was a pusher for all the wrong things, almost appearing as if political and immoral schemes were purposefully added into its script (of which I have no doubt); crucial matters that have in fact utterly destroyed the nation of Canada: feminism, anti-God and anti-spanking humanistic teachings and philosophies, portraying Christianity while doing the opposite what Scripture says (approving hypocrisy), etc. This is what really stuck out for me, how the producers were working hard in attempting to influence the ungodly and unbiblical change in the moral fabric of the nation, largely based around attacking Christianity and the family, wherein corporeal punishment is huge in child rearing. It is thus unsurprising to find Canada in the state that its in, seeing how immoral and unBiblical change was publicly promoted in a series that actually mocked Biblical values. Now, the nation reaps the leaven they were willing to tolerate and adopt.
On aside note, not to take away from the subject of the report, but in the event you are thinking of watching this series, some things that stood out in the negative, besides the attack on child spanking, included blasphemy — God could not even be mentioned by the “reverend” in any sort of positive connotation, but Gods name could be used in vain (at least once, though it was subtle). At one point the “reverend” (which is an unBiblical title for church leaders) references God pejoratively and mockingly as “the guy in the sky” and never actually addressed “God” by any of His Holy names but “he.” Wow. He couldn't say God or Jesus when the context certainly called for it, and not once is God ever referenced by Name or Character, while God and Lord were allowed to be used in vain, even in that very same episode! Feminism, woman power, female leaders was exploited, and of course the dishonest, fraudulent and unbiblical Woman Suffrage movement was illustrated, which was a farce and gaslighting of the public by globalist NWO leaders in the early 20th-century, who were desperately working to change the moral and Christian fabric of western nations, and destroy the nuclear family unit (and they have succeeded unfortunately in this endeavour). It was just propaganda. Ungodly propaganda. One episode displayed a mockery of the end of the world — by alleged professing “Christians.” The family dog was literally considered and treated as “a member of the family,” reflecting well the incessant animal worship we see today throughout western nations, many so-called “Christians” serving the creature over the Creator (Rom 1:18-23). Wakey, wakey people, its called idolatry and its wicked. In another episode, the widow “Evelyn” should’ve been taken care of by the church where she attended, which is Basic Church 101, but absolutely nothing at all, which is really an attack on the Bible. There are other serious issues but these stood out.
There is a war against Biblical, God-ordained child discipline.
The Road to Avonlea is only one means whereby the attack on corporal punishment has been growing in Canada (even if done only by obvious exclusion or silence). There are other means. For instance, humanistic psychologists have been opposing it, while they damage and destroy the lives of essentially everyone that comes under their care. This is occurring throughout Canada but here is an example of one from America, which would certainly have an impact on Canadian politics and policy. Elizabeth T. Gershoff is a professor of human development and family sciences at The University of Texas at Austin and CNN published on Nov 6, 2018, an article she authored against spanking children, entitled, "The era of spanking is finally over." Gershoff gave her opinion, but was also reporting that the American Academy of Pediatric's recommended in a new policy statement published in the journal Pediatric's on Nov 1, 2018, that "parents not spank, hit or slap their children." In the article she reveals her Satanic agenda and diabolical lies, claiming that "years of research have shown that spanking children is ineffective and potentially harmful," and later that "spanking does not make children better behaved in the long run, and in fact makes their behavior worse." Wow, what an absolutely wicked and deplorable lie. The very opposite is in fact true. She claims in the article that spanking is "hitting children," and that its no different than adults hitting each other, but these are atrocious, abhorrent lies. They are all false statements. It is a serious attack on God, the Bible, the Christian faith, Christian parents, and religious freedom. Spanking is not hitting children. It does not encourage or cause violent behaviour. If anything, the very opposite is true. Children, who are not spanked, are much further out of control, and much more likely to get violent with others, and have a much greater tendency to delinquency. The studies she references are untrustworthy. They dispute scripture, flying in the face of God. I do not think or believe that children, who are not spanked as a form of child discipline, are better behaved. A lot of the "studies" or "research" of psychiatrists and in the social scientists are pure junk science (and that includes "studies" in "vaccinations" and other medical fields). I'm saying they are not science. They are fake. This has been proven many times. Very often the "studies" or "research" contradict each other. There are many examples, but even the Smithsonian in a massive project proves that more than half of psychological studies, when replicated, got different results. Most of the time, their false results proceed from their own presuppositions. They want to find a result, so they do. They just make it up as they go along, in the face of real facts and truth. People don't want a God, so they use "science" to prove He doesn't exist.
The end result of these abhorrent and diabolical egotistical "studies" is the destruction of human life. They are wrong, yet people follow their "science" and change their lives in accordance, because their "studies" show. They don't, they are wrong and can be proven wrong. "Studies" by the way at one time showed that self-esteem was apparently important (thanks in part to the false teacher and psychoheretic James Dobson) and so we entered the self-esteem era, ruining children and people, and now they say, we were wrong, because we are now living in a narcissistic society. Yikes. A generation of parents did it wrong, telling their children how great they were, speculating about every possible problem due to low self esteem. Meanwhile, horrific damage and destruction. This is the curse of progressivism, where people think that they will progress, in their own depraved, proud, ungodly, unBiblical thinking. They think we're evolving and we need to progress to evolve further. It is at its basis Marxism and of these "social sciences." They have been given the elevated status of "science," what scripture calls "science false so called" or how we would put today, "so-called science" (1 Tim 6:20-21). Observations of men are not superior to the revelation of God.
Everything the “social scientist,” psychoheretic, politician, journalists, write, flies in the face of God. Since God created mankind, I think He would know what’s best for us. And that would involve applying both the rod (spanking) and reproof. This report by the way will not consider child training in general, but specifically child discipline and the use of the rod.
The legacy and fake news media of Canada, National Post, whom are anti-God and anti-Bible which is perhaps prototypical of our day, claim in this linked article written June of 2023, that there is a push (by the New Democratic Party, NDP, mostly) to change the laws on child spanking, and that there is “no evidence it improves a child’s behaviour,” which is a Satanic lie, literally. God’s Word says the very opposite, detailed further below, and anyone that has trusted the Word of God knows the absolute veracity of its claims and promises. Even in The Road to Avonlea series, the lie about spanking not working is flipped on its head. Rampant, habitual, blatant child rebellion and disobedience is on display, which could've been easily corrected by consistent, Biblical discipline (since the series after all was allegedly portraying Christianity), which in turn presents a godly testimony. God’s Word is clear,
“The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame,” (Pr 29:15)
That is crystal clear. Not properly disciplining children is evil, hateful and results in deplorable tyrants, an evil generation (Pr 30), like we see the world over. It is also one of the reasons, besides their demonic nature (or perhaps lending to it), that Moslem males are so inherently evil. They don't get disciplined and their value and authority in the Islamic home is more than that of their own mother! That is what the unholy and Satanically-inspired Quran teaches.
Thankfully, Canada's law regarding spanking remains largely unchanged since it was first drafted in 1892. But not without evil and diabolical reprobates attempting to interfere with it and change it. The NDP has tabled a bill seeking to have Sec. 43 abolished. Over the years there have allegedly been 18 legislative attempts to have this section scrapped.
What does Section 43 of the Criminal Code say, exactly?
“Every schoolteacher, parent or person standing in the place of a parent is justified in using force by way of correction toward a pupil or child, as the case may be, who is under his care, if the force does not exceed what is reasonable under the circumstances.”
Most parents are not aware of their legal position in spanking children (which the government intentionally hides from them). This law means child spanking is permitted in schools, by babysitters, by persons in place of parents, and of course by parents, which includes foster parents. Yes that is the law, and its about time that all persons exercised that law openly and confidently. This law, since 1892, remains largely unchanged, though it no longer includes “masters and apprentices” among the relations covered by the defence. It also doesn’t allow husbands to use reasonable force to “correct” a wife.
In Oct of 2023, the ungodly pagan and diabolical loud mouthed turban-twisting Seikh from India that plays as leader of the treasonous NDP political party of Canada, a diabolical puppet placed into his position by the demonic global elites, had the nerve and audacity to get one of his brown-shirts to continue opposing and attacking parents legal right of child spanking, something he knows not one iota about.
So let's get this straight. This heathen degenerate Sikh immigrant comes into a Christian-based nation, whose laws were built upon the Bible, a country built almost entirely by white, professing Christian people, most of which to some degree over its history spanked their children when they needed to be spanked (even government school teachers spanked children to only recently, which continues to be legal), and then once he secures political power (only because his election base are mostly of Eastern Indian origin), he attempts to overturn its laws, values, and way of life. Wow, who could’ve guessed. You bring pagan evil beasts into a western nation, and the western nation becomes just like the pagan savages. What a novel concept.
"But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;" (2 Pet 2:12).
I digress, momentarily. What the pagan politician and his comrades are attempting to do is treason and these "liars, evil beasts, slow bellies" (Ti 1:12) need to be mass deported out of the west, especially Moslems and Sikhs. This is yet another reason why most non-European immigrants should never be allowed into western nations. We have enough problems without them. The values of paganistic religions and Christianity are polar opposites and diametrically opposed. Welcoming enemies into the camp will destroy and corrupt everything.
In America, pastor Roger Voegtlin of Fairhaven Baptist Church in Indiana led the fight against the liberal, anti-Christian, ungodly agenda of abolishing corporeal punishment in the 1980’s. Though governing regions and institutions have done away with spanking, made it illegal, we can be thankful to the great sacrifices and desire to fight for this important parental right by men like Voegtlin, so that Americans are free to spank their children without fear of reprisal.
Years earlier, in 1958, Sweden prohibited corporal punishment as a form of disciplinary action in Swedish public schools, preschools, after care institutions, and the like. The explicit exception for “aga” (disciplinary violence) was removed from the Criminal Code. That legislation was inspired by Norwegian law. Since 1979, all corporal punishment of children—including that by parents—has been forbidden in Sweden. This means that spanking your children is viewed as criminal assault; depending on the severity of the action, there is no exception (defense) of parental discipline.
As happy as I am about corporal punishment being yet lawful in some nations, such as America and Canada, including in schools (though, how many teachers would be allowed in government schools who support spanking children as a form of child discipline?), those that send their children into the government school system, the system of the devil, who is “the god" and "prince of this world” (2 Cor 4:4), are supporting the godless, anti-christ, morally-filthy, Darwinistic, humanistic, socialistic, psychologized, paganize'd, anti-Christ, anti-Bible, homosexualized, gender-mutilation education of their children and more. Well does the Word of God warn,
“Be not deceived: evil communications [i.e. associations] corrupt good manners [behaviour]” (1 Cor. 15:33).
If you have even one atom of love for your children, pull them out of the cesspool of evil, wickedness, and soul-destruction known as government schools, and homeschool them. If you claim to be a Christian and you send your child to be indoctrinated and corrupted by the world, essentially feeding them to the wolves, you are far from Biblical Christianity. Stop deceiving yourself.
I believe the Bible is the Word of God and what the enemies of a Biblical home write or declare clashes with scripture. It also contradicts what I have seen with my own eyes with many years of experience, in many different environments. As spanking has diminished, good behaviour in children and adults has also decreased.
The Bible Demands Corporeal Punishment, Spanking Children, with the Rod
God the Father has standards found in His law. If a son sees those laws as good, like scripture says about God's law, then he will see them as helpful. He won't see them as imposing freedom, but protection. Closely related to the impeding standards in the home is the discipline to enforce the standards. Biblical spanking, which is called chastisement when God the Father does it (Heb 12:5-12; Pr 3:10-11), is often called abuse by the one who chafes under authority and refuses to see the goodness he is and was receiving.
I have no doubt that parents abuse their children in the name of spanking and religion. I know this because I have witnessed it. These people however are not following the biblical pattern. I believe far, far more unbelievers, who don't believe in spanking, actually abuse their children and do not get in trouble for it. Their children become criminals and murderers and derelicts of society, but they take no responsibility, because they did the favoured thing of not spanking, and also trusting the government institutions for the behaviour of their children. They are fools.
Enemies of the biblical way latch a hold of any parent who does a bad job of parenting and uses spanking as one of the methods, as proof that it's a bad way. No, it's a bad parent, who really isn't following the biblical way. Abusive methods abound, even abuses of spanking. Yes, parents do "beat" their children and "hit" them, but this is not related to biblical spanking.
No government, including an evil and wicked totalitarian government, and its tyrants have any say or input into how any person raises their children, and that includes in the area of discipline.
God’s Word couldn’t be any more clear than the instructions it gives to parents rearing their children, without any interference from any other person, government or identity:
"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." (Pr 22:6)
The Bible without any doubt teaches and commands spanking as a method, a required one, for child training, so for successful child discipline. Parents, who would obey God, are required to do it this way. It is true, “spare the rod, spoil the child.” And spoiling the child will bring great shame and burden.
Lets consider some instructions from the Word of God on applying the rod in child discipline:
"Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him." (Pr. 22:15)
“Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.” (Pr 23:13-14)
"The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame. . . . Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul." (Pr. 29:15, 17)
Notice its “rod,” not hand, or belt, or bat, or something else. "ROD." What is a “rod”?
The word "rod" used eight times in Proverbs, in Pr 10:13; 13:24; 22:8, 15; 23:13-14; 26:3; 29:15, to denote the correction of bad behaviour, is translated from the Hebrew word "shebet" and literally means a stick or branch. Most often it is defined as the twig of a tree. This is what we should be using, or something similar to it. Bamboo branches are extremely effective. Not a paddle as demonstrated by this man who had good intentions. Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines a rod as “the shoot or long twig of any woody plant; a branch, or the stem of a shrub; as a rod of hazle, of birch, of oak or hickory.” (cf. Gen 30:37; Jer 1:11).
The "rod" isn't paddles or shingle pads, like this caricature advertisement of 1911:
Not Disciplining (i.e. Spanking) will Produce Folly, Delinquency, Unregeneracy, and Destruction
The primary reason why children are rebellious, arrogant, proud, spoiled, evil, anti-authority, out of control, criminals, and similar type of behaviour in our day is because of their lack of discipline (coupled with the broken home environment and exposure to wickedness from early on). Children should be spanked in school, just like at home, and then at least they are getting it somewhere. They should be dealt with severely if they are violent in school. Disciplining them by spanking will actually save their life and the lives surrounding them.
“Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.” (Pr 23:13-14)
Why is there less spanking today? It's not because the government has done a good job of persuading. It hasn't. There is less of it, because there is less obedience to God, less Christianity, less true Christianity that actually obeys the Bible. It's hard to be a good parent. It takes discipline of the parent to discipline the children. There is more laziness and complacency. In general, there is more sin, and that's why there is less spanking. I foresee more sinning and less good parenting, less spanking, or less Biblical spanking, just like Pr 22:8 warns of.
“He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail.” (Pr. 22:8).
It is a symptom of more falsehood, turning away from God, more apostasy. It does not foreshadow anything good in the future, only evil. And that is what we continue to see. Everywhere.
You aren’t loving your children when you fail to Biblically discipline them but are in fact hating them, along the same lines as coming to the aid of someone hurting over disapproval and rebuke of their sin or error. Children disobedient to their parents, not honouring their parents (Eph 6:1-3), need to feel very, very bad about that. And they must be disciplined, chastened for it. That is loving that child (Pr 13:24) and raising "them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.“ (Eph 6:4).
The only commandment of the ten that comes with a promise, as is declared in Eph 6:1-3, is the one related to honouring ones parents, which is through obedience.
"Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee." (Ex 20:12)
This will not happen if the child is not disciplined Biblically, consistently and adequately.
The end result of applying the rod and reproof is wisdom: wisdom,
"The rod and reproof give wisdom:" (Pr 29:15a).
But notice the end result of not spanking: shame,
"But a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.” (Pr 29:15b).
We discipline because of what happens when a child is not disciplined.
(a) Undisciplined children will follow the pathway of folly, rather than the pathway of wisdom, which is for those who are properly, Biblically disciplined (Pr 22:6). The promise of God in Pr 22:6 is that the child Biblically trained and disciplined will not depart from that training and right way when he is old. God said of Abraham:
“For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him” (Gen. 18:19).
We know that Abraham’s son Isaac walked in the footsteps of his father’s faith and did not turn aside to follow the lusts of his flesh or idols. God's promise as given in Pr 22:6 was fulfilled.
(b) Undisciplined children will not be delivered from hell (Pr 23:13-14). This passage contains another wonderful promise, and surely the Word of God means exactly what it says, and then also a fearful juxtaposition to those who don't discipline.
“Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.” (Pr 23:13-14)
This does not mean, of course, that a child can be saved apart from the true gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible plainly states,
"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." (Jn 3:36).
The Lord Jesus told the very religious Nicodemus, except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God (Jn 3:3). What Pr 23:13-14 implies, in light of harmonizing Biblical truth and rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Tim 2:15), is that the wise Christian parent that properly disciplines his children, will produce fear of the Lord in his children, which will lead them to a state of repentance, searching for the truth, repentant faith unto salvation through the gospel. Its a means to righteousness, and a state of imputed righteousness only comes through conversion. Proper discipline and the use of the rod prepares a child for salvation by teaching him repentance from sin and respect for authority. Without the fear of the Lord, no one is getting saved. This is similar to the promise of Ac 16:31 where Paul and Barnabas told the Philippian jailer,
"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, AND THY HOUSE.”
A person’s family is not automatically saved when he is saved, but through repentantly believing in the Lord Jesus Christ Christ and His gospel.
(c) Undisciplined children will not give rest or delight to their parents (Pr 29:17).
"Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul." (Pr. 29:17)
Unrest will also bring shame (Pr 29:15). This is yet another motive for parents to do what is necessary to train their children in God’s way, and that of critical necessity involves discipline with the rod and reproof. Nothing sets a Bible-believing Christian’s parent’s soul at rest and delights his heart more than knowing that his children are walking with Christ, and it is well worth every sacrifice that must be made.
Spanking Builds Noble and Authority Fearing Character
Since God created mankind, me thinks He would know what’s best for us. God Almighty demands applying both the rod and reproof. It will result in respect and fear of authority, and most importantly, for God. And that is why it’ll lead to delivering the soul from hell (Pr 23:13-14).
"The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him. Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice. My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways." (Pr. 23:24-26).
How to develop their character? The Bible details this in Pr. 3:10-11; 13:24; 15:20; 17:21, 25; 19:18; 22:6, 15; 23:13-14; 29:15-17, 21. The book of Proverbs is God’s child discipline manual. These passages tell us parents train their children, not the government/prince of this world, and it’s the “rod and reproof” that govern behaviour, and the necessity of delicately rearing them up "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord," (Eph 6:3), -- all of which form the child’s character and wisdom (or lack thereof: foolishness).
The Book of Proverbs contains vast instruction to help parents educate children, and it also shows them how to apply the rod of correction when necessary. There is more sound information on child training in the little book of Proverbs than in all of the child psychology books that have ever been written.
An important reason why children must be disciplined in this manner is because of their nature.
"Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him." (Pr. 22:15)
Children have a sinful nature that naturally disobeys and goes in the way of foolishness rather than wisdom (Pr 22:15). True and wise training of a child is aware foundationally, the nature of a child, while the world and their psychoheresy begins with the false philosophy that human beings are basically good and pursues developing that inherent goodness. God's Word is very clear that all of mankind is fallen by very nature, thus sinful and wicked (e.g. Jer 17:9; Rom 3:10-18), and seeks to bring them to conversion and regeneration by the Spiritual tools of conviction and repentance and faith through the instrumentality of the Law of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Through proper biblical spanking, children will learn to honour their parents by submitting to their authority by obedience, and thus will exhibit the same type of behaviour one day towards God, upon their conversion.
Spanking will produce obedience, its intended purpose, which will produce parent-honouring children, and that pleases the Lord and will subsequently improve/bless their life and longevity of life. Eph 6:1-4 and Col 3:20 speak to this,
"Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." (Eph 6:1-4)
"Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord." (Col 3:20)
When fathers (yes, actual fathers, they are present), “bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Eph 6:4), which involves the "rod and reproof," this will develop and build godly character.
It is also imperative that parents are not sowing iniquity in their lives. There are unforeseen consequences to it. The result of that will be spanking their children in anger, and the end result of that is failure at disciplining, and reaping vanity.
“He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail.” (Pr. 22:8).
We love our children so we spank bad, wrong, ungodly, rebellious behaviour. Early.
"He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes." (Pr 13:24)
(If the father had used the proper method of spanking,
which is the rod, and not the hand it wouldn't have hurt as much :)
We don't take pleasure in disciplining our children but we know that not spanking them is very bad for them, causing untold harm and destruction in their life, and in fact, hating them, for they will turn out evil. Essentially every child that is not spanked and is encouraged not to spank by psychologists, politicians, or others, will turn out evil in some fashion or another. In fact, its because of these very lies that the average person is so wicked today, where people have no fear of God and authority. Its despicable and disgusting behaviour and its tied right back to the lack of spanking and disciplining the child, just like God’s Word proves. Pr 30:11-14 speaks about the ungodly generation we live in, produced primarily through unBiblical rearing which at the forefront involves not spanking.
Some years ago, a man I was preaching the gospel to, who didn't spank his children, explained how his children were completely out of control, giving an example where they would exit the vehicle once parked and run around all over the parking lot, amongst moving vehicles. He was beside himself but didn't know what he should do. W😳W! I explained to him what Scripture taught on the importance of disciplining the child by the use of the "rod and reproof," and how it brings rest and delight and proper behaviour, and also explained the end of not doing so: destruction and death. I don't know if he ever listened to the godly advice, but I know he will have to learn many lessons the hard way if he didn't. This is only one of many examples I could give of this by those who have not disciplined their children Biblically. Even when witnessing to people with the gospel, door to door, very often I can tell what type of home they were raised in: a disciplined one or an undisciplined one. The undisciplined one is typically a broken home as well.
The Biblical Way of Child Discipline
1. Child discipline must be exercised early (Pr 13:24; 19:18). In Pr 13:24, the word "betimes" means early (cf. Gen 26:31; 2 Ch 36:15). The discipline must begin as soon the child can understand what the parent is communicating, and that is usually within the first few months. If discipline doesn’t being early it can be too late and the child won’t respond properly. The child must be disciplined “while there is hope.” The best time to train the youth is when he or she is a toddler.
2. Child discipline must be exercised in the midst of Biblical training (Pr 22:6). Correction with the rod and reproof is only one element of proper Biblical child training. Biblical training involves developing a close relationship with the child, teaching the Bible, preaching the gospel and the critical necessity of personal conversion, building moral character, reaching the heart with the truth, educating in the dangers that await in the world, etc. In the midst of this training, if the child refuses to obey, this is where the rod and reproof enters for correction.
3. Child discipline involves training the child in the way of God's Word. Not the child's own natural ways, but God's way. “Train up” (Pr 22:6) is translated from the Hebrew word ("chanak") which means “to narrow.” It obviously refers to constricting the child’s path to God’s narrow way and keeping him in that path with God’s Word and thus off of the broad way that leads to destruction (Matt 7:13-14).
4. Child discipline involves making effective use of the "rod" (Pr 13:24; 22:15; 23:13-14; 29:15). It is a rod that is to be used for discipline, not a hand, not a belt, not a slap, not kicking, not yelling, not threatening. The proper biblical instrument of discipline is a rod, which is the twig of a tree, which is why previous generations called the spanking rod a “tree switch.”
5. Child discipline and the use of the rod must not be spared. “He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes,” (Pr 13:24). Don't draw back from using the rod. Chastening the child does not involve tricks of manipulation. Not spanking your child is to hate them. God said that. The rod must also be applied consistently when its required, which is when a child is disobedient and rebellious (Pr 22:15; 23:13). There are many things that may tempt a parent to spare the rod, such as a child’s cries (Pr 19:18), physical weariness, impatience with the slow process of discipline, interference by misguided friends and relatives, mental frustration, etc, but if the rod is spared when it should be used, the child will not be properly disciplined. The rod should be used for not only outright rebellion, but also refusal to listen to verbal commands and instruction, reinforcing the necessity of true and instant obedience. The parent should not fall into the trap of repeatedly telling a child “no” or threatening them repeatedly instead of calmly and swiftly and consistently using the rod to train the child to obey at their first command. Waiting to spank until multiple commands have been given, he is actually being taught NOT to obey and he is training his parents more than they are training him. He is being trained that his parents aren't serious about their commands, because they let him get away with multiple acts of disobedience.
6. Child discipline must involve sufficient force to correct the child (Pr 23:13). The spanking should hurt, and it should hurt enough to get the point across and to bring real heart-level submission. If the rod is used but the child still persists in disobedience it has not been used with sufficient vigour or persistence. Proper, Biblical child discipline will save a family a lot of heartache and grief, and children a lot of sorrow. The foolishness that is bound in a child’s heart must be “driven” away, and this takes proper force and firm resolve and stedfast perseverance (Pr 22:15).
7. Child discipline must always be done for the right reason and in the right spirit (Pr 3:11-12; 13:24; 22:6). If a parent has the wrong motive when using the rod, or is spanking in anger, it won’t work and it might produce the exact opposite of godly submission. “He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail.” (Pr. 22:8). The right motive is the desire to train the child in God's ways so that he will go in the right, narrow path, and the right spirit is love. For that reason I personally have called the rod, "the rod of love" (Pr 13:24), which very phrase I have inked onto the actual rod, to remind me of its purpose. Having any sort of fleshly reaction (i.e. anger, frustration, vengeance), the rod can cause more harm than good. John G. Paton, the well known missionary to the New Hebrides islands (called Vanuatu today) who suffered greatly for the Lord Jesus Christ and won many cannibalistic headhunters to the Saviour, in his wonderful biography described the training and discipline he received as a child. He grew up in a happy but very religious and sober home and the discipline was effective in the lives of each of the eleven children. After describing how his father used the rod of correction when necessary, he observed:
“Of course, if the parents are not devout, sincere, and affectionate,--if the whole affair on both sides is taskwork, or worse, hypocritical and false,--results must be very different indeed! God help the homes where these things are done by mere force and not by love!” (John G. Paton: Missionary to the New Hebrides, 1891).
8. Child discipline must always have eternity in mind (“and when he is old, he will not depart from it,” Pr 22:6; “and shalt deliver his soul from hell,” Pr 23:14). Parents must not be shortsighted. The hours speak to the years and the generations. By keeping the child's future and eternity in mind the parent can look beyond the child’s tears and beyond his own weariness and impatience to the day when the child will be grown and even beyond that to the day the child leaves this present life and journeys ideally to heaven.
Closing
The call by the "liars, evil beasts, slow bellies" (Ti 1:12) for regulating against spanking and taking away parents right to train up their children according to God’s Word and then criminalizing such, makes them happy. They celebrate that. But it’s a Satanic evil with awful consequences, a demonic agenda that is derived from the depths of hell, and its lies, from their father of lies (Jn 8:44). Jesus said that and since He is God and your Maker, He certainly knows best:
“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” (Jn 8:44).
People that aren't spanking their children or fighting against this critical parental right, are Satanic liars. God forbid, parents would encourage this. One soon day everyone that embraces and propagates the lie and falsehood that corporeal child discipline is wrong and thus turning parents away from this critical truth will be held severely accountable to this ungodly falsehood and then also for usurping God’s Authority, attempting to play God with their worldly “wisdom.” This "wisdom" does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, and devilish (Jam 3:16). What they are espousing is foolish and demonic, for the rod has the power to deliver children from hell and completely change a society for the good.
If you don’t spank your children, then you are part of the problem. You are also satanically attacking this God-given responsibility, by your silence, rebellion and disobedience. You also don’t love your children, if you have children, regardless of your claims to the contrary.
For those who have been bewitched by the lies of the world, and the god of this world, I would suggest to you, if you want true wisdom and not the pseudo-wisdom you have befallen to, study the book of Proverbs, read 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 (comparing true wisdom with worldly wisdom) and then the book of Romans. Most importantly, unsure the salvation of your own soul first and foremost, so you can exercise the wisdom necessary for a godly home. God the Son said:
"If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:31-32)