4. Does God Inflict Sickness on His Children to Train Them?

No. There is no clear Scriptural basis for this belief, and it contradicts the revealed nature of God in Christ. Nowhere in the life and ministry of Jesus, who perfectly represents the Father, do we see Him placing sickness or disease on anyone to teach them a lesson or for any other reason. On the contrary, He healed all who came to Him. The idea that God uses sickness to chasten or teach is a tradition of men, not a truth grounded in the New Covenant.

Luke 4:40

When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.

Luke 6:19

And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.

1 John 4:16

And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

God is good (Psalm 145:8-9), and He is love (1 John 4:8). He is righteous, and His ways are perfectly just (Deuteronomy 32:4). In His justice, He may bring judgement or wrath, but there is no Scriptural example where He afflicts His children with sickness or disease to sanctify or instruct them. To teach that He does is to impugn His character as revealed in Jesus Christ.

Perhaps the most important ways through which God chastens and teaches are through His Word and the Holy Spirit.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction [training, discipline] in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Notice how the Word itself reproves, corrects, trains, and disciplines in righteousness. It is sufficient to make the man of God “complete” and “thoroughly equipped for every good work.” The Word of God is powerful and able to change lives.

The Holy Spirit brings conviction, and also teaches and guides into all truth.

John 14:26

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

John 16:8-11

And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgement, because the ruler of this world is judged.

John 16:13

However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.

God can use any situation or circumstance, and we can certainly learn through the painful consequences of life in a fallen world, especially when we neglect His Word or the leading of the Holy Spirit. But we should not blame God for those “hard knocks”, nor assume that He inflicted sickness or disease in order to chasten or teach us. God does not need to put sickness on His children to train them. His Word and the Holy Spirit are more than sufficient.