The following notes are from a recent exhortation, and are included for the benefit of our readers:
We read in our readings from the Proverbs recently that
Prov 19:11 The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.
The Expanded Version translates this as
Expanded
Prov 19:11 The ·wise [insightful] ·are patient [L hold in their anger]; they will be ·honored [praised; glorified] if they ignore ·insults [offenses].
So the preacher is instructing us here that it is wise to be patient.
James 1
2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
5. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and up braideth not; and it shall be given him.
Let patience have her perfect work
Expanded
James 1:4 [L And] Let your ·patience [perserverance; endurance] ·show itself perfectly in what you do [have its full effect; finish its work]. Then you will be ·perfect and complete [mature and whole; or completely mature] and will ·have everything you need [L lack nothing].
So clearly it is very important that we are patient, in all our ways, this is not easy for the flesh as Dr Thomas says “Its lusts and affections are impatient of control”, the flesh is naturally impatient, it is a battle to keep it down.
Eve was not in the sinful state as we find ourselves in but she manifested the spirit of impatience in the garden. She was not willing to wait in order to be ‘as wise as the gods’ but it was something she wanted instantly. She was subsequently condemned. The Lord Jesus, who was by contrast in the same sinful state as we find ourselves in, had power to turn stones into bread when hungry, seize the kingdoms of the world, come down from the cross, etc yet he manifested the spirit of patience. He was subsequently rewarded.
1Tim 6:11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
2 Peter 1
5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge
6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
7. And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
8. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ
Being in Christ means we need to be fruitful. If the branch does not manifest fruit then the branch will be deemed worthless. This would be rejection at the judgement seat.
We are also commanded to be longsuffering, we can not be longsuffering if we are not patient
Ephesians 4:
1. I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
2. With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
Part of the walk and to be classed as worthy is to walk the walk with longsuffering.
Colossians 1:
10. That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11. Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
Hence patience and longsuffering are linked with walking worthily.
Colossians 3
12. Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
13. Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
14. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness
It is only through Love that we can develop patience and longsuffering.
If God is prepared to forgive us, should we not also be prepared to forgive others? Surely this would be to manifest a quality that God himself has! Likewise if God is prepared to have us in a state of no condemnation (Romans 8:2), then we shouldn’t condemn others. Jesus sent to save, not to condemn. We are here to not only work out our own salvation but also to try to put others on the track to save themselves too.
1Corinthians13
4. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5. Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6. Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7. Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
If God is prepared to love us, who are in the sinful state, should we not love others (especially brethren) who are also in the sinful state? By being patient and longsuffering with them is how we can manifest such love. Our actions in doing this will always speak louder than our words simply professing such a case.
Paul expresses how Jesus was longsuffering with him so as to show the pattern to others
1 Timothy 1
15. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
16. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting
And so Paul in turn manifested these qualities to be an example to his brethren
2Tim 3:10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience
And of course we have the ultimate example in the way God deals with us
Exo 34:6 The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth
Num 14:18 The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.
Psa 86:15 But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth
If God is these things, surely then we should be too. So if we we are men of God we have to be patient and longsuffering as He is. Manifesting godly qualities despite being in the sinful state is a prerequisite to putting on the godly state (immortality).
2Cor 6:
- We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.
- (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
- Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed:
- But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,
- In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; 6 By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned
Rev 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
Lee Murtagh
