Fruit of the Spirit - Patience Part 2 (2)

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Our State of Theology 9i(8)e2
Galatians 5:22-23: Fruit of the Holy Spirit, Longsuffering & Patience
Galatians 5:22–23 (NKJV)
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Fruit (karpos) in Galatians 5:22 is singular, not plural, so true believers will manifest all these elements simultaneously.
There are no true virtues and good affections without the grace of regeneration.
Longsuffering = μακροθυμία makrothumia = state of being able to bear up under provocation, forbearance, patience toward others; of human beings.
Slowness of avenging injuries, long-suffering, forbearance, clemency.
Makrothumia = To be long–suffering. Forbearance, long–suffering, self–restraint before proceeding to action. The quality of a person who is able to avenge himself yet refrains from doing.
Makrothumía is patience in respect to persons while hupomonḗ (5281), endurance, is putting up with things or circumstances.
Both words are often found together.
Makrothumia (μακροθυμια) is patience exhibited under ill-treatment by persons.
Hupomonē (ὑπομονη) is patience shown under trials, difficulties, hardships.
Makrothumia is a noun formed from the two words makros (3089), “long,” and thumos (2349), “heart, mind” (in the sense of “spirit, feelings, disposition”).
Patience comes from the fruit of the Holy Spirit, not from the fruit of a holy Christian.
“The standing of the believer in Christ is here in view, not his Christian character.
The Father qualified believers to partake of the inheritance of the saints by placing them in Christ,…” - Kenneth S. Wuest
Galatians 4:1–7 (NIV84)
1What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate.
2He is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father.
3So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world.
4But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law,
5to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.
6Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”
7So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.
The time set by his father. The time had fully come.
What does the Scriptures say regarding our exercise of patience to God relating to His timing?
What do the Scriptures say about God exercising His patience towards us?
William Perkins: “This must teach us, when by prayer we ask any good thing at God’s hand, not to prescribe any time unto God, but to leave it to his providence. Again, if thou live in any misery, wait on the Lord, and be content. For that is the fit and best time of thy deliverance, which God hath appointed.”
We trust God’s timingGod’s providence—for the best time for answers to our prayers.
If God chose the best timing for sending Jesus, how much more will God choose the best timing to answer our prayers. In the midst of our waiting—even our “misery”—we trust God and remain content.
This waiting is the work of patience.
Psalm 18:30 (NIV84)
30As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.
The first thing we need to understand about God’s timing is that it is perfect, just as all of God’s ways are perfect. God’s timing is never early and it’s never been late. From before our birth until the moment we take our last earthly breath, our sovereign God is accomplishing His divine purposes.
He is in complete control of everything and everyone from everlasting to everlasting.
No event in history has put so much as a wrinkle in the timing of God’s eternal plan which He designed before the foundation of the world.
Psalm 37:1–11 (NIV84)
1Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong;
2for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.
3Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this:
6He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
7Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.
Wait patiently = יָחַל yāḥal =  to look forward to the occurrence of or arrival of. Arrival of what? God’s intervention.
This term was chosen to underline the likely feelings of discomfort and anguish while they waited for God to act in his, rather than their, time.
8Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil.
9For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.
10A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.
11But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.
Patience includes not fretting, trusting in the Lord while doing good, refraining from anger, and turning from wrath.
Colossians 3:12–13 (ESV)
12Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience (makrothumia),
13bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
Patience, makrothumia, is patience exhibited under ill-treatment of persons. How is this patience exhibited or expressed?
Bearing with one another, if one has a complaint against another, forgive each other just like the Lord forgave you.
Job 3:1ff (NIV84)
1After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.
Job had lost patience with God and cursed the day of his birth.
The book of Job reveals a suffering inflicted on what Scripture call a righteous man, but it gives no explanation as to the reason.
Instead, it brings home this truth: we cannot grasp and understand why a loving God lets troubles come upon his own.
Job’s impatience with God was expressed through his self-righteousness.
Self-righteousness led him to challenge God: Show me the justice of the afflictions you have brought on me! (Job 7:11-21, 12:4, 27:6, 29:14)
The Lord showed him nothing of the kind. He simply gave him overwhelming proof that he is the All-Wise and the All-Powerful. (chapters 38–41)
And so he brought Job to the realization that God owed him no accounting for His acts, and that Job had been presumptuous and arrogant in demanding an answer to the question:
Why do you make me suffer? or, to be more exact: Why do you bring so much greater suffering on me than on others of your own?
Job’s three friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, spoke wrongly about God and Job.
Job 19:5–6, 11 (NIV84)
5If indeed you would exalt yourselves above me and use my humiliation against me,
6then know that God has wronged me and drawn his net around me.
11His anger burns against me; he counts me among his enemies.
Job was becoming more and more impatient. Rashly he accused God of injustice. He said, “Then know that God has wronged me and drawn his net around me” (19:6) and, “His anger burns against me; he counts me among his enemies” (19:11).
Job’s fourth friend, Elihu, speaks correctly for God. (Job 32-37)
Here are some of the truths that he spoke:
Job had no right to complain because God did not give him an accounting for his doings. (33:13; 34:29)
God chastens his own, often severely, in order to rescue them from spiritual danger (“the pit”). (33:22, 24, 30)
God never acts wickedly, never overturns justice. (34:10)
In finding fault with God’s chastisement, the believer speaks like a fool and becomes guilty of rebellion. (34:35, 37)
The believer must commit his cause to God and patiently wait for him. (35:14)
God is so high above us that his ways with us are unsearchable. (36:26)
Looking upon the wonders of God in nature will show us the infinite majesty, power, and wisdom of God and cause us to bow before him in reverent fear. (36:27–33; 37:1–24)
Still, the question about why Job was suffering was not answered.
Job 40:2, 8 (NIV84)
2“Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!”
8“Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself?
Through it all, God never answered Job’s question as to why he was suffering. God did not owe Job an explanation.
The majestic God, as high above us as the heavens are above the earth, does not owe us an answer to questions such as Job asked, or as Professor August Pieper put it in his lectures on the Book of Job:
“The only proper moral attitude in respect to God is humility.”
We must be patient in our attitude towards God.
He is sovereign, and His timetable has the ultimate priority, not ours.
John 11:1-43 (NIV84)
1Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.
2This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.
3So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”
6Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.
17On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.
20When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
21“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.
Martha expressed impatience towards God (Jesus), because He did not come on her terms and timing.
22But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”
23Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
25Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;
26and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
27“Yes, Lord,” she told him, “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”
28And after she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.”
29When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him.
32When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
33When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.
34“Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied.
35Jesus wept.
36Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”
37But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”
38 (HCSB)Then Jesus, angry in Himself again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it.
39“Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”
40Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”
41So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me.
42I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”
43When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”
Somewhere along the line, Mary and Martha had to deal with the sovereignty of God. They had to come to a point where they accepted God’s will over their own wills. “Not my will but Yours.”
Jesus had predetermined that He would heal Lazarus, but He would do it in such a way that He alone would be glorified. He also would accomplish His will in the lives of Mary and Martha. They would come to a place of acceptance.
Mary and Martha had to wait. Their hope had faded—their brother was dead. Jesus did not come when they sent for Him. But God had a grander purpose in mind than just meeting their expectation. He would demonstrate His power to bring new life to a dead man.
What was the greater miracle: healing Lazarus or bringing him back to life after he was dead for four days? Of course, his resurrection was the more stunning feat. This miracle also pointed to the future resurrection of Christ. God always has a greater good in mind.
Many times, our spiritual insight is limited, but God sees all. He knows exactly what is transpiring on every spiritual level, along with all that we are facing.
Mary and Martha and we, like Job, are to exercise patience with God, and trust Him for His timing and for whatever the final outcome may be.
Romans 9:18–24 (NIV84)
18Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.
19One of you will say to me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?”
20But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’ ”
21Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?
22What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction?
23What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory—
24even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?
Vss. 19-20, Job had no right to question God; we do not either.
Deuteronomy 29:29 (NIV84)
29The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.
The revealed things are those truths that are contained within Scripture.
James Montgomery Boice: To fully understand God, we would have to be equal to the God who made us—a notion even more absurd than a clay pot’s being equal to the potter who molded it.
Whatever God’s sovereignty may mean in its fullness, it does not mean and cannot mean that He chose for men to become sinful. The perfectly holy and righteous God is not responsible in the slightest way for the sinfulness of His creatures. Making that truth plain, James declares,
“Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone” (James 1:13).
Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong (Hab. 1:13).
V. 22, God bore with great patience (makrothumia) the objects of His wrath.
The patience of God is seen in his toleration of the wicked for a time.
How many times have we seen a person commit outright blasphemy against God and not be instantly annihilated by Him? Oh, the wonder of God’s great patience!
God will not be patient forever. Although God’s patience is great, it is not eternal. We are warned in Scripture that God’s wrath has been withheld by his patience, but one day it will be poured forth. God’s patience leads to repentance, but you must still repent. You must believe on Jesus. If you do not, you will face God’s judgment in the end, however much you may scoff at it now.
Isaiah 7:13 (NIV84)
13Then Isaiah said, "Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also?
King Ahaz of Judah tried the patience of God by not trusting in God’s deliverance. Instead, Ahaz chose to seek the help of Tiglath-Pileser, the king of Assyria.
We can also try the patience of God by not trusting in His sovereign will over all the affairs of man.
Romans 2:4 (NIV84)
4Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?
God’s patience is expressed in His kindness.
1 Timothy 1:16 (NIV84)
16But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.
Without God’s patience, none of us would be redeemed.
Makrothymia: God’s attitude toward erring humans.
2 Peter 3:9 (NIV84)
9  The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
15  Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.
1 Peter 3:18-20 (NIV84)
18For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,
19through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison
20who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water,
Those spirits who are now in prison are awaiting God’s final judgment. Jesus informed them that there was no hope of escaping God’s coming judgment.
James 1:2–4 (NKJV)
2My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
3knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
4But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
Count = ἡγήσασθε hēgeomai = form your view. At the onset of suffering, adversity, affliction, there is a natural feeling of pain, then sadness and dejection, as if one were also forsaken by God in heaven, not merely antagonized by men. Therein lies danger, in that the activity of man is paralyzed and soon complete despondency takes hold.
While the apostle does not demand suppression of that first natural feeling of pain, he does demand that the Christian rise above the mood of suffering and sadness. He should consult the reason enlightened by faith, and on the basis of this form the judgment and opinion that the afflictions and temptations are rather occasions for joy in view of the God-ordained purpose of them.
James 1:12 (NIV84)
12Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
Blessed is the person who endures testing. In this context, blessed describes an attitude of determined courage that is unaffected by external circumstances.
Revelation 2:8–11 (NIV84)
8“To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again.
9I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
10Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.
11He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.
How can you say that a man is saved for eternity when the Lord says you must be faithful to the end?
A crown of life is not salvation, it is reward. There are five crowns:
the incorruptible crown for faithfully running the course;
the crown of rejoicing for winning souls;
the crown of righteousness for those who love His appearing;
the crown of life for those who suffer for Christ;
the crown of glory for those who feed the sheep and lambs of Christ’s flock.
I might lose all of those crowns and yet not lose my salvation.
I want to win all the crowns! What about you?
James 5:7–12 (NIV84)
7Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains.
8You too, be patient (makrothumia) and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.
Makrothumia: Patient endurance of pain or unhappiness as it relates to dealing with people.
9Don’t grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!
10Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, and Amos also saw the people ignore their prophecies while Israel’s leaders were often hostile. Yet they bore that hostility with patience. More than that, they endured, that is, they continued to prophesy. They continued to denounce covenant infidelity and evil deeds, even if they never saw the judgment they predicted. Still we count them blessed because they heard and proclaimed God’s very words. They show us how to endure.
11As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered (hupomenō). You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
What the Lord finally brought about. In an age of instant solutions and results, how the word finally grinds against our will. We would much rather read “quickly” or “immediately” than be reminded again that God’s timing and priorities are different from ours.
But perseverance is never instantaneous. There are no shortcuts to what the Lord brings about; the pathway before us is perseverance. Any explanation of the Christian faith that overlooks or denies the importance of perseverance will disappoint those who believe it.
12Above all, my brothers, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No,” no, or you will be condemned.
Philippians 2:12–13 (AMP)
12Therefore, my dear ones, as you have always obeyed [my suggestions], so now, not only [with the enthusiasm you would show] in my presence but much more because I am absent, work out (cultivate, carry out to the goal, and fully complete) your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling (self-distrust, with serious caution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against temptation, timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Christ).
13[Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.
May we turn to our Lord and welcome Him into our lives, energizing and creating in us the power and desire¸both to will and to work for His good pleasure, satisfaction, and delight.
And may the Holy Spirit of God manifest His presence in us by the display of His fruit in all of its precious aspects.
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