The Fruit of Patience & Longsuffering

In discussing "the fruit of the Spirit", the nine graces are often divided into three groups...:

Those graces which turns one's thought toward God...

Love (for love is of God)

Joy (for we rejoice in the Lord)

Peace (for from God comes the peace that surpasses understanding)

Those that directs our attention to our fellowman...

Long-suffering

Kindness

Goodness

Those which refer more directly to oneself...

Faithfulness

Gentleness (meekness)

Self-control

Long-suffering is a fruit of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22) This is evidence that we do not become longsuffering in one day. But by continuously living in the Spirit and keeping all our evil tendencies on the cross, we will gain this virtue – little by little.

Grk., makrothumia ('patience' in the NASB)

Literally, it means being "long-tempered" (the opposite of short-tempered)"patience, forbearance, longsuffering, slowness in avenging wrongs" - Thayer"

Long-suffering is that quality of self-restraint in the face of provocation which does not hastily retaliate or promptly punish. It is the opposite of anger and is associated with mercy, and is used of God." - Vine

Long-suffering involves patiently enduring wrongs or difficulties, enduring mental and/or physical difficulties without complaint from which the cause is people.

In the long run - Long-suffering, then, is about enduring for a while those people who mean to do harm, to cause us to suffer for Christ’s sake, and to demonstrate God’s love to those who do not yet know it.

As all of the fruit this patience/or longsuffering is a characteristic of Almighty God

2 Pet. 3:7-9 “But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”

Rom. 2:4 “Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?”

Just like God was patient in the days of Noah 1 Pet. 3:20 “who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water.” 120 years of preaching before the Flood. Think about all the prophets he sent to Judah & Israel before their captivity and even during it. Think about the patience of God in sending Jesus at the exact right time Rom. 5:6 “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” Gal. 4:4 “But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law,” He came at the perfect time the right time.

Why do we need to be longsuffering?

Necessary if we want to be perfected James 1:4 “And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

Necessary if we desire God to be longsuffering toward us - cf. Mt 18:32-35 ““Then summoning him, his lord said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. ‘Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ “And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. “My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.””

Necessary to maintain the unity of the Spirit - Ep 4:1-3 “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” we all have different talents 1 Cor. 12:20 “But now there are many members, but one body.”

Necessary for preachers and teachers of the gospel - 2Ti 2:24-26 “The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.” 2 Tim. 3:10 “Now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance,” ; 4:2 “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.”

we are to be ambassadors of Christ 2 Cor. 5:20 so just like God our patience should lead to 1 Pet. 3:20 “who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water.”

Rom. 2:4-6 “Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each person according to his deeds:”

2 Pet. 3:15 “and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you,”

2 Pet. 3:9 “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”

How to be patient and longsuffering

Developed through love - cf. 1Co 13:4-8a “Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” ;

Developed through prayer - cf. Col 1:9-11 “For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously” -- Do we manifest that we "walk by the Spirit" in regards to LONGSUFFERING?

Be slow to anger Ps. 86:15 “But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, Slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth.”

Be forgiving Mt. 18:21-22 “Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”

Let God take vengeance Rom. 12:17 “Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men.”

Where do I need to be longsuffering in my life?

in marriage

raising children

in business

when wronged

when reaching the lost

when waiting on the Lord James 5:7-8 “Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.” Lk. 12:35-40 ““Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit. “Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks. “Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them. “Whether he comes in the second watch, or even in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. “But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into. “You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect.””

ARE YOU READY FOR THE COMING OF THE LORD?