The Fruit of the Spirit and the Crucified Christian (Longsuffering)

The Fruit of the Spirit and the Crucified Christian (Longsuffering)(2 Peter 3:9)

Longsuffering - bearing injuries or provocation for a long time. Not easily provoked.

provocation - action or speech that makes someone annoyed or angry, especially deliberately.

The Person of Longsuffering

Exodus 34:6 “And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,”

Numbers 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.”

Psalm 86:15 “But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, Longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.”

The only way one can be longsuffering is to be indwelt with the Holy Spirit of God.

The Performing of Longsuffering

Luke 23:33,

The Putting On of Longsuffering

Colossians 3:12–13 “Put on (as to clothe one’s self) therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.”

You can’t put on longsuffering unless you put your Holy Spirit clothes on!

The Praise of the Lord

Isaiah 30:18 “And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, And therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: For the Lord is a God of judgment: Blessed are all they that wait for him.”

Galatians 1:20–24 “Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not. Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia; And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea which were in Christ: But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed. And they glorified God in me.”

WHEN YOU ARE LONGSUFFERING TO PEOPLE, IT GIVES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR GOD TO BE PRAISED. WHEN YOU ARE NOT LONGSUFFERING TO PEOPLE, YOU MAKE YOURSELF A GOD AND DON’T GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR GOD TO BE PRAISED.