Patience

Start with example. What is something you hate waiting for? 

Clearly, it’s the never-ending snow or the evenings being dark and we are just waiting for summer… Or is it for the weekend to come and its only Thursday. Or it’s your sibling to grow up so they won’t be annoying.. or less annoying… We experience and attempt to have Patience every single day, and we may never even know it. Why? Because things don’t happen when WE think they should, so we either get upset or angry [RAISE HAND] or we exemplify patience. 

Now when we look at the biblical definition of Patience, here is what we see.  Patience could be defined as patient endurance of pain or unhappiness OR a more detailed definition is to have the ability to endure injuries inflicted by others and the willingness to accept irritating or painful situations. Now that we have a biblical definition of Patience, let us look how God showed us that patience. 

Firstly, read Exodus 34:1-8:

The setting of this passage is that God just provided Israel the Ten Commandments. Then, as we all know, Moses came down from Mt. Sinai and came down to His people worshipping a golden calf. Then we read in chapter 32 that Moses was furious and threw the tablets out of his hand and they broke at the foot of the mountain. 

V1-V5: 

So, having that context in mind, God then instructs Moses to cut two tablets of stone like the first and the Lord again will write on the tablets, the same as the first. Then the Lord gave Moses the command to meet God on Mt. Sinai alone. So, just as the first time, God met Moses at Mt. Sinai that morning. 

V6-V8:

But before Moses received the new Ten Commandments, the Lord proclaimed His character, a phrase you will see repeated in the Old Testament. We see that the name Lord is spoken twice, which was on purpose and a point of emphasis, that what I’m about to say is important and that Moses might be rendered and more attentive. So God proclaims His character and attributes. 

God is:

Merciful and Gracious: Which we both know that there is a difference between mercy and grace? Mercy is God not punishing us as our sins deserve (withholding judgment), while grace is God blessing us despite the fact that we do not deserve it (unmerited favor). 

Which is where we see God’s Patience toward us, instead of immediately executing judgment for sin, God is patient toward us.Slow to anger: 

Abounding in Steadfast Love and Faithfulness: which means that God has a rich unwavering love & is loyal to His people. 

Forgiving inquiry and transgression and sin: Simple, that God forgave our sin.

Guys, I feel as if we could just stop there tonight. When preparing this lesson, breaking down God’s character/attributes, it brought joy and gladness to my heart, bringing almost tears. Not only did God be patient with His people, withholding judgement and have unmerited favor toward us, not striking us down when we deserved it, and forgiving us of our sin, but that He went further, stating that his rich, numerous, vast, and great unchangeable love is set towards His people, and God will never change. 

Testimony Time:

You see, one of my great fears for each and everyone of you, especially to those who grew up in church, here every Sunday, and you’ve heard the gospel presented countless of times, that you have gained apathy to it. The Gospel, should bring us to our knees and cause us to worship, just like it did to Moses in Exodus, that we fall down and worship Him and be thankful for what Christ has done. If hearing the Gospel does not affect you or make you feel some sort of gratitude, I would encourage you, please never take for granted what Christ did. Because that was me. I was raised in Church since I was in diapers and it wasn’t until I was a senior in high school, that I took it seriously. That doesn’t have to be you. 

Alright, Let’s look at another passage where this phrase is used by David, Read Psalm 103:8-14:

Once again in verse 8, we see the phrase that the Lord proclaimed about Himself. But David goes in detail about what he thinks this means.

V8-V14:

For those using the ESV, we see the word “chide”: that word can be defined as complain or in a sense of making or contesting a lawsuit. Other translations use accuse us or contend with us. We continue reading that God has not dealt with our sins as we deserve or he does not repay our sin, with sin against us. No, for as high as the heavens are, His love is as vast, to those who fear Him. Then we read the common verse, that as far as east is from the west, just as far he removes our transgressions from us. Then David compares God’s love as a Father has compassion to His children, so the Lord shows compassion. Then one of my favorite verses in the Bible, we read that God knows our frame and He remembers that we are dust. In a commentary I read this week, it stated this: “David here annihilates all the worth which men would arrogate to themselves, and asserts that it is the consideration of our misery, and that alone, which moves God to exercise patience towards us.”

Now, let’s look at another passage, where Paul, recognizes the Patience God has shown Him and let’s take note of that and apply that to our lives. 

Read 1 Timothy 1:12-16:

Our core text within this passage is verse 16, but in order to understand the main text, we have to know the context. And particularly in this passage, when looking at the context or the verses coming before verse 16, we gain insight of just how Paul felt “perfect patience”

V12-V13:

Starting in verse 12, we read that Paul is thanking God, because He judged Paul being faithful in delivering the Gospel, appointing Him to the service of bringing the Good News or being in ministry. Now Paul contrasts here. Thanking God for His occupation and choosing Paul to share in bringing the Gospel to the Gentiles…

THOUGH, I was formerly:

Blasphemer: Someone who speaks irreverently about God, someone who slanders God. Denied Jesus as the Son of God

Persecutor: In this biblical context, Paul did not just harass, but was apart of stoning Christians to death [e.g. Stephen] for their professions as Jesus being the Son of God. 

Insolent opponent: Violent offender/opponent of God

But God displayed mercy because in other words, those were the fruits of my unbelief in Christ. 

V14-15:

And the grace of the Lord, whom Paul persecuted, overflowed for Paul, not because of what Paul did, but with the faith and love that are found in Christ Jesus. Paul then puts a stamp of an approval that this saying will and always be true: Christ came into the world to save sinners, which Paul classified himself as the worst of them all. 

V16:

Now, to our core text of this passage, that Paul received the mercy of Christ for this very reason: That as the worst possible sinner on this earth, Jesus displays his perfect patience as an example to those who believe in Christ. Paul was saved so that God could display His gracious and merciful patience, with the worst of the worst sinners. Paul was the living proof that God could save any sinner, no matter how great a one might be. And this is why, within the New Testament, Paul’s testimony is repeated 6 times, because Paul’s conversion was instrumental in the salvation of many people. 

Now having an understanding of how God has showed us, personally, His patience, go and do likewise. Let’s see how the Bible tells us to do that. 

Here are two passages, where Paul instructs that as those who are called or as God’s children, do these things…

Firstly, let’s read Colossians 3:12

Secondly, read Ephesians 4:1-2:

Now, we expounded on Colossians 3:12 last week, so let’s take a further look at Patience in Ephesians. 

V1-V2:

Paul urges or pleads with the Ephesian believers to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called. I would like to break that down, as I believe that to be a very important statement, preceding verse 2. Walk in the New Testament is used as a form of expression as daily conduct. Then worthy, has the idea of living to match one’s position to Christ. Or, to be everything the Lord desires and empowers them to be. So now that we broke that down, it could say this, Paul pleads with his fellow believers’ to be everything the Lord desires them to be in their daily conduct. The word for patience here refers as long-tempered, and refers to a resolved patience that is an outgrowth of humility and gentleness. So, because we do not think of ourselves as better than others, and we are mild-spirited, we then can have patience towards others. 

Next, let’s look at the book of wisdom, Read Proverbs 14:29

The Christian Standard Bible reads like this: 

“A patient person shows great understanding, but a quick-tempered one promotes foolishness.”

When we commonly think of having patience towards others, saved or un-saved, it typically refers to preventing us from becoming upset or angry. The first night, I had Ethan read the whole section when referring to the fruits of the Spirit. Why? Because it gives example of what’s not apart of the Fruit of the Spirit, but the fruit of the flesh. So when looking at “putting on patience” like Colossians tell us to do, we need to quench having enmity, strife, fits of anger, or dissensions. The Proverb puts it plainly. A person who exhibits Patience, shows to have great understanding, but a quick-tempered on promotes foolishness. 

To boil that verse down even more, here is what I would add. A person who exhibits Patience, shows to have great understanding of how Christ has shown them patience, but a person who is quick tempered or reactional, promotes their flesh. 

Last point I want us to look at is the Character of God, as we saw them in the Old Testament. When we look at the phrase that the Lord proclaimed about Himself, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,” I think there is a connection to “slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” Like grace and mercy is commonly phrased together, I too think this was intentional on the Lord’s part. I think when we are patient, we not only are patient towards one another, but we then should act in immense love, just like God does towards us. 

Discussion Questions:

When is it hardest for you to be patient?

• Is patience weakness or strength? Why?