The Attribute of Gods Paitcence
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In a time that we live with McDonald Wendys whataburger sonic the great invention of the microwave oven, Burger king we know not patience we want it our way and we want it not.
Patience is at a premium in our day.
Fast food is too slow; now we can order ahead. Even “instant coffee” takes too long; now there’s Keurig. And of course, we have the monumental tribute to our desires for immediacy: smartphones and ubiquitous wifi. We’re always finding new ways to get around waiting in line, or waiting at all, from rapid passes at theme parks to (wisely) making every effort to avoid the Post Office and DMV altogether.
Many of these developments are wonderful. Why wait in line needlessly? I happily embrace the improvements. But at some point, we should pause to ask whether having it our way, right away, is leading us to overblown expectations of instant gratification in all of life. Not only are we impatient about fast food, coffee, information, and thrill rides, but are we losing our capacity to be patient altogether?
In the midst of the increasingly speedy expectations of our day, one aspect of the diamond of Jesus Christ that sparkles all the more brilliantly is his perfect patience. No one surpasses him, or even comes close to his ability to handle us with care, even in our worst fits of sin, with the life-changing strength of gentle kindness.
Today we will look at what a perfect patience for unworthy sinners looks like and how this patience is nothing more that His love shown to us.
It was Philip, according to
Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.”
Foolishly said Jesus replied here in vs 9
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
When Thomas declared,
, who so foolishly said, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus answers with compassion and patience, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” ().
When Thomas declared, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe” (), Jesus again was patient with him — eight days patient — in accommodating his request.
“Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe” (), Jesus again was patient with him — eight days patient — in accommodating his request.
Most dramatically, though, Peter saw Jesus’s perfect patience on display after denying him three times on the eve of his crucifixion. It should be no surprise, then, that Peter pays tribute at the end of his second letter to Christ’s amazing patience.
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you,
Jesus’ Patient Even with Enemies
2 peter
The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. . . . Count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him. (, )
Patient Even with Enemies
Patient Even with Enemies
Perhaps, we might think, if there would have been anyone on whom the newly ascended Lord would have poured down fire, rather than his Holy Spirit, it would have been Saul of Tarsus. Saul surpassed his fellow Pharisees in zeal, and soon led the effort to snuff out the fledgling Jesus movement in Jerusalem. He even took his show on the road to round up members of this new sect and stop, at all costs, the spread of their offensive message about a crucified Messiah.
“Knowing ourselves as deeply sinful goes hand in hand with knowing Jesus as supremely patient.”TweetShare on Facebook
The risen, sovereign Christ had every right to take Saul out. The early church would have been thrilled with such an exhibition of his power from heaven, through whatever means necessary. But Jesus is not just powerful according to our natural expectations. He is surpassingly powerful.
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
). And included in the arsenal of his manifold power is the shining strength of “perfect patience” — to which a converted Saul would pay tribute soon enough:
). And included in the arsenal of his manifold power is the shining strength of “perfect patience” — to which a converted Saul would pay tribute soon enough:
Formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. . . . But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. (
although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.
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Jesus did eventually take Saul out — with mercy, instead of wrath. And Paul, as he came to be known as the apostle to the Gentiles, stood in awe of the perfect patience he was shown by this Jesus, who could hold his peace on the very throne of heaven while watching his enemy thrash against his newborn church, carefully biding his time for the dramatic intervention on the Damascus road.
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Jesus did eventually take Saul out — with mercy, instead of wrath. And Paul, as he came to be known as the apostle to the Gentiles, stood in awe of the perfect patience he was shown by this Jesus, who could hold his peace on the very throne of heaven while watching his enemy thrash against his newborn church, carefully biding his time for the dramatic intervention on the Damascus road.
What we see with Paul is that knowing ourselves as deeply sinful goes hand in hand with knowing Jesus as supremely patient. Realizing his perfect patience frees us, as it did for Paul, to own the depths of my depravity, and confess that I am indeed “the foremost” sinner I know. Finding Jesus to be even more patient than we are sinful enables us to genuinely own our wickedness.
Patient Like His Father
Patient Like His Father
When Jesus demonstrates his perfect patience, not only does he do so as fully human — showing us the kind of divine life that can be expressed in our own human flesh — but also he points us to the patience of his Father. It is not as though the Father is quick-tempered, while the Son is patient. Rather, the patience we see in the Son is the very patience of his Father.
He was patient with the rebellion of the first man and woman, removing them from the garden, but covering their nakedness and promising a Son to come and crush the serpent. And “God’s patience waited in the days of Noah”
who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.
), and with Abraham’s tragic lapses of faith. He revealed himself to Moses as “a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (). He endured with astounding patience as his chosen people grew cold and limped after other gods. He even “has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory” ().
and with Abraham’s tragic lapses of faith. He revealed himself to Moses as
And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth,
). He endured with astounding patience as his chosen people grew cold and limped after other gods. He even “has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory” ().
He endured with astounding patience as his chosen people grew cold and limped after other gods. He even
What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory,
).
“Jesus is even more patient than we are sinful.
When Paul pays tribute again to Jesus’s patience in his prayer of blessing in , he puts it alongside the very love of the Father: “May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.” Steadfastness here is the same word translated “patient endurance” elsewhere. And Paul wants his fellow Christians to know the comfort that he himself receives when he directs his heart to the patience of Christ.
To discover yourself a recipient of Christ’s patience is to find yourself loved by God. To know Jesus’s patience is to know the very love of God.
Patience Is True Power
Patience Is True Power
Jesus’s perfect patience toward Paul wasn’t only about Paul. It’s also about us — “an example to those who were to believe in [Jesus] for eternal life”
However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.
).
How many times have we rebelled? How often have we misrepresented him? How frequently have we presumed upon his forgiveness? How much have we been impatient with him — only to find out how gently and kindly he handled us in return?
Our own impatience pulls back the mask. We may think impatience makes us look and sound strong, but it grows in the soil of our soul’s insecurity and unrest. Patience, on the other hand, reveals true power.
And what awesome, extraordinary power is on display when Christ handles us with his perfect patience.
So give god the praise this morning for his Love for his longsuffering towards you
That he has not given up on you even when your faith was small he was there patiently waiting for you Give him praise
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp!
Praise Him with the timbrel and dance;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!
Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with clashing cymbals!
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord!
Ps 150:
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.