Patience

God’s Patience with Sinners

2 Peter 3:9–10 ESV

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. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

Biblical Principles

God is present outside of time. God sees everything from a grand scale. If you live an average lifespan you will only live through 1.3% of that timeline. So from that timescale God moving at any part of your future life is him moving quickly.

God postponing to act is an act of grace.

God would be just to punish us immediately for our sin

God does not wish hell on anyone, but desires repentance out of all.

If you go to hell it is your own fault, you would have willingly denied God.

God’s desire for all is repentance not wrath.

God is not going to force you to accept his eternal grace.

The window of God’s grace will close one day.

Application

Application for this verse can be found in two other verses.

Galatians 6:9 ESV

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

Ephesians 4:2 ESV

with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

Always do good no matter the situation. Never cease to strive on doing what is right. I know when you continuously surrounded by people doing wrong or constantly done wrong it gets to the point of why not be like everybody else. I will tell you why not to be like everyone else, because you have been transformed by the grace of God.

Show the same grace God has shown you to others.

God did not turn his back on you and neither should you turn your back on your lost peers. We bear with one another because we understand the concept of God’s love for us. life is not all about your comfort and ideals. Life is about walking in the glory and grace of God.

Don’t put the focus on a person’s sin, focus on the Gospel.

You can change a person’s sinful ways, but if they don’t come to the foot of the cross the changed behavior is futile for them.

Seek salvation now.

Get everyone to bow their heads and ask if anyone would like to talk after class about salvation

We know we are not promised tomorrow. We could die or Jesus could return. If you are lost and know you need Christ as your Savior, you need to get that right, right now. Your salvation is not something to play with or delay.

Patience in the Storms

From a very literal standpoint we show patience in a storm. If you driving down a road and a bad storm comes up, you slow down and observe more.

Romans 12:12 ESV

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Biblical Principles

We are to be joyful all the time because of our hope. Who is our hope in? Jesus.

The source of our joy is hope in Christ.

We are called to be patient in a storm, not to run through them.

Patience should be practiced in storms.

Prayer should be a constant in our day to day lives.

Application

If you want to feel more joy in life, you got to have a relationship with Christ and stay in the word.

Joy in all situations will grow deeper as you grow in Scripture.

All these principles in this verse are all connected. Joy sets us up to grow in patience. When you are joyful you can put up with more.

Joy allows you to learn in the storms.

When going through a storm don’t ask “How can I get out of this?”, but ask “What can I get out of this?”